Project description

Title: Promotion of Basic Education in Punjab
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Pakistan
Lead executing agency: Punjab Education Department
Overall term: 2006 to 2015

Context

Some 89 million people, more than half of Pakistan’s total population, live in Punjab. According to a 2008-09 survey of living standards in Pakistan, among Punjabis aged 10 years or more the literacy rate is 59 %. There is also pronounced gender disparity, with 69 % literacy among men and just 50 % among women. The difference is greater in rural areas (63 % for men and 39 % for women) than in urban areas (82 % and 71 % respectively). Not surprisingly, only 51 % of the Punjab population over the age of 10 has completed primary education. At 62 %, the net enrolment rate (NER) of children between five and nine is the highest in Pakistan; this varies however between urban and rural areas, with rates of 72 % and 58 % respectively. Despite the provision of free education in Punjab, the NER in government primary schools is only 38 % (27 % in urban and 42 % in rural areas). Net enrolment rates also show a gender divide which is greater in rural Punjab (61 % boys and 55 % girls) than in urban areas, where 72 % of both boys and girls enrol.

Considerable efforts and investment will be required to improve the NER and achieve universal primary education by 2015, as targeted in the Millennium Development Goals. This calls not only for enhanced public sector involvement, but also the active participation of NGOs and the private sector.

The sector faces many challenges. Prime among these are aspects of quality, with education affected by a shortage of trained and motivated teachers, inadequate learning materials and poor support systems. Access to education is also an issue, with enrolment levels staying low because of the shortage of schools, poor school environment, uneven distribution of teaching staff, and a lack of demand in general. The enrolment of girls is additionally hampered by cultural constraints. The education sector in Punjab is very large and therefore difficult to manage or develop, especially considering the tight budget available. The result is weak governance, but this has often been overlooked as a cause of problems, while efforts have focused instead on projects that address symptoms, such as completion rates, literacy rates and learning styles.

Objective

Basic education in Punjab has improved in qualitative terms. It is available for both girls and boys and it reflects the everyday needs of real life.

Approach

The programme currently operates in three areas.

Institutional framework, governance and capacity: The Punjab Education Department receives technical support for the elaboration of a comprehensive education sector plan. A capacity assessment has already been carried out, the results of which will be integrated into the plan. A strategy for teacher training is also being developed, which reflects recognised standards, as well as the requirements of the new curriculum. Pre-service and in-service training are being more appropriately integrated into ongoing supervision schemes. The experiences of activities on the ground (see below) are used in the development of these strategic documents, which helps to ensure an effective mix of interventions.

Integrated in-service training and supervision system for teachers: The programme supports the Directorate of Staff Development (DSD) of the School Education Department, helping it to establish sustainable institutional mechanisms, as well as methods for in-service training and supervision of teachers. In cooperation with the DSD staff, it is also producing training modules for teachers and trainers. The trainers learn to coach teachers and familiarise them with modern teaching methods, interactive learning materials, and the new curricula. The teachers themselves then act as multipliers. Student-centred learning is the priority, and progress will be reviewed through regular monitoring and mentoring activities. A pilot example of integrated teacher training and supervision is being launched.

Textbook policy and development of textbooks for the new curriculum: To date, the semi-autonomous Punjab Textbook Board has been responsible for developing all the teaching and learning materials used in state schools. However, in line with the new textbook policy the development and production of these materials will now be undertaken by private publishers, while the Textbook Board will oversee quality assurance, regulation and monitoring. The GIZ project will advise all the stakeholders involved in the process. The staff responsible will continue to receive training intended to help them develop and review materials. The project also organises a dialogue and workshops to promote cooperation between private publishers, authors and textbook boards. With funds provided by KfW Entwicklungsbank, school libraries are being set up at more than 9,700 middle schools in Punjab.

The programme cooperates with others run by GIZ, including the education development programme for the North-West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and the National Basic Education Policy Programme. Furthermore, it specially coordinates its work in the professional development of teachers with the activities of UNICEF, as the UN organisation also cooperates directly with the Department for Staff Development at the Ministry of Education.

Results achieved so far

In 2010, GIZ introduced the concept of integrated in-service teacher training and supervision, which is now being piloted in two districts of Punjab. This concept demonstrates how to link in-service training effectively with school-based supervision and mentoring. It represents a shift from a top-down approach to the use of solutions generated by teachers themselves to tackle the issues they face in their everyday work. The pilot measure uses innovative professional development techniques such as self-reflection and peer learning to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

A comprehensive teacher education strategy is being drafted jointly with the DSD to help it streamline its approach and functions. In this way, all the teachers in Punjab’s primary and mid-level public sector schools should be able to receive pre-service and in-service training of acceptable quality that is measured against agreed professional standards.

New and improved textbooks are being produced for the new curriculum that was introduced in 2006. Books for grade 1 have already been printed and distributed, while those for other grades are still in progress. Publishers, writers and reviewers are benefiting from training and orientation workshops, where they learn about modern trends in textbook development and interactive learning methods. So far, 85 textbooks developed by private sector publishers have been approved by the decentralised federal education ministry. These will be printed during the academic year 2012–13 and will strengthen the basis of competition in the textbooks system of Punjab.

The national School Education Department has approved the proposed concept for the development of a sector plan for the Punjab Education Department. A situation analysis has been completed and the results shared with the government, and the basic criteria have been set out for prioritising the issues outlined in the analysis.

A capacity gap analysis for the education department has been completed, and a process has started, which will see the completion of a capacity development strategy and plan for the whole province.

Provincial and district managers have learned how to use data from the Education Management Information System (EMIS), and a census of private schools has begun. The GPS coordinates of all schools, public and private, are being collected. It is hoped that this will fundamentally change the educational statistics for the province, and improve the educational indicators.

Further information

• Directorate of Staff Development (DSD), Punjab
  http://www.dsd.edu.pk
• Department of Education, Punjab
  http://pportal.punjab.gov.pk/portal/