Balochistan Education Sector Plan Summary
1. CONTEXT 2. SCOPE OF BALOCHISTAN EDUCATION SECTOR PLAN (BESP) 2020-25 3. KEY AREAS OF FOCUS 4. MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION 5. KEY CROSS CUTTING AREAS 6. MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION 7. COSTING 8. IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING 9. COVID 19 THREAT AND BESP 10. METHODOLOGY
Context
1. Context
Balochistan covers about 44% of Pakistan’s territory and houses about 6% of its population. Huge distances and low population density provides a unique challenge of delivery in the social sector. Education is not an exception and faces several contextual challenges. In addition to low population density, chronic poverty, weak fiscal base, small private sector and poor institutional and human resource base are the binding constraints on the provision of public services in the province. Migration and natural hazards, including droughts, floods and earthquakes also impact delivery of education services. These constraints have, over the years, translated into weak growth performance, the poor state of socio-economic development and wide gender and regional disparities in access to public services. The province has the highest rate of multidimensional poverty, lowest coverage of immunisation for children, highest nutritional deficiencies and lowest literacy rates (44% for 10 plus age group), especially of rural females (17%), among all provinces in the country.
The benchmark of universal school completion and literacy given by Articles 25A and 37b of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan provides a steep slope to climb given, among others, the above challenges. Additionally there is the requirement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (and SDG 8). Article 25A was added to the Constitution of Pakistan through the 18th Amendment 2010. Article 25A made access to education a fundamental right while Article 37b calls upon the state to ensure universal literacy. Within the provicnce, the Balochistan Compulsory Education Act 2014 provides a detailed legal framework for the implementation of Article 25A. Furthermore, the 18th Amendment also transferred responsibility for the delivery of education from the federal government to provinces. These included development of curriculum that has now been voluntarily ceded back to the Federal Government by the provinces for development of a national curriculum.
The devolution of education to the provinces has resulted in an increased prioritisation of education in the public policy arena over the past decade. The political leadership of the province has demonstrated willingness to invest more in education. In nominal terms, the education budget of the province has increased nearly five times between 2009-10 and 2019-201. Similarly, the share of education in the total provincial budget has hovered around 17- 18% over the past five years—this is marginally higher than the 15% average budget share of education across low and middle income countries2.
Increased spending on education, however, has not translated into improved learning outcomes. The percentage of out-of-school children has not recorded a major reduction either. There are two major explanations. First, the overall education planning and resource allocation are not aligned with the goal of learning. Secondly, learning-related inputs such as curriculum, textbooks, teachers and examinations receive inadequate policy attention and resources. The consequent poor reading and numeracy skills and weak analytical ability of children lie at the heart of the learning crisis.
Secondly, the education system has a limited ability to translate increased spending into better learning outcomes and improved participation. The inability of the system to translate expenditure into effective results is explained by weak governance and limited management capacity of the education system in the province. The system cannot efficiently and effectively utilise available human, physical and financial resources for achieving its stated goals. For
example: improving access to education has over the years remained the primary goal of education delivery in the province. In fact, over 95% of the development budget for school education over the past ten years has been allocated to the establishment of new schools and up-gradation of existing ones. This, however, has not resulted in commensurate improvement in participation, mainly because of poor planning, a failure to assess classroom needs, weak monitoring and ineffective accountability mechanisms.
1 The education budget of Balochistan has increased from PKR 14 billion in 2009-10 to PKR 75 billion in 2019-20.
2 World Bank. 2018. World Development Report 2018 : Learning to Realize Education's Promise. Washington, DC: World Bank.
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28340 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Scope of Balochistan Education Sector Plan
2. Scope of Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP) 2020-25 This Plan covers school education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The bulk of this document covers the former.
Key Areas of Focus
3. Key Areas of Focus Within school education, this sector plan prioritises learning and access and participation as the two most important areas of policy focus. Furthermore, BESP 2020-25 identifies improved governance and management framework and better research and data as critical enablers for ensuring an efficient and effective education system.
In addition to a dedicated focus on the two key goals and two enablers mentioned above, the Plan also considers four additional aspects of education delivery that are of cross-cutting in nature and have, therefore, been dealt with throughout the BESP. These cross-cutting areas are standards, capacity, gender inclusiveness and partnerships with actors outside the government.
In technical and vocational education, the delivery of better and updated training programs that respond to the needs of the job market have been targeted as the key outcome. The aspects of quality, relevance and access in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) have been detailed accordingly.
The Sector plan brings the child to the center of reforms. The Sector Analysis separately reviewed child welfare, outside and within the school, and found it to be an extremely neglected area. The Plan centers its approach, around the child in all its aspects – learning, access and participation and governance. A further, particular, emphasis has been on the girl child.
Major Recommendations for School Education
4. Major Recommendations for School Education: Key recommendations pertaining to the two core areas of policy focus and two critical enablers are as follows:
Learning
4.1. Learning
The learning crisis is two-pronged: children cannot read and even the ‘success stories of the system’ – which is a small percentage of the total children of school age who manage to complete schooling – have low analytical ability. Reading, numeracy and analytical ability have been taken as the core issues of learning that need to be addressed to ensure children can develop as self-learners.
BESP 2020-25 looks at learning as a product of three key inputs: the learning design, teaching and learning in the classroom and child welfare. Learning design includes curriculum framework, scheme of studies, curriculum and textbooks. Teaching and learning in the classroom looks at the teachers’ performance, in which ability is one of the factors, and assessments. Child welfare includes physical and mental health of the child as developed prior to coming to school and also during school years – practices and environment in school being important factors.
Learning Design
4.2. Learning Design
BESP 2020-25 recommends a learning design that addresses the needs of the child, meets the requirements of the classroom and is sensitive to the contextual realities of Balochistan.
The term learning design, as used in this document, consists of curriculum framework, scheme of studies, textbooks and other teaching and learning materials. These are disconnected from the realities of the majority of children in Balochistan. The design fails to cater to language and other endowments of the child, teacher capacities and school situation that includes a large prevalence of multi-grade classes. A flawed learning design results in the failure of both competent and incompetent teachers.
Curriculum & Scheme of Studies
I. Curriculum & Scheme of Studies
Curriculum development has traditionally remained a closed process, dominated by individuals who possess knowledge of concerned subjects but not necessarily the requirements of the child and schools. Issues of inadequate capacity in the curriculum, within and outside the government, further impedes the quality of the curriculum. This Sector Plan calls for a shift from existing to a new approach to curriculum development that focuses on meeting the needs of the learner in Balochistan: both at the entry point of education and exit into higher education or employment. This will require the development of a research-based curriculum framework and scheme of studies that has learning paths designed as per the natural endowments of the local learner. Secondary Education Department, specifically, the Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Centre will undertake the need analysis and engage with the Federal Government to provide provincial inputs for the Federal Government including the language policy discussed in the next paragraph.
BESP 2020-25 also calls for a review of the current school language policy (based on English and Urdu in early grades) as it is seen as a major hindrance in the development of reading and thinking ability in the child. A child-centered school language policy based on his or her linguistic advantage will be developed, again, through engagement with the Federal government. Secondly, the issue of capacity within the Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Centre (BOC&EC), which is responsible for curriculum development, as well as, in the market will be addressed to create organisational capacity within the government and a critical mass of curriculum experts in the province. Finally, the Plan calls for strict adherence to a curriculum implementation framework (CIF) that undertakes a review of the effectiveness of the curriculum in textbooks, teachers, examinations and learning on a regular and periodic basis. The CIF will include dissemination of the curriculum and an ongoing feedback loop on implementation issues. A critical component of dissemination will be the orientation of teachers on the new curriculum and any subsequent changes.
Textbooks
II. Textbooks
Textbooks reviewed during sector analysis showed that they have poor learning value and are often, not even, aligned with the curriculum. There are fundamental flaws in the process of textbook development that include absence of systemic feedback mechanisms and inadequately developed standards. Weak capacity of the Balochistan Textbook Board (BTBB) plays a role in lowering the learning value of textbooks as does lack of a systemic approach for orientation of teachers on new textbooks. Owing to these shortcomings, existing textbooks encourage and induce rote learning like other components of the learning design.
This Plan recommends preparation of contextually-relevant textbooks that can help teachers in teaching and students in developing creative and analytical abilities. This can be achieved by reviewing and refining standards, especially, for inputs and processes that include training and certification of authors and field testing of textbooks. Furthermore, there is a need to improve the capacity of the Balochistan Textbook Board (BTBB). BTBB’s current capacity is inadequate for both the scale and quality of the tasks of textbook development. Finally, similar to the curriculum, the orientation of teachers on textbooks has been included in the strategies
– every time new textbooks are introduced or changes are made in them.
Teaching Learning Process
4.3. Teaching Learning Process
A thorough review of available literature, data of assessment results and findings of classroom observations carried out for the sector analysis show that teaching is not effective. One major cause is a learning design with unrealistic expectations. However, teacher availability and performance in the classroom are also critical. Lack of required number of teachers, shortage of teachers of certain subjects, especially, science and mathematics, and issues of attendance of teachers emerged as major problems in nearly all districts. Furthermore, a combination of weak motivation, poor capability and lack of adequate resources affect teacher performance.
Teacher Performance
I. Teacher Performance This Sector Plan looks at teacher performance within the context of an organisation and as a product of motivation, capacity and resources. Motivation, in turn, depends on the institutional environment, which, among the others, fails to include teachers as professionals in decisions and planning processes, lacks effective Grievance Redressal Mechanisms and adequate opportunities for career promotion and progression. Capability depends on the quality of pre-service education, both general and professional, and professional development options after joining as teachers.
Teacher Motivation
a. Teacher Motivation
Strategies pertaining to teacher motivation cover the involvement of teachers in education planning and decision-making processes, revision of career structures and promotion, and improvement of working conditions in schools, including reduction of single-school teachers. The key principle underlying these strategies is that teachers should be treated as professionals (not in an hierarchy) and as members of a larger organisation whose policies and practices impact their motivation.
Pre-Service Teacher Education
b. Pre-Service Teacher Education
Pre-service teacher education was labeled as the ‘weakest link’ in the previous sector plan. It continues to have poor quality in both public and private sectors. The primary areas of concern include the weak capacity of government-run Elementary Colleges of Teacher Education, low policy priority to pre-service teacher education and inadequate implementation of standards.
The approach to pre-service teacher education has been changed drastically in the Plan. Dependence of Government Colleges of Elementary Education (GCEE) has been removed. These GCEEs will be shifted to the Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE) where they will support the latter in the provision of in-service teacher education. For supply of quality teachers the Department will depend on the universities and colleges (managed by the Department of Higher Education) that run graduate programs of education.
Teacher Professional Development
c. Teacher Professional Development
Teacher professional development has seen improvements since the implementation of the previous sector plan. However, many issues persist and professional development as a whole remains weak.
There are three main thrusts of strategies for professional development. Firstly, there is a need for a more comprehensive approach—an approach that will view it as more than just trainings. Secondly, need-based trainings will be developed with the Directorate of Education (Schools) taking primary responsibility and the Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE) functioning in support. Thirdly, the capacity of PITE will be developed as the premier in- service teacher training institution along with the GCEEs transferred under its administrative control. Furthermore, the BESP includes head teachers and supervisors as a critical part of professional development through their roles as mentors. Peer learning has also been added as a strategy for professional development. To make them more meaningful, trainings will also be linked to career progression of teachers.
Teacher Availability
II. Teacher Availability
Most districts, and schools, have a shortage of teachers. There is a dearth of science, mathematics and language teachers, especially, in female schools. Despite significant work on monitoring of teacher attendance, as part of implementation of the previous sector plan, about 20% rate of teacher absenteeism continues. Additional duties assigned also contribute as does natural attrition and failure to prepare for replacements on time.
The Plan calls for the development of a long term teacher recruitment plan that looks at the current gaps, needs arising from attrition and expected growth of the sector. Secondly, rationalisation of transfers and postings is important to ensure a balance between rural and urban areas (a specific strategy has been included under ‘Governance and Management’). For meeting immediate needs, recruitment of teachers in science, mathematics and languages will be prioritized, especially, for girls’ schools. For continuous improvement in the quality of teachers recruited, three strategies have been included: firstly, review and improvement of the recruitment and testing processes; review of recruitment rules to ensure that personnel with higher specialised degrees have a better chance of being selected; and finally the introduction of an induction training to cover for gaps in the capacity of newly recruited teachers.
Another critical strategy is the gradual phasing out of the process of assignment of teachers to duties outside their work domain like polio campaigns, elections and others. Alternate options will be explored to eventually reduce the time of teachers’ involvement in these activities.
Assessments and Examinations
4.4. Assessments and Examinations Assessments are another critical input included in the teaching-learning process. These have broadly been split into assessments within the school and external ones: high stakes examinations for grade 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th conducted by the Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BBISE) and the large scale mandatory grade 8th examinations held by the Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission (BAEC). Both internal and external examinations, with the exception of BAEC, induce rote learning and do not test for analytical ability. This impacts the teaching-learning process in the classroom – especially the high stakes examinations – which settles into a lesson delivery that does not involve development of critical-analytical ability. Consequently, students also rely on rote memorization.
School Assessments
I. School Assessments The Plan calls for introduction of regular formative and summative assessments in schools (many schools have discontinued formative assessments) and their use in school accountability frameworks so as to ensure the improvement of teaching and learning practices. Secondly, the capacity of both teachers and supervisors (head teachers and others) will be developed in assessments.
High Stake Assessments
II. High Stake Assessments
BESP 2020-25 requires the Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BBISE) to shift from an organisation that primarily plans and implements the logistics of large scale, high-stake examinations to one that ensures the quality of the examination process including the paper preparation and marking. This will require a complete capacity review and overhaul, followed by a development plan, which among others, will require the Board to include assessment specialists in its organisational structure. Standards for examinations, from paper setting to conduct and checking, will be reviewed to ensure that only examiners with the requisite training and certification can prepare papers. Furthermore, it will be ensured that papers are field tested prior to finalization and an item bank is developed. For improving the quality of assessments, the target is to shift from questions that test rote memory to those that test analytical ability and critical thinking skills. The target for the next five years is to increase the weightage of analytical questions in examinations. The ambition for a vertical climb on taxonomy has been kept low, till application, as schools will need time to adjust to changes in examinations. These cannot be changed drastically overnight.
BAEC Assessments and Examinations
III. BAEC Assessments and Examinations
Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission (BAEC) was established to begin testing of students prior to the secondary level, to inform the system of issues in learning. The Commission has been bogged down by conduct of large scale examinations for grade 8 (initially it was doing this for both grades 5 and 8). This has crowded out its primary functions mentioned above. BESP requires BAEC to refocus on its primary roles of system capacity building and shift from large scale to sample based diagnostic assessments. The latter is meant to inform the system of its weakness. Mechanisms will be developed to ensure that SED and its attached departments utilise the findings of these diagnostic assessments.
Overall Assessment System – Consistency and Relevance
IV. Overall Assessment System – Consistency and Relevance
The assessment structures in the province work in a general disconnect – symptomatic of the overall learning system. Three systemic issues impact all assessments: a dearth of qualified personnel; limitations of the current standards; and absence of an overall framework for assessments. BESP requires investment in preparing more specialists in assessments, both, within the government and outside. Secondly, it calls for revision of standards of assessments and examinations and, finally, the development of a provincial assessment framework that clarifies the roles, uses and standards for all types of assessments and examinations.
Credibility of Examinations
V. Credibility of Examinations
Another problem faced is endemic cheating which has seriously undermined the credibility of examinations. There are two strategies to combat the problem. Firstly, awareness campaigns against cheating that target all relevant segments of society. Secondly, there is a need for a review of the processes and procedures of BBISE for the conduct of examinations so as to minimise the possibilities of cheating. Shift to quality examinations through reduction of memory-based portions will also help eliminate cheating.
The Child
4.5. The Child
The Sector Analysis concluded that education policies, plans and practices are not child- centered. In fact, systemic information on the child’s needs and issues is very scant. This includes the child prior to coming to school, the child in school and the school going child at home.
BESP 2020-25 calls for a shift to the child as the center of all policy, planning and practices. There are two main thrusts to the strategies: more research and information on the child’s physical and psycho-social development and continued improvement of child welfare. The latter can be achieved through remedial actions against known issues like corporal punishment and bullying, enhancement of school safety through training of students and teachers and revision of existing safety standards. For enhanced welfare, BESP has strategies for better implementation of the existing Child Protection Act 2016 and promulgation of a more comprehensive ‘Child’s Rights’ law. Institutionalised coordination mechanisms will be developed between SED and the Health Department to ensure regular health check-ups and training of teachers on the identification of health issues including learning difficulties.
Two subsets of the child welfare component are issues of children with special needs and Afghan Refugees. Children with special needs are even more on the periphery of policy and implementation. The strategies for ‘Children with Special Needs’ firstly require better information. Secondly, strategies emphasize expansion beyond the current 11 institutions in 9 districts to at least one in each district. Only children who cannot be accommodated in regular schools will be admitted to an expanding sector of schools for children with special needs. Two other important areas addressed are enhancement of quality of delivery in special schools through capacity development of the Directorate of Special Education and improvement in community acceptance and ownership of children with special needs.
Finally, BESP 2020-25 provides strategies for children in schools within refugee camps. The strategies on quality recommend reversion to textbooks in Darri and Pashto – the mother tongues of the refugee children - from Urdu even as the Pakistani curriculum gets implemented. On increased access, the strategies call for improvement of conditions in schools through the provision of better facilities and involvement of communities to increase enrolment – especially, for female children. Strategies have also been included wherein refugee children have quotas in secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges. This will help them continue their education.
Access and Participation
4.6. Access and Participation
An estimated 65% of school-age children are not in schools. The gender gap is the widest of all the provinces. The causes of these problems lie in shortcomings on the supply side, as well as, barriers on the demand side.
Given the high percentage of out-of-school children, especially females, the Plan underscores the need for expanding access to education. BESP’s approach to rectify the situation includes an increase in schooling opportunities, along with better utilisation of existing ones and provision of second opportunities through non-formal schooling to children who have either dropped or never attended school. Consolidation and rationalisation of existing infrastructure and human resources and the establishment of new schools on strictly need-basis are key components of improving access to formal schooling.
Non-formal education will be strengthened to rise to the challenge of reaching out of school children (OOSC). In the last two years, there have been improvements but more will be done to ensure a robust NFE sector. Finally, adult literacy as a component of NFE will also be improved to help with, among other benefits, retention of children in schools as there is a correlation between parental literacy and schooling years of the child.
Formal Education
4.7. Formal Education
Strategies for improved access and participation, presented in BESP, are cognizant of the challenges of setting up schools in areas of low population density. Therefore, it encourages need based evaluation of schooling needs and innovation, including, possibilities of public private-partnerships – for both primary and post primary levels. The importance of community involvement in ensuring enrolment, especially, at the right age is recognised and BESP requires it to support better access and participation. Furthermore, given the inter- district disparities, ten districts with the lowest net enrolment rates will be prioritised for investment into schooling.
Increased Girls Participation
I. Increased Girls Participation
Although opportunities for girls have increased in the last few years, the gender gap in access to school and participation remains wide. The gap widens from primary upwards.
Strategies to enhance girls’ participation focus on increased opportunities as well as addressing additional conditions that impact female participation in schools. The latter includes the provision of transport and awareness on – and facilities for- management of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). Additionally, to make schools more attractive for girls, sports will be introduced in all female schools. Besides, BESP also recommends the conversion of primary schools to gender free enrolment policy with female teachers. This is will make it easier for the community to enroll girls in co-education primary schools. Finally, similar to overall access, ten districts with the lowest female participation will be prioritised for investment in schooling.
Address Demand Side Factors
Credibility of Examinations, Access and Participation, Formal Education, Increased Girls Participation, Address Demand Side Factors,
II. Address Demand Side Factors
BESP 2020-25 recognises that not all demand-side causes are known and documented. Therefore, one part of the strategy requires more research into the exploration of demand-side issues. However, the Sector Plan looks at two demand-side factors: poverty and early marriages in the case of females. For the first one, school meals will be introduced and students and parents will be given information on scholarships that can be availed. The issue of continued female education will require an awareness of, and engagement with, the community.
Non-Formal Education
4.8. Non-Formal Education
Non-Formal education has two components: a second opportunity for Out of School Children (OOSC) and literacy for adults. The former is known as Non-Formal Basic Education (NFBE). Non-Formal Basic Education (NFBE) fast tracks curriculum coverage to mainstream children into formal schools wherever it is possible. In some cases, this is not possible as children are older and marketable skill development becomes critical. Therefore TVET related teaching is part of NFE programmes.
With 65% of out of school children and a literacy rate of 44% for 10 plus (female literacy of 25% with rural female 17%), the importance of Non-Formal Education (NFE) cannot be overemphasized. The Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP) breaks up Non-Formal Education (NFE) into the standard components of any learning system: system level capacity, access and participation and quality (and relevance) with equity as a cross-cutting issue.
System Level Capacity of NFE
I. System Level Capacity of NFE
The strategies for enhancement of system capacity look at four aspects. Firstly, the capacity of the Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education (DLNFE) will be strengthened further. In addition to the Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education (DLNFE), the attached departments of SED responsible for curriculum, textbooks, teacher training and assessment will develop capacity in Non-Formal Education (NFE) and become regular providers of services to the sector. The other area where capacity will be enhanced is beyond the government or Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education (DLNFE) is the private sector. An important partner in NFE implementation.
A critical systemic need that will be met is formal coordination between Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education (DLNFE) and the Directorate of Education (Schools) and the Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (BTEVTA). Finally, standards and a strengthened accreditation system have been recommended in the strategies.
Access and Participation in Non-Formal Education
II. Access and Participation in Non-Formal Education (NFE)
Currently, NFE programs are not being run in all districts by the provincial government. A majority of those enrolled are males. BESP 2020-25 requires expansion of the capacity to run NFE/ALP programs. This includes primary, as well as post primary programs. The latter have been less focused in the past. Specific targeting strategies, depending on the local requirements, will be developed for inclusion of more females in both NFBE and adult literacy programs. For the latter, districts with the lowest literacy rates will be prioritised for investment. A weak element of NFE programs in the past has been community involvement. This will be targeted and strengthened to help expand and sustain successful NFE interventions.
Quality and Relevance of Non-Formal Education
III. Quality and Relevance of Non-Formal Education (NFE)
The primary shift is to move from scattered piecemeal Non-Formal Education (NFE) interventions to an institutionalised need-based approach to development of curriculum, learning material, assessments and teacher professional development. Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education (DLNFE) will coordinate with the Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Centre (BOC&EC), Balochistan Textbook Board (BTBB), Balochistan Assessment
and Examination Commission (BAEC) and Provincial Institue of Teachers Education (PITE) for the purpose. To improve systemic capacity courses on NFE will be introduced in pre- service teacher education. Similar to formal education standards will be reviewed and revised.
To help participants of Non-Formal Education (NFE) find meaningful work a process of equivalence certification for skill-based programs will be developed, with support from Balochistan Technical Education Vocational Training Authority (BTEVTA), to allow a transition to further Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses or employment. Career counselling will be introduced in both NFBE and adult literacy programs.
Research and Data
4.9. Research and Data
Data and research is a critical component that enables effective policy, planning and implementation. Strategies proposed direct three transitions: need based data collection and research to be conducted to inform policy; shift in the current decision making culture in the government to depend more on empirical evidence; and building capacity for research through, among other measures, linkages with the academia. To improve the use of data and research officers will be provided training and rules will be amended (to the extent possible) to mandate the use of data and research in the development of policies and plans. Awareness of senior decision makers and political leadership on the importance of data and research will be pursued.
Governance and Management
4.10. Governance and Management
A poor governance framework and weak management capacity at all levels of education (including schools) are arguably the most serious problems of education service delivery in Balochistan. Key governance and management challenges include, but are not limited to weak policy, regulatory and legal frameworks, ad hoc and centralised planning, inefficient HR management systems, lack of clarity over mandates, non-availability and opacity of data on performance, low accountability, and lack of sustained political support. Most other problems in the education sector are somehow linked to poor governance and management. The prevalence of these issues means that the education system lacks the capacity to efficiently and effectively utilise available physical, human and financial resources. It also implies that increased availability of resources for education alone may not address the crisis of learning and low access.
Governance and management have been prioritised as very important areas in BESP. Improving governance and management is critical if an education system is to improve learning outcomes, ensure more efficient and effective use of available resources, and reduce inequities in access to education. This can be achieved through an improved legal framework, better planning, efficient management, and stronger accountability mechanisms.
Policy and Legal Framework
I. Policy and Legal Framework
There are gaps in the policy and legal frameworks governing the provision of education in Balochistan. The Balochistan Education Sector Plan 2020-25 recommends the development of a sound policy and legal framework with clearly-defined policies, statutes and rules to guide the delivery of education. First, it calls for the development of provincial education policy. Secondly, the Plan focuses on promulgation of missing laws like the provincial “Curriculum, Textbook and Standards Act”. This law was a requirement after devolution of the function of curriculum and standards to the provincial government. Thirdly, a number of laws of education either do not have operational rules or are being implemented through rules developed decades ago. Both situations need rectification.
Better Strategic Planning
II. Better Strategic Planning
In order to ensure better planning, BESP 2020-25 recommends stakeholder engagement, accurate assessment of key needs of the sector and development of needs-based short and medium-term plans. The strategies proposed call for systematic and structured implementation of BESP 2020-25 through an inclusive approach that involves attached departments, divisions, districts and sub-district tiers in the development of operational plans. Donor plans and projects will also be aligned with BESP. Lastly, the supervision of the development expenditures of SED will be improved.
Efficient and Inclusive Management
III. Efficient and Inclusive Management
Similarly, efficient management at the minimum requires that the component parts of an education system are aligned towards the goal of learning and organised in a way that they cover the mandate of education and reinforce each other in achieving the set goals. Key interventions proposed for improving managerial efficiency include implementation of a results-based management system, development of efficient HR management and development framework, consolidation of decentralisation reforms, implementation of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, introduction of public-private partnerships, community involvement in education management, and promotion of gender- inclusive management. Detailed strategies for these interventions are as follows:
• For implementing a results-based management system, strategies propose the development of annual work plans and a holistic monitoring and evaluation strategy for education that looks at efficiency and effectiveness in all attached departments and decentralised tiers. This will require strengthening of the existing Performance Management Cell (PMC) and establishment of a strong formal coordination mechanism among all attached departments, as well as, departments outside the domain of SED (like the Social Welfare and Higher Education Departments). The same has been proposed in the strategies.
• Better human resource management and development is seen as vital to the effectiveness of the largest organisation in the provincial government. In this regard, key strategies include the development of a holistic and integrated human resource policy (teacher recruitment plan discussed earlier will be a subset), the establishment of a specialised HR management structure and strengthening and consolidation of the existing HR Management Information System (HRMIS).
• Greater private sector engagement has been proposed in the plan. The Plan calls for regulation of the private sector (developed through engagement with the private sector) to safeguard interests of the learner but also looks at the sector as an important partner in delivery. Therefore, promotion of public-private partnerships in education has been recommended.
• Strategies for effective decentralised structures have also been included. These primarily call for strengthening and further rationalisation of the existing structures at the district level and below and include the District Education Group (DEG), the District Education Authority (DEA) and school clusters used for procurement and other activities. As part of decentralisation school-based plans will be developed and community engagement at school and cluster level will be strengthened.
• Gender-inclusive management is extremely important if the BESP is to achieve its gender targets and reduce gender gaps. The strategies target gender attitudes in the education workplace and improvement of both the social and physical environments for females working in the sector. One proposal is to redresss gender imbalance through an increased representation of females in senior management positions beyond the specific posts allocated already for overseeing girls’ education in districts and schools.
Effective Accountability and Increased Transparency
IV. Effective Accountability and Increased Transparency
In addition to better planning and efficient management, this plan focuses on strengthening accountability and increasing transparency as a means of improving governance of education.
Sector analysis revealed the failure of accountability mechanisms at three stages in the education service delivery chain. First, citizens, especially, poor and marginalised groups such as women, young, minorities, may not have the necessary information and the collective action capacity to hold politicians accountable. Second, policymakers may not be able to hold service providers accountable. Information asymmetry, principal-agent problems, management constraints and external pressures adversely affect the capacity of governments to hold bureaucrats accountable. Third, the Secretariat may not have the capacity to hold attached departments and lower tiers to account for their performance.
This plan proposes measures to strengthen accountability at all three steps. First, for strengthening the accountability link between citizens and politicians, the plan recommends transparency, which will improve public access to information on key aspects of education delivery and enable them to hold their political representatives accountable. Secondly, for strengthening the accountability link between politicians and service providers, mandatory sharing of information on the performance of Secondary Education Department (SED) is recommended. Thirdly, for the link between the Secretariat and the attached departments, this plan proposes the implementation of a results-based management system with periodic progress review meetings. The implementation of these measures will ensure a multi-tiered accountability system in education delivery.
Furthermore, recognising that the traditional route to accountability (citizen -> politicians -> service providers) is long and vulnerable to breakdown at multiple places, this plan promotes a shorter route to accountability through the engagement of community at each level of education delivery i.e. school, cluster, district and province. Social accountability forums have already been created at school, cluster, district and provincial levels. This plan recommends the consolidation and strengthening of these forums.
This plan recommends transparency to improve trust between the government and citizens and promote citizen-led accountability. These measures will improve public access to information on key aspects of education delivery such as budget and expenditures and enable them to hold their political representatives accountable.
Constructive Political Engagement
V. Constructive Political Engagement
BESP 2020-25 recommends constructive engagement with the political leaders so that the political interest in education can be translated into an asset that supports systemic reform and improvements. Constructive political engagement will be pursued through regular interaction on education with senior political leadership through the Minister of Education and, most importantly, the Provincial Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education will be given updates and feedback on the reform process. This will help receive better and positive political support for the implementation of BESP.
Key Cross Cutting Areas
5. Key Cross Cutting Areas
Four considerations are cross-cutting, the first of these is standards. All quality products (curriculum, textbooks, teachers, assessments and examinations and teacher training) require a review of their current standards for inputs and processes. These inputs and processes will ensure achievement of the high-level standards given in the National Minimum Standards for Quality Education (NMSQE) 2017. Implementers of the Plan will ensure standards are inclusive and cover ethno-linguistic and religious diversity, gender, children with special needs and socio-economic differences.
The second cross-cutting area is capacity. This includes the development of a critical mass of human resources in areas like curriculum, assessments, teacher training and other technical aspects of education. The third important theme, repeated at various places in the plan, is gender inclusiveness. Finally, the Balochistan Education Sector Plan 2020-25 does not depend on government resources alone – whether technical or financial- options of partnerships with academia and private sector have been explored wherever feasible.
Major Recommendations for Technical and Vocational Education
6. Major Recommendations for Technical and Vocational Education
The approach to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) looks at a comprehensive reform of all its aspects: access and participation, quality and relevance, and governance and management. The key being better employment results for its graduates that will not be possible without seriously repairing the current system that is broken at multiple points.
The primary problem of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is the low absorption of its graduates into the market; this is due to governance and quality issues that also impact participation. The objective is to reverse the trend with increased participation of women for which BESP 2020-25 calls for increased training opportunities and engagement with community and employers to change the attitude towards female mobility and work – especially, in trades that traditionally have walls against women’s inclusion. On the quality side, strategies call for greater exposure to the industry during training and development of quality standards for training providers with gradual movement towards hiring services of high-end technical personnel for the purpose. The key to eventual success is the alignment of trades offered with market needs – there is a disconnect at present.
Concerning governance, better coordination and strengthening of Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (BTEVTA) as the oversight body for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the province have been recommended. The trainings will continue under the different departments (e.g. Labour, Industries etc.), but Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (BTEVTA) will oversee standards and their implementation.
Costing
7. Costing
Financial outlays of Rs. 72.75 billion have been estimated for the implementation of BESP 2020-25 over the next five years. This amount will be over and above the current budgetary allocations. It is expected that the government will provide the funds along with other sources to cover the financing gaps. Given the high dependence of the provincial government on transfers from the Federal Government from revenues collected by the latter, national economic growth will have implications. However, the shift in resource requirements is gradual with no additional money required for year 1 of the Plan.
Implementation and Monitoring
8. Implementation and Monitoring
BESP 2020-25 will be implemented by each respective organisation identified for various strategies. Where required, and as identified in the Plan, coordination with other organisations will be undertaken. Policy Planning and Implementation Unit (PPIU) will coordinate the overall process through assisting organisations in the development of annual operational plans and by monitoring the progress. It will monitor the progress on a monthly basis through the indicators included in each organisation’s annual operational plan and those given in the results matrices in BESP. Each result matrix provides annual targets for key indicators and a final value for each to be achieved by the end of year five of the plan. There will be two evaluations: one at the end of two years and the second after four years.
A “High-Level Oversight Committee” headed by the Additional Chief Secretary will review the progress, at least twice a year. The committee also includes Secretaries of Education, Social Welfare, Finance, Planning and Development as well as senior members of academia and the civil society.
In addition to the above, a Local Education Group (LEG) headed by Secretary Education will also review progress. LEG includes secretaries of social welfare, head of Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (BTEVTA) and secretary higher education along with the representatives of development partners and key civil society organisations.
COVID 19 Threat and BESP
9. COVID 19 Threat and BESP
COVID 19, as a health risk, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11th March 2020. The sector plan was already in the finalization stages. Given the impact on education, additions have been made in BESP 2020-25. Traditional room-based classroom teaching cannot continue as long as the risk of contagion is high; alternative schooling options through online videos, television and radio have been recommended. The challenge for all media are the limitations of coverage in Balochistan and, equally importantly, the household practices where such media (even if present) may not be effectively used for schooling. Awareness on the latter has been included as a strategy for implementation. As the risk reduces, regular schools may begin but under the advise of the Department of Health. BESP provides space in its strategies for innovative options as per local conditions. The same applies to non-formal education and delivery of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The Plan provides room for innovative schooling options at the district level, based on level of COVID 19 risk. However, in case of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), there are limitations when practical work on machinery will be required.
Education activities are not limited to schooling. Teacher education and training are essential. Strategies have been included for online and distant learning options for both pre-service and in-service teacher education. High stake examinations is another area. Even as the threat reduces at some point, examinations may not be possible to hold in the traditional method and on a full scale. BESP has recommended staggering of examinations over 3 to 6 months - moving through specific districts – to ensure a minimal (manageable) number is examined at a point of time. Even these examinations will have arrangements based on advice from the Department of Health. A challenge will be the standardisation of papers and the management of multiple papers. Internet-based papers and checking is not a possibility in the near future.
Several other activities of BESP like curriculum review and standards development can be pursued with minimal risk and even through electronic communication.
Methodology
10. Methodology
Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP) 2020-25 has been based on a detailed education sector analysis undertaken through a comprehensive consultative process. The latter included meetings with teachers, students and district authorities across 12 districts of Balochistan. In parallel, groups of professionals were formed under different themes to meet and analyse the various problems and policy options. Detailed meetings were held in each of the Secondary Education Department’s key organisations, as well as, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BBISE) and the Department of Finance. A high-level consultative group of senior civil servants, with experience in education, functioned as advisers to the process. In addition to the consultations, secondary data available on access, participation, equity, learning and child welfare was used to identify issues. Specific workshops, with a mix of stakeholders, were held to finalize strategies for the Sector Plan.
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