31
Presentation Pakistan On Education For All with Special Reference to Early Childhood Education Regional Training Workshop on Early Childhood Policy Review Bangkok, Thailand,6-8 February 2007 By Shahid Ali Khan Focal Person (ECE), Ministry of Education

Presentation Pakistan On · Salient Features of National Plan of Action. ... Literacy and advocacy campaign. ... and adequate sanitation

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

PresentationPakistan

On

Education For All with Special Reference to Early Childhood Education

Regional Training Workshop on Early Childhood Policy Review Bangkok, Thailand,6-8 February 2007

ByShahid Ali Khan

Focal Person (ECE), Ministry of Education

Constitution of Pakistan on EFA

State shall be:-

“responsible for eradication of illiteracy andprovision of free and compulsory education uptosecondary level, within minimum possible time”

(Article 37-B, Constitution of Pakistan)

Vision of EFA

“Meeting the learning needs of all through quality education”

The Six Dakar Goals1. Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood

care and education, especially for the most vulnerableand disadvantaged children;

2. Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls,children in difficult circumstances and those belongingto ethnic minorities, have access to and complete freeand compulsory primary education of good quality;

3. Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people andadults are met through equitable access to appropriatelearning and life skills programmes;

4. Achieving a 50% improvement in levels ofadult literacy by 2015, especially for women, andequitable access to basic and continuing education for alladults;

5. Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondaryeducation by 2005, and achieving gender equality ineducation by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ fulland equal access to and achievement in basic educationof good quality;

6. Improving all aspects of the quality of education andensuring excellence of all so that recognized andmeasurable learning outcomes are achieved by all,especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.”

The Six Dakar Goals (Contd…)4

Goal 2. Achieve universal primary educationTarget 3: Ensure that, by 2015, childreneverywhere, boys and girls alike, will beable to complete a full course of primaryschooling.

Goal 3. Promote gender equality andempower women

Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity inprimary and secondary education,preferably by 2005, and to all levels ofeducation no later than 2015.

Millennium Development GoalsRelating to Education

Population Structure/Distribution (3+ Age Groups)3-5 Age Group - Early Childhood Education5-9 Age Group - Primary Education10+ Age Group - Adult Literacy

Salient Features of National Plan of Action

Primary Education - Net Participation Rate Targets(Selected Years)

66%

82%90%

100% 100%94%

79%

100%

87%

68%

100%

50%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

2000 2005 2010 2015

Years

Parti

cipa

tion

Rate

Total

Male

Female

PRIMARY EDUCATION (5-9+ Age Group) Gross Enrolment 2005

• Total = 15.96 million- Male = 9.17 million- Female = 6.98 million

15.96

9.17

6.98

02468

10121416

Gross Enrolment (5-9+)

TotalMaleFemale

Primary Education (2004-05)Gross Participation Rate (5-9+ Age Group)

• Total = 81%- Male = 91%- Female = 76%

81%

91%

76%

TotalMaleFemale

Adult Literacy Rate Targets

71%

86% 86%

49%

61%

86%

77%

61.3%

71.5%

50.5%

65%

36.8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2000 2005 2010 2015

Years

Popu

latio

n in

Mill

ions

Total

Male

Female

53%

ADULT LITERACY (10 + Age Group)(2004-05)

• Number of literates (10+) = 113 million- Male = 59 million- Female = 54million

113

59 54

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

No. of Literates (10+)

TotalMaleFemale

Adult Literacy (10+ Age Group)Gross Participation Rate (2004-05)

• Adult Literacy Rate(5-9+) = 53%- Male = 65%- Female = 40%

53%

65%

40%

Gross Participation Rate

TotalMaleFemale

Early Childhood Education - Net Participation Rate Targets

(Selected Years)

50%

18%

28%

50%

32%

40%

25%

36%31%

42%

50%

39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2000 2005 2010 2015

Years

Part

icip

atio

n R

ate

Total

Male

Female

Early Childhood EducationPopulation (2004-2005)

• Total = 7.5 million- Male = 3.9 million- Female = 3.6 million

7.5

3.9 3.6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

TotalMaleFemale

Early Childhood EducationGross Enrolment 2005

• Total = 6.60 million- Male = 3.57 million- Female = 3.02 million

6.6

3.573.02

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

TotalMaleFemale

EFA Priorities

Sector wide Priorities:

First Priority Primary Education

Second Priority Adult Literacy

Third Priority Early Childhood Education

EFA PrioritiesArea-Wise PriorityFirst Priority - Rural Female

Second Priority - Rural Male

Third Priority - Urban Female

Fourth Priority - Urban Male

Age-Wise PrioritiesPrimary Education 5-7 years age group - First Priority

8-9 years age group- Second priority

Adult Literacy 10-14 years - First Priority

15-24 Years - Second Priority

25-44 Years - Third Priority

Achievements• 15-year strategic EFA Plans at National, Provincial and District Level had

been prepared

• EFA Plan of Action is an integral part of PRSP and Medium Term Development Framework.

• EFA forums and EFA Units at National, Provincial and District level established.

• Incentives in the form of free textbooks, food and nutrition and stipendsbeing provided to increase the enrolment and check the dropout. It hassubstantially increased the enrollment at primary level.

• Missing facilities in schools are being provided under Education SectorReforms with an objective to improve the learning environment and to retainchildren in the system.

• Monitoring and Evaluation of the development programmes is beingstrengthened.

Achievements (Contd.)

• ECE Unit has been established at the Projects Wing of the Ministry ofEducation.

• National Education Policy is being revisited to make it more compatibleto the changing national and global needs.

• Early Childhood Education curricula has been developed and is beingimplemented.

• Standardized ECE Teachers Guide has been developed for adoption at provinciallevel.

• Literacy and advocacy campaign has been launched throughout thecountry. Literacy guidelines have been developed with three levels of literacy.Curricula for each level is being finalized.

• Curricula of primary, middle and secondary level is being revised.

• Increased budgetary allocation for education so for to increase it to 4% ofGDP in the coming years may be a break though in educationaldevelopment.

Achievements (Contd.)

• Executive District Officers (EDO) Education & literacy have been giventraining in EFA Planning, implementation and monitoring/ evaluation.

• Under Tawana Pakistan, food package is being provided in selecteddistricts of the country. This would result in reducing the drop out rate

• Free Text Books are being provided to all students of the primary schools.

• Compulsory Primary Education Act has been enacted in three out of your Provinces of the country as well as in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). However, the enforcement of the said acts is still pending.

Issues and Problems• ECE is the last priority of the government. Budget for ECE is

negligible. Funds allocated for ECE under Education SectorReforms are too meager and inadequate to cater the needs ofaround 8 million children of the respective age group.

• Although pre-primary education (katchi class) has been recognizedin the current National Education Policy as part of formal systemextending elementary education from katchi –8 grade yet, practicallyno considerable measures have been undertaken to implement thepolicy provision with the exception of development of ECE curricula.Neither separate classroom and teacher could be provided nor otheressential facilities and services could be provided with.

Issues and Problems• Provinces, districts communities and schools lack the capacity to

plan, implement and monitor ECE programmes. Training facilities neither for teachers nor for managers/administrators are available.

• Research in ECCD and ECE is another most neglected area.• Due to poverty and lack of access to basic social services, a

majority of children under five years of age are suffering from malnutrition, poor health and lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

• Complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, maternal anemia and malnutrition kill many women every year.

• Poverty is the biggest obstacle and constraint in the way of meeting the needs, protecting and promoting the rights of children. Children are hardest hit by poverty in Pakistan.

Coordination• At the national level, there is no single task force or committee or council which is responsible for

the overall coordination of early childhood services. As a result, inter-ministerial coordination at the federal level in Early Childhood Services, especially in early childhood education, is weak and fragmented, with each ministry or department conducting a set of activities, often resulting in duplication of efforts. Although, at the federal level there is a National EFA Forum of the Ministry of Education, with wide membership across various public and private departments, but it does not meet regularly and faces financial problems. It is not coordinated with The National Commission on Child Welfare and Development (NCCWD), the organization set up to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC) by the Ministry of Women's Development, Social Welfare and Special Education. Also, there is no regular institutional coordination between these ministries and the Ministry of Health.

• Federal ministries involved in ECE are coordinated with their provincial departments as they greatly depend on the policy directives and financial support from the center but inter-departmental coordination at the provincial level, too, suffers from lack of effective mechanisms. However, under the new Devolution Plan, district governments have been formed with the objective of better governance and it is possible that inter-departmental coordination will improve under the guidance of the District Coordinating Officer (DCO) and Nazim (the Chief Executive in the district).

• However, coordination between government organizations and their respective donors on a project basis is regular and effective. Each concerned government organization is implementing one or more donor-funded ECE pilot projects, with limited scope, for which there are proper mechanisms of coordination which ensure timely implementation and systematic monitoring and evaluation of specified activities. Non-governmental. organizations which are participating in project activities, too, are well coordinated with the relevant government departments and donors.

Recommendations (Way Forward)

• In order to resolve the aforementioned issues and meet the challenges the following recommendations may be considered.

Advocacy• Policy makers, planners, managers / administrators, teachers, parents and other concerned

should be sensitized about the importance and significance of ECCD. All possible modes and means such as workshops, conferences, symposia, forums and mass media should be utilized for awareness raising and motivational campaign for ECCD. T.V. adds, radio programmes, articles in newspapers and posters can be effective for creating awareness.

• The mass media and other organizations have a key role to play in raising awareness about the situation of children and the challenges facing them; they should also play a more active role in informing children, parents, families and the general public about initiatives that protect and promote the rights of children, and should also contribute to educational programmes for children. In this regard, the media should be attentive to their influence on childre

Data• Core indicators on ECCD and ECE should be developed. The data/statistics on these core

indicators should be regularly collected through EMIS, PIHS and other sources then, analyzed, reported and disseminated.

Policy• Parents, families, legal guardians and other caregivers have the primary role and responsibility for

the well-being of children, and must be supported in performance of their child rearing responsibilities. All our policies and programmes should promote the shared responsibility of parents, families, legal guardians and other caregivers, and society as a whole.

Recommendations (Way Forward)Comprehensive integrated long term policy on Early ChildhoodEducation Care and Development should be formulated in consultation with allconcerned in the first instance. A full chapter on Early ChildhoodEducation should be included in the new education policy which is inprocess now a days.

Political Will• Parliamentarians or members of legislatures are key to the

implementation of ECCD plan of action, the success of which will require that they promote a awareness raising; adopt necessary legislation; facilitate and appropriate the financial resources needed for this purpose; and monitor their effective utilization.

Partnership• Non-governmental organizations and community-based organization

should be supported in their work and mechanisms established, where appropriate, to facilitate the participation of civil society in matters relating to children. Civil society actors have special role to play in promoting and supporting positive behavior and creating an environment that is conducive to the well-being of children.

Recommendations (Way Forward)

• The private sector and corporate entities have special contribution to make, from adopting and adhering to practices that demonstrate social responsibility to providing resources, including innovative sources of financing and community improvement schemes that benefit children, such as microcredits.

• iii)Religious, spiritual, cultural and indigenous leaders, with their tremendous outreach, have a key role as front-line actors for children to help translate the goals and targets into priorities for their communities and to mobilize and inspire people to take action in favor of children.

• Regional and international organizations, in particular all United Nations bodies and other multilateral agencies, should be encouraged to collaborate and play a key role in accelerating and achieving progress for children.

Integrated Programme• Poverty must be tackled on all fronts, from the provision of basic services to the

creation of employment opportunities through human resource development. Eradication of poverty and reduction of disparities must therefore be a key objective of development efforts.

Recommendations (Way Forward)

b. Special emphasis should be placed on parental and post-natal care,essential obstetric care and care for new borns, particularly for those livingin areas without access to services.

c. Education and health system and services should be expanded and s strengthened and increase access to integrated and effective health, education, nutrition and child care in families, communities, schools and primary health care facilities focusing on marginalized boys and girls .

d. immunization of all children should be ensured.

e. Effective actions rather a full fledge campaign against all child diseases especially diseases and malnutrition that are the major causes of child mortality and morbidity should be launched through public private partnership.

f. People who work directly with children have great responsibilities. It is important to enhance their status, morale and professionalism.

Recommendations (Way Forward)

PlanningFollowed by preparation of Action Plans, both short term and long term, to implement the policy provisions. Action plans should be prepared at all the three levels i.e. National, Provincial / Federating Unit and District level. Main emphasis should be on implementation of the plan and effective monitoring in collaboration with and effective participation of civil society and local community.

BudgetEarly Childhood Education should be separated from Primary/Elementary Education budget. Adequate funds should be allocated, released and optimally utilized for implementation of ECE programmes, plans and projects at all levels i.e. National, Provincial, Districts, and local. Furthermore, ECE budget should be non-lapsable and non transferable. Resources should also be mobilized through donors, NGOs and Communities.

AccessIn order to improve the access and increase enrolment adequate facilities, services and infrastructure should be provided in the first instance. ECE/Kachi class should be started in all public sector primary and middle schools. ECE classes may also be started in Non-formal Basic Education Schools and Adult Literacy Centers. Besides, private sector should befacilitated and encouraged to open ECE classes. ECE class should be provided with separate room, full time teacher, assistant teacher/Aaya (if possible), playground having all the facilities of children games, sports and recreation as well as free food. Followed by launching a motivational campaign and enrolment drive every year.

Recommendations (Way Forward)

Quality• Our educational institutions should offer quality ECE programmes. ECE

curricula and teachers guide already developed by Ministry of Education should be tested in the field and if needed revised and revised (as a continuous process) followed by development of teaching – learning and instructional materials such as games, toys, pictures, jingles, cartoons, films and movies etc etc. School environment should be made attractive, recreational, interesting and child friendly

Training and Research• Special provision should be made for training (both pre-service and in-

service) of ECE teachers. All teachers Training colleges/institution of the country should institute ECE teachers training programmes. Similarly, research on various aspects of ECE may be conducted and based on the research findings curricula, training and assessment/evaluation Programme should be strengthened

Thank you