Presented by

Dr. Syed KamaluddinDeputy Focal Person

Government of BalochistanPolicy Planning & Implementation Unit

(PPIU)(September 16, 2014)

Policy and Right to Education (RTE): Status on Early Childhoods Education in Balochistan

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Prelude ECE progress in Balochistan Performance assessment framework Targets set under BESPP ECE budget in PSDP Collaboration of donors Policy legislative & other reforms Way forward

Overview

Pakistan education system strands at a critical juncture with constitution decree of Article 25-A declaring education as fundamental right for children of 5-16 yrs of age.

In addition to its own constitutions, Pakistan is also inevitable by international commitments and treaties.

The UN convention on Rights to Child (CRC), which is most extensive international treaty on rights of children, commits states to ensuring the rights of all children on basis of equal opportunity

The UN committee on CRC calls on states to recognize that children are active participants in decisions them and to pay special attention to the neglected area of early childhood.

The Jomtien Declaration for EFA stated that learning starts at birth.

The Dakar framework for action reaffirmed this and 180 world leaders signed up to EFA goals where goal 1 illustrates that”

“Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable disadvantaged children”.

Prelude

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In pursuance of the Dakar World Education Forum, the Government of Pakistan developed a National Plan of Action 2001-15. This plan aimed at development of education sector as a whole with a special focus on EFA goals with ECE as one of its three areas of focus;

One of the salient features of National Education Policy 2009 stated that:

“ECE shall be based on a concept of holistic development of the child; age group shall be recognized as comprising 3 to 5 years, at least one year pre-primary

education shall be provided by the State; ECE shall be attached to primary schools provided with additional budget; teachers and assistants for this purpose; and, for

ECE teachers, a two-year specialized training shall be a necessary requirement based on ECE revised National Curriculum”

In order to introduce ECE, a national curriculum for ECE was developed in the year 2002 revised in 2007.

The Higher Education Commission has developed curriculum for the elementary school teacher (ADE Programme) which also caters the professional needs of ECE teachers.

Federal Ministry of Education has developed the Early learning and Development standards

Prelude

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The criticality and advantages of ECE are now established from biological ,social, economic, cultural and human development standpoints.

Study have demonstrated the efficacy ECE in improving access especially for the most disadvantage evidence from around the world suggest that the most disadvantaged children whether because of poverty, ethnicity, gender, rural isolation or disability, experience the most dramatic gains from ECE.

The India village pre-school study, for example, found that the children who had participated in an ECE program were twice as likely to enroll in school as matched controls.

In Nepal more than 95% of program children enrolled compared to an overall figure of less than 70%. The results are even more dramatic, with very little dropout amongst the children who have participated in a pre-school program.

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ECE significance

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Significant reductions in school failure, repetition, absenteeism and dropout rates were found in the vast majority of the studies looking at the effects of ECE worldwide.

The Mingat and Jaramillo studied impacts of Early Childhood Care and

Education in Sub-Saharan Africa and found completion rates of 50% in the absence of pre-school and around 80% where half the children have access to pre-school or ECCD centers.

In Peru, a recent study found that nearly 60% more poor children who participated in pre-school completed primary school as compared with poor children who didn’t access pre-school.

(Reference: AKF report on ECE)

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ECE significance

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School Type No. of Public Schools EnrollmentBoys Girls Total Boys Girls Total

Primary 7807 2778 10585 345144 205980 551124

Middle 670 495 1165 102079 87824 189903

High 550 233 783 211242 117126 328368

Higher Secondary 26 17 43 14608 20128 34736

Total 9053 3523 12576 673073 431058 1104131

Total number of schools & enrollment in Balochistan

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Performance assessment framework

Indicators Initial Value 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

1. Access1.1 ECE 51% 51% 55% 59% 63% 67%

1.2 Primary 44% 47% 49% 51% 52% 54%1.3 Middle 26% 27% 29% 30% 31% 32%

1.4 High 13% 14% 15% 16% 17% 18%2.Survival Rate2.1 Primary 45% 46% 47% 48% 49% 50%

2.2 Middle 79% 80% 82% 83% 84% 85%

2.3 High 93% 93% 94% 94% 95% 95%

Currently, it is a Katchi class with limited concept of ECE, material and even no classroom and teachers for this age group

Performance assessment framework

 Indicators Initial Value

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

3. Intake Rate

3.1 Primary 60% 62% 64% 66% 68%

3.2 Middle 39% 40% 42% 43% 44%

3.3 Secondary 18% 20% 21% 22% 24%

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Performance assessment framework

Indicators 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-184. Quality4.1 Literacy/Language (in Urdu)

         

Grade-3 6% 8% 11% 15% 20%Grade-4 14% 16% 19% 23% 28%Grade-5 49% 51% 54% 58% 63%Grade-6 72% 77% 81% 86% 72%4.2 Literacy/Language (in Eng)

         

Grade-3 4% 8% 11% 15% 50%Grade-4 11% 13% 16% 20% 25%Grade-5 29% 31% 34% 38% 43%Grade-6 62% 64% 67% 71% 76%4.3 Numeracy/Mathematics          Grade-3 4% 8% 11% 15% 50%Grade-4 10% 12% 15% 19% 24%Grade-5 39% 41% 44% 48% 53%Grade-6 62% 64% 67% 71% 76%

Comparative student competencies (ASER 2013)

Indicators Balochistan Punjab NationalLiteracy (in Urdu)      Grade-3 6% 27% 16%Grade-4 14% 46% 29%Grade-5 49% 66% 50%Literacy (in English)      Grade-3 4% 25% 15%Grade-4 11% 44% 28%Grade-5 29% 62% 43%Numeracy      Grade-3 4% 19% 12%Grade-4 10% 36% 25%Grade-5 39% 56% 43% 11

ECE progress in Balochistan

Schools with ECE facilities only 5%

Schools focused Number

UNICEF 300

RCC Project by SCSPEB 100

Balochistan Education Project(SCSPEB and IDO) 105

IDSP & Taraqee Foundation 55

Total 560

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Targets set under Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP)

TargetsTarget

by 2018

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

1. Establishment of ECE Centers 3600 720 720 720 720 720

2.Establishment of Primary School

4000 800 800 800 800 800

3. Up-gradation of Primary Schools to Middle Level

800 80 160 240 240 80

4.Up-gradation of Middle Schools to Higher Secondary

100 10 20 30 30 10

Balochistan budget 2014-15 Name of Scheme Target Estimated Cost

(in million)

1. Establishment of ECE Centre 720 Rs.843.842. ECE Teacher Rs.18000/- per month 720 Rs.155.523. ECE material @Rs.30000/- per school 720 Rs.21.604. Up-gradation of Primary School into Middle 318 Rs.2544.005. Construction of Building already approved

shelter less Primary School1800 Rs.9000.00

6. Up-gradation of Middle School into High 170 Rs.1275.007. Providing General Toilet 2000 Rs.600.008. Additional Class rooms overcrowded schools 1000 Rs.1300.009. Construction of Building Primary School 1100 Rs.5500.00 10. Up-gradation of Primary School into Middle 340 Rs.2720.00

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Collaboration of donors in BalochistanDevelopment

PartnerProject Name

Implementing Entity

Geographic Scope

Financial Commitment

Year Area of support

DFAT, Australia ECE/ECDProgram

Aga Khan Foundation

Gawadar, Killa Saifullah and Quetta

AUD 4.75 million

2010-2015 Access to Early Childhood Development

Idara-e- Taleem –o-Aagahi (ITA)

ECEProgram

ITA Lesbella, Killa Saifullah & Quetta

US$ 1.4 million

2014-2018 Access for girls to ECE & P/S in 100 schools; support material

UNESCO Supporting Provincial Capacity

Building to Realize

Girls’ Rights to

Education

Department of Edu. Balochistan (BEF)

Across the province

Malala Fund 2014-2016 Expanding access for girls to primary and secondary education through policy support; and improving quality

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Collaboration of donors in BalochistanDevelopment

PartnerProject Name Implementing

EntityGeographic

ScopeFinancial

CommitmentYear Area of support

World Bank Balochistan Education Support Program

Balochistan Education Foundation/Secondary Education Department

Province wide

USD 22 Million (loan)

2006-2014 Increasing access through community and public private partnerships.

World Bank Promoting Girls Education in Balochistan

PMU/ Secondary Education Department

12 districts USD 10 Million (grant)

2012-2015 Access/Community partnerships

Global Partnership for Education/ World Bank

Balochistan Education Project

PMU/ Secondary Education Department

Province wide

USD 34 Million (grant)

2014-2017 Access, Quality, Community partnerships and Monitoring

UNICEF Promoting Girls Education in Balochistan

Government of Balochistan, Secondary Education Department

Upstream work: the whole province.

USD 15 Million (grant)

2013-2017 Access, Quality, Capacity Building and system strengthening 16

Proposed assessment methods on Early Childhood Education

1. Classroom Level Child Assessment Teachers Assessment Classroom Environment Head Teachers

2. Parental Support Involvement Level of understanding Sharing of Child Development

Reports• Health• Academic

3. Health Growth Weight Immunization Medical checkups

4. System Diagnosis (through proposed Balochistan Examination & Assessment Commission- BEAC)

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Policy, legislative & other reforms Declared ‘Education Emergency’ in the province

Act (Article 25-A) on Free and Compulsory Education is promulgated

Act on Introduction of Mother Language in early grades is promulgated

Future teachers selection through National Testing Service (NTS) notified & MOU also signed with NTS

Developed ECE policy framework in collaboration with AKFPlanned continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers and head teachers at all levels

Development of new textbooks aligned with national curriculum 2006 student learning outcomes (SLO’s) 18

Way forward

Government of Balochistan Commitments to expand the ECE from 5% to all schools in phase wise manner

The CPD and pre-Service trainings needs to be aligned with the concept of ECE

Availability of teaching-learning resource material (TLR) especially for ECE and primary level to make the teaching-learning processes more attractive

Construction design of the schools need to be reviewed and aligned with the needs of the child

Approval and implementation of ECE policy frame work from Balochistan Cabinet 19

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