No World Bank funding forthcoming for Sindh public schools: secretary
Pace of work on Sindh Education Sector Reform Project II project termed 'unsatisfactory'
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
World Bank funding to revamp quality and infrastructural standards at public schools across Sindh is set to cease with the 'below par' execution of the Sindh Education Sector Reform Project II.
Declaring the pace of work on the initiative unsatisfactory, the international financial institution said it was unlikely that the project would be completed on time. A January report on the project by the World Bank said progress on two fronts, teacher recruitment and disbursement-linked indicators, was poor.
Just as appointment of teachers had been dogged by delays, it took the government inordinate time to nominate quality schools. The document went on to add that the project was unlikely to be completed by its original December, 2018 deadline if progress was not hastened.
In an earlier June, 2017 report, the World Bank noted poor increase in enrolment across Sindh's public schools. The document also mentioned how satisfactory progress had not been registered in enrolment despite the introduction of teacher recruitment, attendance monitoring, school consolidation and examination reforms.
'Stop tinkering with education in Sindh'
The dismal results of the four-year programme are being highlighted as it enters its final year. The World Bank, on the other hand, is yet to approve funding for other projects. The international financial institution has expressed no interest in financing any new projects, sources said.
The initiative, originally green-lighted in March, 2013, started nearly a year later in 2014. Slated to end in June, 2017, the programme's completion deadline was later revised to December, 2018.
A cursory examination of figures available with The Express Tribune reveals that a mere 2% increase in school enrolment has been registered over the initiative's penultimate and final year.
The number of children enrolled across province-wide public schools stood at 4,145,219 in 2015-16. The figure rose to 4,229,128 over 2016-17.
Despite billions of dollars in aid and government protestations to the contrary, experts say the school education department has failed miserably in revamping standards across public schools.
Sindh education reform
Of the province's 42,383 public schools, only 57% have access to potable water, 55% lack power and a little over 60% feature toilets and boundary walls. Negligible improvement has been recorded on these accounts over the programme's concluding years.
A 7% increase has been recorded in schools with access to drinking water. An 8% rise has been registered in schools electrified. Washrooms and roofs have been added to 8% and 2% schools respectively.
The student to teacher ratio stands at 28:1. A classroom is available per 39 students. The student to school ratio stands at 100:1. Poor enrolment explains the low ratios, experts opine.
Latest standardised achievement test results, last released in 2017, are also representative of poor quality of education imparted across public schools. A dismal 26.1% boys and 27.5% girls of 180,453 grade five students cleared the tests across English, mathematics and science. Class eight students performed slightly better with 28.9% boys and 32.4% clearing all three subjects, according to the Reform Support Unit statistics.
Whither education ‘emergency’ in Sindh?
School Education Department Secretary Iqbal Durrani confirmed the development. He told The Express Tribune that no World Bank funding was forthcoming for any initiative following the conclusion of the Sindh Education Sector Reform Project II.
Durrani, however, claimed that all project targets had been realised. The secretary said the World Bank would be approached for funds on this very basis.
World Bank funding to revamp quality and infrastructural standards at public schools across Sindh is set to cease with the 'below par' execution of the Sindh Education Sector Reform Project II.
Declaring the pace of work on the initiative unsatisfactory, the international financial institution said it was unlikely that the project would be completed on time. A January report on the project by the World Bank said progress on two fronts, teacher recruitment and disbursement-linked indicators, was poor.
Just as appointment of teachers had been dogged by delays, it took the government inordinate time to nominate quality schools. The document went on to add that the project was unlikely to be completed by its original December, 2018 deadline if progress was not hastened.
In an earlier June, 2017 report, the World Bank noted poor increase in enrolment across Sindh's public schools. The document also mentioned how satisfactory progress had not been registered in enrolment despite the introduction of teacher recruitment, attendance monitoring, school consolidation and examination reforms.
'Stop tinkering with education in Sindh'
The dismal results of the four-year programme are being highlighted as it enters its final year. The World Bank, on the other hand, is yet to approve funding for other projects. The international financial institution has expressed no interest in financing any new projects, sources said.
The initiative, originally green-lighted in March, 2013, started nearly a year later in 2014. Slated to end in June, 2017, the programme's completion deadline was later revised to December, 2018.
A cursory examination of figures available with The Express Tribune reveals that a mere 2% increase in school enrolment has been registered over the initiative's penultimate and final year.
The number of children enrolled across province-wide public schools stood at 4,145,219 in 2015-16. The figure rose to 4,229,128 over 2016-17.
Despite billions of dollars in aid and government protestations to the contrary, experts say the school education department has failed miserably in revamping standards across public schools.
Sindh education reform
Of the province's 42,383 public schools, only 57% have access to potable water, 55% lack power and a little over 60% feature toilets and boundary walls. Negligible improvement has been recorded on these accounts over the programme's concluding years.
A 7% increase has been recorded in schools with access to drinking water. An 8% rise has been registered in schools electrified. Washrooms and roofs have been added to 8% and 2% schools respectively.
The student to teacher ratio stands at 28:1. A classroom is available per 39 students. The student to school ratio stands at 100:1. Poor enrolment explains the low ratios, experts opine.
Latest standardised achievement test results, last released in 2017, are also representative of poor quality of education imparted across public schools. A dismal 26.1% boys and 27.5% girls of 180,453 grade five students cleared the tests across English, mathematics and science. Class eight students performed slightly better with 28.9% boys and 32.4% clearing all three subjects, according to the Reform Support Unit statistics.
Whither education ‘emergency’ in Sindh?
School Education Department Secretary Iqbal Durrani confirmed the development. He told The Express Tribune that no World Bank funding was forthcoming for any initiative following the conclusion of the Sindh Education Sector Reform Project II.
Durrani, however, claimed that all project targets had been realised. The secretary said the World Bank would be approached for funds on this very basis.