The State of Basic Education in Pakistan - Sustainable Development ...
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>:A Qualitative, Comparative InstitutionalAnalysisShahrukh Rafi Khan, Sajid Kazmi and Za<strong>in</strong>ab LatifWork<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 471999
All rights reserved. No part <strong>of</strong> this paper may be reproduced or transmitted <strong>in</strong> any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g photocopy<strong>in</strong>g, record<strong>in</strong>g or <strong>in</strong>formation storage and retrieval system,without prior written permission <strong>of</strong> the publisher.A publication <strong>of</strong> the Susta<strong>in</strong>able <strong>Development</strong> Policy Institute (SDPI).<strong>The</strong> op<strong>in</strong>ions expressed <strong>in</strong> the papers are solely those <strong>of</strong> the authors, and publish<strong>in</strong>g them does not <strong>in</strong> anyway constitute an endorsement <strong>of</strong> the op<strong>in</strong>ion by the SDPI.Susta<strong>in</strong>able <strong>Development</strong> Policy Institute is an <strong>in</strong>dependent, non-pr<strong>of</strong>it research <strong>in</strong>stitute on susta<strong>in</strong>abledevelopment.WP- 047- 002- 095- 1999- 046© 1999 by the Susta<strong>in</strong>able <strong>Development</strong> Policy InstituteMail<strong>in</strong>g Address: PO Box 2342, Islamabad, <strong>Pakistan</strong>.Telephone ++ (92-51) 278134, 278136, 277146, 270674-76Fax ++(92-51) 278135, URL:www.sdpi.org
Table <strong>of</strong> ContentsAbstract .................................................................................................................1Introduction ...........................................................................................................1Research Design, Sampl<strong>in</strong>g and Research Method..............................................2Conceptual Framework .........................................................................................3Field Report Evaluation .........................................................................................4Reform<strong>in</strong>g Government <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> ............................................................15Conclud<strong>in</strong>g Remarks...........................................................................................16References..........................................................................................................19Appendixes .........................................................................................................20
<strong>The</strong> Susta<strong>in</strong>able <strong>Development</strong> Policy Institute is an <strong>in</strong>dependent, non-pr<strong>of</strong>it, non-government policyresearch <strong>in</strong>stitute, meant to provide expert advice to the government (at all levels), public <strong>in</strong>terest andpolitical organizations, and the mass media. It is adm<strong>in</strong>istered by an <strong>in</strong>dependent Board <strong>of</strong> Governors.Board <strong>of</strong> Governors:Dr. Amir MuhammadChairman <strong>of</strong> the BoardMr. Hameed Haroon<strong>Pakistan</strong> Herald Publications (Pvt.) LimitedMr. Javed JabbarMNJ Communications (Pvt.) LimitedMr. Irtiza Husa<strong>in</strong>Director, <strong>Pakistan</strong> Petroleum LtdMs. Khawar MumtazShirkat GahMr. Shams ul MulkFormer Chairman, WAPDADr. Abdul Aleem ChaudhryDirector, Punjab Wildlife Research CentreMr. Malik Muhammad Saeed KhanMember, Plann<strong>in</strong>g CommissionMr. Mohammad RafiqHead <strong>of</strong> Programme, IUCN/<strong>Pakistan</strong>Dr. Zeba A. SatharDeputy Resident Representative, Population CouncilMs. Shahnaz Wazir Ali<strong>Education</strong> Specialist, MSUDr Shahrukh Rafi KhanExecutive Director, SDPIUnder the Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series, the SDPI publishes research papers written either by the regular staff <strong>of</strong>the Institute or affiliated researchers. <strong>The</strong>se papers present prelim<strong>in</strong>ary research f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs either directlyrelated to susta<strong>in</strong>able development or connected with governance, policy–mak<strong>in</strong>g and other social scienceissues which affect susta<strong>in</strong>able and just development. <strong>The</strong>se tentative f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs are meant to stimulatediscussion and critical comment.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>:A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional Analysis 1Shahrukh Rafi Khan, Sajid Kazmi and Za<strong>in</strong>ab LatifAbstract<strong>The</strong> objective <strong>of</strong> the paper is to suggest ways to make government (by far the largest provider) rural primaryschool<strong>in</strong>g delivery more effective. We compared the <strong>in</strong>stitutional effectiveness <strong>of</strong> rural primary school<strong>in</strong>gdelivery <strong>of</strong> the government with the NGO and private sectors. Our ma<strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs are first that the NGOschools were the most successful and second, that “good management” is the key <strong>in</strong>gredient for soundschool<strong>in</strong>g. Further, if mean<strong>in</strong>gful “participation” is to be achieved <strong>in</strong> government schools, the powerrelations <strong>of</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istrators, teachers and parents have to be changed.I. Introduction<strong>The</strong> objective <strong>of</strong> this research was to suggest ways to make government (by far the largest provider) ruralprimary school<strong>in</strong>g delivery more effective. We compared the <strong>in</strong>stitutional effectiveness <strong>of</strong> rural primaryschool<strong>in</strong>g delivery <strong>of</strong> the government with the NGO and private sectors. We identified processes push<strong>in</strong>g forimprovements <strong>in</strong> the NGO and private sectors and those result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> obvious failures <strong>in</strong> the governmentsectors. Our focus was on operational lessons derived from the NGO and private sector delivery that couldmake the government sector more effective.It is <strong>of</strong>ten stated that NGOs are more effective <strong>in</strong> the delivery <strong>of</strong> services than the government and, <strong>in</strong>deed, ourfield observations show that this was the case <strong>in</strong> the delivery <strong>of</strong> basic education. A critical research issue iswhether the community participation <strong>in</strong>duced or harnessed by development NGOs produces a higher qualityproduct and susta<strong>in</strong>able service delivery at a competitive price or are there other forces at play.Not much is known about rural private sector school<strong>in</strong>g. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this is a rapidlygrow<strong>in</strong>g sector. Some assert that such schools cheat gullible rural folk with a smatter<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> English on thesyllabus and the status symbols represented by private sector uniforms. Others swear by the dedication <strong>of</strong>private sector teachers. Either way, it was also time to more systematically assess the contribution <strong>of</strong> suchschools, their potential for growth, the lessons derived from their practice and the social implications <strong>of</strong> theirpresence.In section II, we describe our research design, sampl<strong>in</strong>g and research method. In section III, we describe theconceptual framework, <strong>in</strong> section IV, we presents qualitative results primarily based on field evaluations, <strong>in</strong>section V we present recommendations for public sector school<strong>in</strong>g reform and we end with a conclud<strong>in</strong>gsection.1 Thanks are due to <strong>The</strong> Asia Foundation, <strong>Pakistan</strong> for support<strong>in</strong>g this research. Thanks are also due to HarisGazdar for useful comments.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisII.Research design, sampl<strong>in</strong>g and research methodData for the study was collected through extensive fieldwork carried out <strong>in</strong> the Punjab, S<strong>in</strong>dh,Balochistan, the NWFP and the Northern Areas between September and December 1999. To ensurethat we were compar<strong>in</strong>g the same level <strong>of</strong> school<strong>in</strong>g across NGO, private and government schools,many <strong>of</strong> the listed NGO schools were excluded s<strong>in</strong>ce they ran <strong>in</strong>formal schools while the governmentand private sector schools are mostly formal. Our <strong>in</strong>itial focus was on NGOs that ran a multipleschool program, s<strong>in</strong>ce they were the more important players <strong>in</strong> the provision <strong>of</strong> NGO school<strong>in</strong>g.We started with a Society for the Advancement <strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong> (SAHE) directory <strong>of</strong> NGOs <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong>education. 2 We soon realized this was not exhaustive, s<strong>in</strong>ce a number <strong>of</strong> organizations had not been<strong>in</strong>cluded. To supplement the SAHE directory, we obta<strong>in</strong>ed a copy <strong>of</strong> the Datal<strong>in</strong>e NGO directories(one each for the four prov<strong>in</strong>ces and the Capital) from the Trust for Volunteer Organizations (TVO). 3This directory had been compiled <strong>in</strong> 1991, and <strong>in</strong>cluded NGOs that had registered by the late 1980s.Those that stated that they were <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> education were sent questionnaires to gauge their currentstatus and <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> education. This process was time consum<strong>in</strong>g and the responsesdisappo<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g. However, we managed to complete this process for Balochistan, NWFP and S<strong>in</strong>dh.<strong>The</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation sent back perta<strong>in</strong>ed mostly to the smaller NGOs and Community BasedOrganizations (CBOs). S<strong>in</strong>ce, we <strong>in</strong>itially planned to <strong>in</strong>clude only the larger NGOs <strong>in</strong> the sample,we began a fresh to compile a list <strong>of</strong> larger NGOs, on the basis <strong>of</strong> the SAHE directory and the NGOgrapev<strong>in</strong>e. Our selection criterion was that the NGO be runn<strong>in</strong>g formal primary schools (i.e. 5 years<strong>of</strong> school<strong>in</strong>g).Initially, for f<strong>in</strong>ancial and l<strong>in</strong>guistic reasons, the study was to be restricted to the Punjab. It wasthought that, as the largest prov<strong>in</strong>ce and with the largest number <strong>of</strong> NGO <strong>in</strong>terventions, the<strong>in</strong>stitutional f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs from this prov<strong>in</strong>ce would be, by and large, relevant for the rest <strong>of</strong> the country.After much search<strong>in</strong>g, 50 NGO schools were selected from the Punjab. Because <strong>of</strong> the difficulty <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g formal schools, even smaller NGOs were <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the sample. Once <strong>in</strong> the field, wediscovered that a substantial amount <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>formation reported was <strong>in</strong>accurate, even though it hadbeen given to us, <strong>in</strong> most cases, by the senior management <strong>of</strong> the organizations <strong>in</strong> question. <strong>The</strong>ma<strong>in</strong> problem was that many <strong>of</strong> the primary schools were not runn<strong>in</strong>g classes I-V as we required.Because we were not able to f<strong>in</strong>d 50 formal NGO schools <strong>in</strong> the Punjab, we had to expand the scope<strong>of</strong> the study to <strong>in</strong>clude the rest <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ces. Much <strong>of</strong> the sampl<strong>in</strong>g work had to be carried out onthe basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation received on site, i.e. through various education-related pr<strong>of</strong>essionals andcommunities. Substitutions were made when those schools orig<strong>in</strong>ally <strong>in</strong> the sample could not besurveyed -- generally because the school did not run five classes, was closed due to W<strong>in</strong>ter break,was non-existent or too far away from a private school to justify a comparison between the two.<strong>The</strong> schools f<strong>in</strong>ally visited are listed <strong>in</strong> Appendix I, Table I-IV. As evident from this list, 7 out <strong>of</strong> the43 schools f<strong>in</strong>ally <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the sample were those <strong>of</strong> NGOs operat<strong>in</strong>g only one school. For themultiple school NGOs on the list, we randomly selected about 30 percent <strong>of</strong> the schools <strong>in</strong> thePunjab. When the fieldwork <strong>in</strong> the Punjab was complete, we cont<strong>in</strong>ued with random selection <strong>in</strong> theother Prov<strong>in</strong>ces to complete the target NGO selection. For the larger multi-school NGOs <strong>in</strong> the otherprov<strong>in</strong>ces, the selection ranged from 22 percent to 55 percent. Once the NGO school was selected,2 SAHE (1997).3 TVO (1994).2
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47we then visited the nearest government and private schools that ran classes up to class 5.objective <strong>in</strong> pursu<strong>in</strong>g this method was to m<strong>in</strong>imize location <strong>in</strong>fluences when compar<strong>in</strong>g schools. 4Our<strong>The</strong> fieldwork <strong>in</strong>volved a total <strong>of</strong> ten questionnaires, the details <strong>of</strong> which are attached as AppendixIII. <strong>The</strong>se <strong>in</strong>cluded solicit<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>formation from students, teachers, households and communities. Wealso adm<strong>in</strong>istered tests to assess class III and class V student cognitive skills <strong>in</strong> mathematics andcomprehension and also cognitive skills <strong>of</strong> class V teachers. F<strong>in</strong>ally, meet<strong>in</strong>gs were held with theadm<strong>in</strong>istrations <strong>in</strong> the sample areas, and their op<strong>in</strong>ions on NGO <strong>in</strong>terventions were gauged.III.Conceptual framework<strong>The</strong> conceptual framework we used for view<strong>in</strong>g the vast and rich observations that emerged from thefield reports is the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal-agent model”. 5 In the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal-agent” context, the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal relies onthe agent to execute the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal’s agenda. A good outcome is likely when the agent has appropriate<strong>in</strong>centives to carry out the agenda <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal rather then carry<strong>in</strong>g out an <strong>in</strong>dependent agenda.Thus the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal agent” problem can be viewed as one <strong>of</strong> ensur<strong>in</strong>g that there is agendacompatibility.<strong>The</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal-agent problem occurs <strong>in</strong> the theory <strong>of</strong> the firm when the <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> the stockownersand the <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> the hired managers do not co<strong>in</strong>cide. <strong>The</strong> challenge is to structure <strong>in</strong>centives <strong>in</strong> away so that the two <strong>in</strong>terests are merged. Stock-options, as part <strong>of</strong> the pay or as a bonus formanagers, could be a solution. Aga<strong>in</strong>, even if the owners and managers have unified objectives, the<strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> the managers and those <strong>of</strong> the workers may deviate. One solution to the latter problem isto make the returns to workers tied to the pr<strong>of</strong>it <strong>of</strong> the firm. In this way, a harmony <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terests maybe achieved across the board by l<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g all remuneration to pr<strong>of</strong>its.<strong>The</strong> consumers can be viewed as the co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipal, s<strong>in</strong>ce the stock-holders, managers and workersshare <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>its are cont<strong>in</strong>gent on the consumers buy<strong>in</strong>g the good or service. This is particularly thecase if there is competition <strong>in</strong> the market and the consumer has the option <strong>of</strong> buy<strong>in</strong>g from anotherfirm if not satisfied with the product.In the same way, <strong>in</strong> government school<strong>in</strong>g, the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal is the public that via a circular process hasto ensure good public service. In a practical sense, the public mandate is entrusted to the m<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong>education as the l<strong>in</strong>e agency <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>cial governments. Authority for management andenforcement devolves down the hierarchy to the district and assistant education <strong>of</strong>ficers (DEO/AEO)and the field supervisors who are entrusted to do the monitor<strong>in</strong>g and enforcement. One could viewthe school adm<strong>in</strong>istration, heads and teachers as agents for provid<strong>in</strong>g good school<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> public’sonly mechanism for enforcement is compla<strong>in</strong>ts (voice), if there is no alternative to public school<strong>in</strong>g(exit), 6 or ultimately not vot<strong>in</strong>g for <strong>in</strong>efficient government.Our f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs show that the voice option has seriously weakened as the rich parents have abandonedpublic schools <strong>in</strong> favor <strong>of</strong> private or NGO schools. <strong>The</strong> rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g students are generally from the4 About three-fourths (96 <strong>of</strong> the 129) <strong>of</strong> the schools were mixed, 18 were all girl and 15 were all boy schools.5 For a concise description refer to Stiglitz (1998).6 Hirschman, (1970).3
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional Analysislower <strong>in</strong>come households and therefore the exit option is not a possibility for them either. 7 F<strong>in</strong>ally the electoraloption is a weak and crude enforcement mechanism for several reasons. First, concerned m<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong>ficialsmay rema<strong>in</strong> completely unaffected by a change <strong>in</strong> government, particularly at the lower adm<strong>in</strong>istrative level.Second, even if poor performance was signaled by the public, tenure and seniority based pay protects civilservice employees, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g teachers who do not perform well. Third, <strong>in</strong> practice, elections are an unlikelytool for such signal<strong>in</strong>g. Vot<strong>in</strong>g behavior is complex and determ<strong>in</strong>ed by many <strong>in</strong>fluences and, even if failure <strong>in</strong>social sector delivery plays a part <strong>in</strong> it, the message is likely to get lost.In a pr<strong>in</strong>cipal agent framework, success would mean that the prov<strong>in</strong>cial and local governments <strong>in</strong>ternalizewhat the public <strong>in</strong>terest is and deliver on it. Given the diffuse signals and weak enforcement mechanismreferred to above, public spiritedness needs to be <strong>in</strong>ternalized by senior civil service <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>in</strong>dependentlysuch that they become the "pr<strong>in</strong>cipals." We discuss under what circumstances this might be possible <strong>in</strong> thegovernment school<strong>in</strong>g reform section.In private schools, the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” is the owner with reference to pr<strong>of</strong>it maximization. <strong>The</strong> “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” is <strong>of</strong>tenalso the school adm<strong>in</strong>istrator or school head. As <strong>in</strong> the case <strong>of</strong> other goods and services purchased on themarket, the parents could be viewed as co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipals. As long as there is competition, there is an identity <strong>of</strong><strong>in</strong>terests s<strong>in</strong>ce good school<strong>in</strong>g is what parents want and that is also what will produce demand and high pr<strong>of</strong>its.<strong>The</strong> parents seek<strong>in</strong>g alternative school<strong>in</strong>g for their children is the enforcement mechanism for good school<strong>in</strong>g.In the absence <strong>of</strong> competition, compla<strong>in</strong>ts (voice) are all parents can resort to and there is no guarantee that thiswill meet with a response.Assum<strong>in</strong>g there is competition, and therefore an identity <strong>of</strong> parent and owner <strong>in</strong>terests, good school<strong>in</strong>gdepends, among other th<strong>in</strong>gs, on how effectively the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” motivates the “agents” (teachers). Soundselection, good tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and appropriate remuneration are among the tools that can be used for motivat<strong>in</strong>gteachers. However, fear <strong>of</strong> term<strong>in</strong>ation is an alternative tool for motivat<strong>in</strong>g teachers, and this is the one that wefound was used more frequently.<strong>The</strong> “pr<strong>in</strong>cipals” <strong>in</strong> one-<strong>of</strong>f NGO schools may operate much like private sector schools. <strong>The</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals maybe driven by a mission rather than a pr<strong>of</strong>it and this could be another source <strong>of</strong> motivation for the teachers asagents if they identify with the mission. In multi-school NGOs, the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” and the guardians <strong>of</strong> themission and quality is the NGO. It is the larger organization rather than the school that plays the role <strong>of</strong>monitor and enforcer <strong>of</strong> standards. Teachers work<strong>in</strong>g conditions, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and motivation are all tools to turnthem <strong>in</strong>to effective agents. Sometimes, the NGOs also mobilize communities to become contributors andenforces <strong>of</strong> standards via <strong>in</strong>formal channels or, more formally, via a parent-teacher association. In this case,the NGO effectively <strong>in</strong>vites the community, <strong>in</strong> which the school is situated, to be a co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipal.IV. Field reports evaluationA. Criteria <strong>in</strong> assess<strong>in</strong>g success<strong>The</strong> criterion for assess<strong>in</strong>g success <strong>in</strong>cluded the performance <strong>of</strong> class 3 and class 5 students and class 5teachers on comprehension and math tests, the state <strong>of</strong> discipl<strong>in</strong>e and confidence <strong>of</strong> students, motivation,7 We constructed a wealth <strong>in</strong>dex based on durable goods and mode <strong>of</strong> transport possessed. By this criterion, 59percent <strong>of</strong> the children <strong>of</strong> government schools came from the most deprived households while this was true for38 percent <strong>of</strong> private and NGO schools. Aga<strong>in</strong>, while only 5 percent <strong>of</strong> the children from government schoolscame from the wealthiest households, this was true for 23 percent and 22 percent <strong>of</strong> private and NGO schoolchildren. Thus the household wealth pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> the NGO and private school children was virtually identical andmuch higher than that <strong>of</strong> government school children.4
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47dedication, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and experience <strong>of</strong> teachers, whether students and/or teachers cheated <strong>in</strong> the tests, physicalfacilities <strong>of</strong> the school, availability <strong>of</strong> school supplies and the quality <strong>of</strong> school adm<strong>in</strong>istration andmanagement.B. Comparative overview <strong>of</strong> success<strong>The</strong> table below <strong>in</strong>dicates the evaluation <strong>of</strong> the field team concern<strong>in</strong>g the 43 sets <strong>of</strong> government, privateand NGO schools across the country. 8 As <strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>in</strong> the sampl<strong>in</strong>g section, the NGO schools wereselected first and the closest government and private schools subsequently selected for <strong>in</strong>vestigation. <strong>The</strong>table below <strong>in</strong>dicates how many <strong>of</strong> the schools <strong>in</strong> the sample were viewed as successful or not successfulby the field-teams based on the criteria described above.Table 1: A comparative tally <strong>of</strong> the success and failure <strong>of</strong> government, private, and NGO schoolsType <strong>of</strong> school/ Evaluation Successful Not successful In-betweenGovernment 5 32 6Private 19 17 7NGO 31 8 4Source: Survey field-team evaluation<strong>The</strong> table clearly <strong>in</strong>dicates that the NGO schools are the most likely to be successful followed by privateschools. That only 5 out <strong>of</strong> 43 government schools were viewed as successful confirms what is now wellknown i.e. that the state <strong>of</strong> government basic education is abysmal and urgently <strong>in</strong> need <strong>of</strong> reform.As mentioned earlier, one <strong>of</strong> the criteria <strong>of</strong> success was the performance <strong>of</strong> class 3 and class 5 studentsand class 5 teachers on comprehension and math tests. While we give more weight to the overallevaluation <strong>of</strong> the field-teams, it is nonetheless <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g to observe the results on the tests adm<strong>in</strong>isteredby the field-teams that are reported below <strong>in</strong> Table 2.Table 2: Percentage marks on comprehension and math tests for teachers and class 3 and classType <strong>of</strong>Schools5 students by school type.Teacher Scores Students Scores,Class 3Student Scores,Class 5Math Comp. Math Comp. Math Comp.NGO 5.9(2.7)24.5(3.3)2.6(1.2)10.1(4.9)4.9(1.3)16.7(3.6)Private 6.1(3.0)23.1(5.3)2.4(1.2)7.1(3.7)4.5(1.7)13.6(4.4)Govt. 5.3(3.0)23.2(4.7)1.5(1.3)4.2(3.4)3.8(1.8)10.1(4.7)Notes: Comprehension and math tests for students were developed us<strong>in</strong>g the syllabi <strong>of</strong> class 3 andclass 5 <strong>of</strong> various textbook boards. Comprehension test for teachers was taken from an IFPRIproject on education <strong>in</strong> rural <strong>Pakistan</strong> [Alderman et. al., (1995)], whereas a math test from thesame project was adapted based on pre-tests.Figures <strong>in</strong> parenthesis are standard deviations on mean scores for teachers and mean <strong>of</strong>class mean scores for students across all 43 schools. <strong>The</strong> maximum scores on teacher testswere 10 and 30 and on student tests 20 and 25 for math and comprehension respectively.8 <strong>The</strong> fieldwork began on September 9, 1998 and cont<strong>in</strong>ued until December 28, 1998.5
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisSeveral po<strong>in</strong>ts are evident from Table 2. First, children <strong>in</strong> NGO schools had the best mean performance<strong>in</strong> both subjects and both classes. Second, while teacher comprehension scores were highest for NGOteachers, teacher math scores were highest for private school teachers. <strong>The</strong> performance <strong>of</strong> governmentteachers was the poorest <strong>in</strong> both subjects but not by much <strong>in</strong> the case <strong>of</strong> comprehension tests. However,this still rema<strong>in</strong>s a poor show<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>in</strong>ce government teachers have similar education qualifications to NGOand private school teachers and much higher pre-service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. NGOs <strong>in</strong>vest the most <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>-servicetra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. 9 Third, on average, government school students had a much lower scale <strong>of</strong> academicachievement <strong>in</strong> class three and this rema<strong>in</strong>ed true on an absolute level by class five. However, the relativega<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> scores between class three and class five was much higher <strong>in</strong> government schools which issuggestive <strong>of</strong> the potential for improvement. Fourth, the variation <strong>in</strong> scores among students forgovernment schools was generally the highest or close to the highest and it was the lowest or close to thelowest for NGO schools. F<strong>in</strong>ally, the <strong>in</strong>cidence <strong>of</strong> cheat<strong>in</strong>g among students and teachers was highest <strong>in</strong>government schools and lowest <strong>in</strong> NGO schools and so government school teacher and student scores are<strong>in</strong>flated.In the sections that follow, we <strong>in</strong>dicate what accounted for success and failure <strong>of</strong> the three different k<strong>in</strong>ds<strong>of</strong> schools and what reform lessons are evident.1. Government schoolsGovernment basic education is by far the most important school<strong>in</strong>g for us to focus on. This is partlybecause <strong>of</strong> its much larger scale but, more so, because, with the onset <strong>of</strong> private and NGO school<strong>in</strong>g, theclients <strong>of</strong> government school<strong>in</strong>g are now the most poor and deprived students. Any successful program<strong>of</strong> human development must address the needs and entitlements <strong>of</strong> this class. This sub-section conta<strong>in</strong>s ageneral discussion <strong>of</strong> government school<strong>in</strong>g followed by a discussion <strong>of</strong> issues based on specificobservations.a. General discussion<strong>The</strong> high failure rate <strong>of</strong> government schools is a serious cause <strong>of</strong> concern if we view “even<strong>in</strong>g the odds”<strong>in</strong> a class based society as a fundamental state responsibility. <strong>The</strong> clients <strong>of</strong> government schools aregenerally poor and illiterate. 10 <strong>The</strong> richer parents are abandon<strong>in</strong>g government schools <strong>in</strong> droves.Between 1991 and 1996-97, the growth <strong>of</strong> enrollment <strong>in</strong> non-government schools was 61 percent for boysand 131 percent for girls. 11 <strong>The</strong> better <strong>of</strong>f parents quite clearly <strong>in</strong>dicated to us that government schoolswere <strong>in</strong>capable <strong>of</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g a decent education. <strong>The</strong> poor parents were <strong>of</strong>ten aware <strong>of</strong> the poor standard<strong>of</strong> education be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>fered to their wards, but were unable to do much about this because <strong>of</strong> economiccircumstances. Even then, we noticed that many relatively poor parents stretched themselves to provide anon-government education to their children either out <strong>of</strong> genu<strong>in</strong>e concern for their children’s education,and sometimes because non-government education has also become a mark <strong>of</strong> status <strong>in</strong> rural society. 12Often, it was the bright children that parents removed from government schools.9 <strong>The</strong> mean years <strong>of</strong> education for government, private and NGO teachers were 12.9, 12.3 and 12.9 years, meanpre-service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g 1.05, 0.4 and 0.5 years and mean <strong>in</strong>-service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g was 0.54, 0.2 and 1.3 monthsrespectively.10 Eleven percent <strong>of</strong> the fathers and 27 percent <strong>of</strong> the mothers <strong>of</strong> government school students were illiteratecompared to 5 percent and 5 percent for NGO schools and 16 percent and 18 percent respectively for privateschools respectively. <strong>The</strong>se numbers are way below the national average because they represent theresponses <strong>of</strong> parents <strong>of</strong> school children. For the wealth <strong>in</strong>dex see fn. 7.11 Government <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong> (1998, p. 23).12 Non-government refers to both private and NGO school<strong>in</strong>g. In this regard, NGO could probably be improvedupon as an acronym to suggest what they are rather than what they are not. Public Interest Organization (PIO)is ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g some currency <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>.6
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47This exodus <strong>of</strong> the richer children and the brighter poor children to non-government schools isaccentuat<strong>in</strong>g the crisis <strong>of</strong> government education. <strong>The</strong> wealthier parents are the most likely to compla<strong>in</strong>and play a pr<strong>in</strong>cipal’s role to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> standards. <strong>The</strong> brighter children are the most likely to raise thegeneral level <strong>of</strong> the class. With these sources <strong>of</strong> countervail<strong>in</strong>g pressure gone, rural public sectoreducation will deteriorate further. Thus the children <strong>of</strong> poor parents <strong>of</strong>ten don’t make it to school and,those that do, have little hope <strong>of</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g very far <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly competitive world. 13Concerned and <strong>in</strong>terested parents <strong>of</strong> children <strong>in</strong> government schools were generally the exception ratherthan the rule. Thus teachers got away with educational murder. Not only did they wantonly neglect theirduties, they also used the students to do their chores and br<strong>in</strong>g gratuities. <strong>The</strong>y also charged specialillegal fees and run their own bus<strong>in</strong>esses on the side. Focus group meet<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong>ten showed illiterate andpoor parents satisfied because they did not know any better. Often they seemed content that their childrenwere <strong>in</strong> school and at other times they seemed to view the school as a convenient child sitt<strong>in</strong>garrangement. However, even this service was not reliable, s<strong>in</strong>ce many parents and communitiescompla<strong>in</strong>ed that students came and went as they pleased and this was confirmed by field observation.While government teachers were more highly paid than non-government teachers, some parents wereunder the impression that government teachers were very poorly paid and hence had no option but to run<strong>in</strong>dependent bus<strong>in</strong>esses on the side to supplement their meager <strong>in</strong>come. 14 Here it important toacknowledge that be<strong>in</strong>g paid more than private sector teachers does not constitute good pay. 15One issue that parents and the community dwelt on was whether or not the teachers were from the village.Teachers who did not reside <strong>in</strong> the village were <strong>of</strong>ten late and absent. However, they were less likely tobe harsh to children <strong>of</strong> a particular beradari (clan) and more receptive to compla<strong>in</strong>ts from the parentsabout the school<strong>in</strong>g. Thus overall, they were viewed as more effective.Currently, the surprise visitor to a government school is likely to confront very poor facilities, very highstudent and teacher absenteeism, gossip<strong>in</strong>g and dis<strong>in</strong>terested teachers and an unrestra<strong>in</strong>ed student bodyrunn<strong>in</strong>g wild. In one case, all the teachers were absent and class five students were manag<strong>in</strong>g the school.Teachers blame the parents for a lack <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest and the parents blame the teachers for a lack <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest.<strong>The</strong>re are elements <strong>of</strong> truth to both allegations. However, reform needs to start <strong>in</strong> the school and filter outto the home. An angry and accus<strong>in</strong>g household or a dis<strong>in</strong>terested household is not likely to be a veryreceptive one.<strong>The</strong> power <strong>of</strong> teachers, among other factors, underm<strong>in</strong>es public sector school<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong>re are at least fivesources <strong>of</strong> teacher power. First, the teachers as government servants have tenure and thus face little threat<strong>of</strong> los<strong>in</strong>g their job if they perform poorly. Second, there is very little oversight by education <strong>of</strong>ficers soteachers feel secure <strong>in</strong> their neglect. Third, even if they are caught out, they f<strong>in</strong>d political authorities tobat for them. Fourth, even if they don’t have political connections, they have a teacher’s association13 Government <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong> (1998, p. 33).14 <strong>The</strong> mean monthly salary <strong>of</strong> government teachers was Rs. 3,567 (Rs. 1537 standard deviation). <strong>The</strong> meanmonthly salary <strong>of</strong> private and NGO teachers was Rs. 1,800 (Rs. 2,379, sd) and Rs. 2,317 (Rs. 2,339)respectively.15 <strong>The</strong> mean salary <strong>of</strong> government school teachers <strong>of</strong> Rs. 3,567 is about equal to the mean monthly salary <strong>of</strong>unskilled workers (us<strong>in</strong>g a straight average <strong>of</strong> the daily wage for the national and four prov<strong>in</strong>cial capitals andmultiply<strong>in</strong>g by 30) and less than half the monthly salary <strong>of</strong> skilled workers like masons and carpenters[Government <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>, Economic Survey 1998-99, Statistical Supplement, (1999, p. 143)]. However,government teachers are entitled to benefits like a provident fund, health facilities and pension that are notaccessible to daily wage-workers.7
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional Analysisbatt<strong>in</strong>g for them. Fifth, they face a very poor and uneducated constituency <strong>of</strong> parents, which provides nothreat or countervail<strong>in</strong>g power. Thus, under the current circumstances, public sector teachers are unlikelyto be good “agents.”b. Some notable specific practices or f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gsi. Teachers and teacher practices: In one school, the field-team left and returned an hourlater for some follow-up questions. While the school should still have been <strong>in</strong> session, <strong>in</strong> fact it had beenlocked, and the teachers were play<strong>in</strong>g cricket. Parents <strong>in</strong> other schools also compla<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>of</strong> teachers be<strong>in</strong>gmore <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> cricket than <strong>in</strong> the children. Some <strong>in</strong>stances <strong>of</strong> the lack <strong>of</strong> teacher awareness <strong>in</strong>cludethe <strong>in</strong>ability <strong>of</strong> a teacher to recall either the number or names <strong>of</strong> students <strong>in</strong> his classes. While thisforgetfulness could be forgiven, draw<strong>in</strong>g a complete blank on a maths test is less forgivable. Similarly, itwas shock<strong>in</strong>g to discover that the headmistress <strong>of</strong> a school <strong>in</strong> the Punjab was unaware <strong>of</strong> the capital city<strong>of</strong> the Prov<strong>in</strong>ce. It is not surpris<strong>in</strong>g then that class three students <strong>in</strong> one school were even unable to writetheir names. However, the fact that political appo<strong>in</strong>tments took place was obvious from the hir<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> aretarded person as a teacher <strong>in</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the school’s visited.Parents resented the wide practice <strong>of</strong> compell<strong>in</strong>g students to take tuition at the same time as they wastedteach<strong>in</strong>g time dur<strong>in</strong>g school hours. Of course, only the relatively more prosperous parents could affordthe tuition, so even with<strong>in</strong> government schools, their was a social divide. Beat<strong>in</strong>gs were also observed tobe a common practice, even <strong>in</strong> girls’ schools, as was compell<strong>in</strong>g students to do chores. In one school,even the district education <strong>of</strong>ficer (DEO) borrowed children for his errands.Parents also compla<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>of</strong> the teacher’s be<strong>in</strong>g extractive. Students were pressured to br<strong>in</strong>g gifts <strong>in</strong> k<strong>in</strong>dand pay special fees. At other times, teachers demanded money for rent even if the government allocationcovered rent. In one case, the parents po<strong>in</strong>ted out that the teachers demanded Rs. 50 per annum as fees(without a receipt) while they knew the fees were only Rs. 27.ii. School conditions and facilities: School facilities <strong>in</strong> general were abysmal. We notesome observations here to re<strong>in</strong>force the po<strong>in</strong>t. Children <strong>of</strong>ten sat on a mat and <strong>in</strong> one school they werefound sitt<strong>in</strong>g on the wet floor while <strong>in</strong> many they were required to br<strong>in</strong>g their own sack to sit on. Inseveral cases, teachers’ aids, kits and charts were available but locked away <strong>in</strong> the head’s <strong>of</strong>fice.Stationary was chronically <strong>in</strong> short supply. <strong>The</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> electricity due to the non-payment <strong>of</strong> a bill wasobserved to be a problem <strong>in</strong> more than one school. Schools were crowded with student-teacher ratios <strong>of</strong>50-60 per class and multi-grade teach<strong>in</strong>g was quite common due to short staff<strong>in</strong>g. Toilets were generallyfilthy and water <strong>of</strong>ten not <strong>in</strong> supply.iii. Absenteeism and teacher dis<strong>in</strong>terest: Absenteeism and the lack <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest wereserious problem among both teachers and students. Up to two-thirds to fifty percent <strong>of</strong> the students werefound to be absent on the day <strong>of</strong> the field-visit. 16 In some schools, even though students were absent(forty percent <strong>in</strong> one case), teachers marked them present anyway. In other schools, teachers did notbother to mark the attendance register. In one school, fifty percent <strong>of</strong> the students did not bother to returnafter the recess. Even if the teachers were present, they were <strong>of</strong>ten found chatt<strong>in</strong>g while the students ranwild. In one school, only one out <strong>of</strong> the six teachers present was actually found teach<strong>in</strong>g. In anotherschool, a peon was found teach<strong>in</strong>g classes and <strong>in</strong> another school, students were used to perform the duties16 Student absenteeism was the only statistic where the data did not confirm the impression formed by fieldobservation. <strong>The</strong> absentee rate, calculated as the total days absent as a percent <strong>of</strong> the total school days <strong>in</strong> theApril to June 1999 period, was 9.9, 15.6 and 10.7 percent for NGO, private and government schoolsrespectively. <strong>The</strong> higher absentee rate for private schools was a surprise.8
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47<strong>of</strong> peons and chowkidars (guards). Many community <strong>in</strong>terviews <strong>in</strong>dicated that teachers never botheredgiv<strong>in</strong>g homework.iv. Quality: Perhaps there was no greater <strong>in</strong>dictment <strong>of</strong> government school<strong>in</strong>g than the factthat the government teachers were enroll<strong>in</strong>g their own children <strong>in</strong> private schools. Another perspective onthis was <strong>of</strong>ten provided by parents who had actually attended a particular school themselves and hencefelt very committed to it. Invariably, their recollections were a confirmation <strong>of</strong> decl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g standards and<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g teacher dis<strong>in</strong>terest over time.v. Management: <strong>The</strong>re is little one could expect by way <strong>of</strong> good management given the dis<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>of</strong> the head and other teachers. <strong>The</strong> head teacher <strong>in</strong> one case was runn<strong>in</strong>g her own private school on theside and <strong>in</strong> another case ran a build<strong>in</strong>g material bus<strong>in</strong>ess. <strong>The</strong> head teachers rout<strong>in</strong>ely came late.Some <strong>of</strong> the worst travesties <strong>in</strong>cluded a school that was used as a gambl<strong>in</strong>g den where addicts hung outand another school <strong>in</strong> which the last DEO visit took place three years ago. In this regard, schools closerto district headquarters had better oversight. However, by the same token, the second shift <strong>in</strong> a doubleshift school went from bad to worse s<strong>in</strong>ce they had less fear <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g observed after regular hours.2. Private schoolsAs <strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>in</strong> Table 1, private schools presented the greatest contrast <strong>in</strong> performance. <strong>The</strong> worst oneswere <strong>of</strong>ten run as a family bus<strong>in</strong>ess with rented build<strong>in</strong>gs that were completely <strong>in</strong>adequate for school<strong>in</strong>g.<strong>The</strong>se build<strong>in</strong>gs were crowded, poorly ventilated, poorly lit, hot, short <strong>of</strong> even poor quality furniture, haddirty bathrooms, no clean dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water and no play area. 17 In one school, the children were foundplay<strong>in</strong>g on the ro<strong>of</strong>. Several <strong>of</strong> the schools practiced multi-grade teach<strong>in</strong>g or otherwise had a distract<strong>in</strong>gteach<strong>in</strong>g environment. In one case, the teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the veranda was too close to the teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> thecourtyard and <strong>in</strong> another the converted warehouse produced too much echo. By contrast, some schoolseven had well stocked libraries that they encouraged students to use and computers that they utilized toprovide <strong>in</strong>struction to the higher grades. One school even had a tuck-shop that operated on a self-serviceself-pay<strong>in</strong>g basis.<strong>The</strong> teachers were <strong>of</strong>ten paid poorly, not tra<strong>in</strong>ed and made to work hard. 18 Several teachers compla<strong>in</strong>edabout their poor pay. <strong>The</strong> turnover rate was stated to be high. <strong>The</strong> higher paid, much more laid back andtenured government teach<strong>in</strong>g positions were obviously very attractive. A year or two <strong>of</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>private schools was viewed as enough to establish credentials for a more secure government job.Yet despite this, teachers were very <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>in</strong>dustrious, discipl<strong>in</strong>ed and motivated. <strong>The</strong> threat <strong>of</strong> job loss nodoubt had someth<strong>in</strong>g to do with this. Students were also generally discipl<strong>in</strong>ed, confident and well turnedout, even if the performance on the tests was not good. Homework was <strong>in</strong> general regularly assigned andcorrected, someth<strong>in</strong>g the parents noted and greatly appreciated. Teachers <strong>in</strong> one school stayed severalhours after school to both grade homework and prepare the next day class plans.Parent teacher contact was much higher and the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration much more responsive to parentalconcerns. However, except for an <strong>in</strong>novative “mother’s day” featur<strong>in</strong>g student performances that was17 We generated a physical quality <strong>in</strong>dex based on the availability <strong>of</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g: boundary wall, desks, chairs, taats(mats), <strong>in</strong>door teach<strong>in</strong>g, electricity, fans, dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water, washrooms (both availability and quality) and library.Based on this, the quality score ranged from 0 to a maximum <strong>of</strong> 12. <strong>The</strong> mean score on this <strong>in</strong>dex forgovernment, private and NGO schools was 5.2 (sd., 2.71), 9.0 (sd., 1.49) and 10.1(sd., 1.16) respectively.18 See fns. 9 and 14.9
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional Analysisdevised by one school to get the mother’s more <strong>in</strong>volved, parent teacher contact was generally not<strong>in</strong>stitutionalized. 19 But teachers <strong>in</strong> general made more effort to apprise parents <strong>of</strong> the child’sperformance. High absenteeism was the exception rather than the rule.While fees were <strong>in</strong> general much higher than <strong>in</strong> government schools and too high for the poor, severalschools ran scholarship programs for the able poor students and had concession based fee structures. 20One school even had the rich parents contribute to the fees <strong>of</strong> the poor ones.<strong>The</strong> curse <strong>of</strong> private tuition was still present with many <strong>of</strong> the richer parents buy<strong>in</strong>g this for their children,perhaps as a substitute to giv<strong>in</strong>g their own time, and many teachers supplemented their <strong>in</strong>come with it.Private schools were <strong>of</strong>ten able to get away with poor performance because relatively uneducated parentshad only abysmal government school<strong>in</strong>g to compare private school<strong>in</strong>g with. Indeed, much <strong>of</strong> thediscussion <strong>of</strong> focus group meet<strong>in</strong>gs with parents whose children were <strong>in</strong> NGO and private schoolscentered on the disastrous state <strong>of</strong> government school<strong>in</strong>g. Many put their children <strong>in</strong> the private school asmuch from a vague sense <strong>of</strong> do<strong>in</strong>g best by their child as for the status symbol this has come to represent.Parents took great pride <strong>in</strong> Oxford University Press books on the syllabus – referred to as an “OxfordSyllabus.” More disturb<strong>in</strong>g, poor parents sometimes judged quality by the fee they were pay<strong>in</strong>g. In acouple <strong>of</strong> community focus group meet<strong>in</strong>gs, parents suggested that government school<strong>in</strong>g should beabolished and subsidies provided to non-government schools to make them more affordable. 21<strong>The</strong> more educated parents were <strong>of</strong>ten more vocal, expected more and compla<strong>in</strong>ed hard s<strong>in</strong>ce they werepay<strong>in</strong>g what they perceived to be a high price. Thus they exercised their right as co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipals to demandstandards. In some cases, even illiterate parents who were pay<strong>in</strong>g what they viewed as very high fees hadhigh expectations and were vocal about what they perceived as an <strong>in</strong>adequate service. 22 SMCs werelargely irrelevant for private schools. Parents felt they were pay<strong>in</strong>g a good price and that is where theirresponsibility ended. In turn, they expected the school to deliver the education. This was true across theboard <strong>in</strong> a majority <strong>of</strong> schools surveyed, but not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly, was more the case with private sectorschools. Several educated and discern<strong>in</strong>g parents who had removed they children from governmentschools claimed that there was a noticeable improvement <strong>in</strong> the level their children had atta<strong>in</strong>ed and theprogress the children were mak<strong>in</strong>g.<strong>The</strong> field team found cheat<strong>in</strong>g by students and even teachers (tak<strong>in</strong>g help from colleagues) much moreprevalent <strong>in</strong> government and private schools. Private school teachers operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a “for pr<strong>of</strong>it”environment probably felt under pressure to be able to show good results. <strong>The</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess motivationproduced some positive results such as educational awareness campaigns. One school run by a group <strong>of</strong>friends started music classes, computer classes and street assemblies to attract parent attention and raiseenrollments. This motivation could also <strong>in</strong>duce negative behavior and one dissatisfied community allegedthat the zero failure rate achieved by the school <strong>in</strong> grade exams resulted from the bribes given by the19 Only 4 out <strong>of</strong> the 43 private schools had a PTA (parent teacher association) or SMC (school managementcommittee) while this was the case for 29 government schools (mandatory) and 23 NGO schools (optional).20 <strong>The</strong> mean fees monthly fee was Rs. 3 (sd., Rs. 4) for government schools, Rs. 108 (sd., Rs. 49) for privateschools and Rs. 121 (sd., Rs. 73) for NGO schools.21 While it may be difficult to justify subsidiz<strong>in</strong>g a commercial activity, the government could ensure that taxauthorities do not harass private schools as seems to be happen<strong>in</strong>g accord<strong>in</strong>g to press reports.22 It was difficult to f<strong>in</strong>d a completely consistent pattern for parental <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> school<strong>in</strong>g across the threetypes <strong>of</strong> schools. Sometimes, very educated parents were complaisant about very poor private sector school<strong>in</strong>gas though they had done the best by their children and need not worry further. While the poor and illiterate weregenerally unaware and dis<strong>in</strong>terested, they sometimes compla<strong>in</strong>ed vociferously about the poor service delivery <strong>of</strong>government schools.10
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47school adm<strong>in</strong>istration. In another school where test results were poor, the field-team observed thatteachers were giv<strong>in</strong>g very high marks to the students <strong>in</strong> a cynical attempt to impress uneducated parents.<strong>The</strong> bottom l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> good performance was good management and, more <strong>of</strong>ten than not, this h<strong>in</strong>ged on anexceptional and dedicated pr<strong>in</strong>cipal or adm<strong>in</strong>istrator who exercised oversight and led by example. Such<strong>in</strong>dividuals were <strong>of</strong>ten concerned with <strong>in</strong>fus<strong>in</strong>g a high moral character <strong>in</strong> the children, someth<strong>in</strong>g thecommunity focus group was highly appreciative <strong>of</strong>. Staff that taught <strong>in</strong> schools that they had themselvesattended, whether <strong>in</strong> the private or government sectors, <strong>of</strong>ten developed an emotional attachment andworked hard. One school re<strong>in</strong>forced such efforts by giv<strong>in</strong>g bonuses to devoted teachers.3. NGO schools 23NGO school<strong>in</strong>g was easily the most successful. However, not all NGO schools visited were a success.We classified NGO schools <strong>in</strong> our sample based on whether they were one-<strong>of</strong>f NGO schools or part <strong>of</strong> amulti-school program with a support system. <strong>The</strong> latter <strong>of</strong>ten resulted <strong>in</strong> better management. With<strong>in</strong>these categories, we found schools that had a secular or a religious or ideological orientation. <strong>The</strong>ideological orientation was important <strong>in</strong> understand<strong>in</strong>g NGO motivation and this dist<strong>in</strong>guished theprom<strong>in</strong>ent multi-school NGO programs from the for pr<strong>of</strong>it private school <strong>in</strong> most cases.NGO schools were viewed as private schools <strong>in</strong> the public perception and educat<strong>in</strong>g a child <strong>in</strong> an NGOschool also represented a “status symbol.” 24 However, while those NGOs that charged a fee had higherfees (fn. 20), 77 percent <strong>of</strong> the NGOs reported charg<strong>in</strong>g no fee. Thus there was a real dist<strong>in</strong>ction betweenschools run for pr<strong>of</strong>it and those operat<strong>in</strong>g on a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it basis.a. <strong>The</strong> one-<strong>of</strong>f unsuccessful NGO schools<strong>The</strong>se schools had practices similar to the unsuccessful private schools. <strong>The</strong> schools were <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>in</strong> rentedbuild<strong>in</strong>gs that were crowded and totally <strong>in</strong>appropriate for school<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> notorious practice <strong>of</strong> giv<strong>in</strong>gchildren tuition was witnessed <strong>in</strong> such NGO schools as <strong>in</strong> private schools.For one school, the positive response elicited from the community <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancially sound farmers aga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>dicated how easy it sometimes is to fool parents. <strong>The</strong> latter were impressed with the small classes,discipl<strong>in</strong>e and extra-curricula activities. However, the focus group meet<strong>in</strong>g revealed that the teacherssolicited the assistance <strong>of</strong> shop-keepers near the school to keep an eye on students bunk<strong>in</strong>g classes.b. <strong>The</strong> one-<strong>of</strong>f successful NGO schools<strong>The</strong>re were several examples <strong>of</strong> successful one-<strong>of</strong>f NGO schools where practices differed from thosementioned <strong>in</strong> sub-section a) above. <strong>The</strong> Anjuman-e-Asatasa only hired teachers that had earned an<strong>in</strong>termediate degree (A level or high school equivalent) as a m<strong>in</strong>imum qualification and had been tra<strong>in</strong>edas teachers. Discipl<strong>in</strong>e was good and the students were well behaved and enthusiastic. <strong>The</strong> studentteacherrapport was notable and this was probably facilitated by the jo<strong>in</strong>t projects that they engaged <strong>in</strong>.<strong>The</strong> So<strong>of</strong>i Foundation school stood out because <strong>of</strong> it’s highly equipped large build<strong>in</strong>g, impressive libraryand very qualified teachers. In both schools, the poor parents felt burdened by the fees and the very poorregretted be<strong>in</strong>g excluded.23 For an account <strong>of</strong> NGO school<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> general refer to Baqir (1998) and for a specific example <strong>of</strong> communitybased school<strong>in</strong>g to Khan (1998).24 <strong>The</strong> dist<strong>in</strong>ction between an NGO and private school is <strong>of</strong>ten nom<strong>in</strong>al. <strong>The</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istrations <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong>private schools we visited stated that the schools had been created by an NGO merely for registration with theeducation authorities. <strong>The</strong>se NGOs had no say or <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> the function<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the school and, <strong>in</strong> fact, <strong>in</strong>many cases, they ceased to exist as soon as the registration had been completed.11
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional Analysis<strong>The</strong> Mithi <strong>Education</strong>al Society ran a successful school <strong>in</strong> Mithi, Tharparker cater<strong>in</strong>g ma<strong>in</strong>ly to a H<strong>in</strong>ducommunity. <strong>The</strong> NGO had to work very hard to conv<strong>in</strong>ce the community to allow females to teach <strong>in</strong> theschool. However, they were successful and managed to get together a team <strong>of</strong> qualified, well-tra<strong>in</strong>ed andcommitted teachers. <strong>The</strong> proud parents felt that, as a result, their <strong>of</strong>fspr<strong>in</strong>g were gett<strong>in</strong>g an education thatwould make them capable <strong>of</strong> even compet<strong>in</strong>g with students from Karachi.<strong>The</strong> English Grammar School Swabi was impressive. <strong>The</strong> school build<strong>in</strong>g and classes were good andstudents were <strong>in</strong> clean uniforms and well discipl<strong>in</strong>ed. All students on the register were present on the day<strong>of</strong> the field visit. Another surprise for the field team was that the toilets even had soap and towels. Most<strong>of</strong> the teachers had earned a Masters’ degree and were dedicated and competent. <strong>The</strong> team sprit observedamong teachers was commendable and the student-teacher relations were friendly. <strong>The</strong> school providedfree education to thirty students and had plans to start computer classes. <strong>The</strong> parents participated <strong>in</strong>school activities and the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration was responsive to parents’ suggestions. <strong>The</strong> parents werevery satisfied and mentioned that their children seemed dull before they started attend<strong>in</strong>g this school.Due to the higher standard, the school <strong>of</strong>ten made children transferr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> from government schools stayback <strong>in</strong> the same class.<strong>The</strong> Sunsh<strong>in</strong>e Public School was partially funded by the Swabi Women’s Welfare Organization andhence, compared to the private sector schools, charged more modest fees. While the rented apartmentbuild<strong>in</strong>g was not completely adequate and the teachers were not tra<strong>in</strong>ed, both students and teachers didvery well <strong>in</strong> the tests. <strong>The</strong> teachers also tried to <strong>in</strong>culcate good habits like manners, punctuality andcleanl<strong>in</strong>ess. A surprise for one field-team member was witness<strong>in</strong>g a student carry a piece <strong>of</strong> torn paper tothe dustb<strong>in</strong>. <strong>The</strong> parents attributed success to the oversight <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal.c. <strong>The</strong> badly managed multi-school NGO programsOne Anjuman (association) had adopted 13 primary schools at the time <strong>of</strong> the field visit, but most werenew and only one <strong>of</strong> these had students <strong>in</strong> class five. <strong>The</strong> student-teacher rapport seemed good, but thecommunity was quite negative about the casual attitude <strong>of</strong> the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration. No one seemedaware <strong>of</strong> the role <strong>of</strong> the Anjuman <strong>in</strong> manag<strong>in</strong>g the school. One community member thought that theschool was just a tax break for the owner <strong>of</strong> the nearby Fruit Farm. Parents thought the fee was too highfor the product delivered, and some mentioned they would transfer their child, even if to a governmentschool.Five out <strong>of</strong> the six Hira schools, founded by the Anjuman-e-Asataza (Association <strong>of</strong> Teachers), <strong>in</strong> oursample were successful. <strong>The</strong> sixth was like the typical unsuccessful private sector school. <strong>The</strong> classroomswere narrow and dark and multi-grade teach<strong>in</strong>g was be<strong>in</strong>g practiced. Students lacked discipl<strong>in</strong>eand the teachers seemed dis<strong>in</strong>terested. Parents were not literate and seemed unable to discern whatrepresented educational quality. <strong>The</strong> religious affiliation <strong>of</strong> the school was however a source <strong>of</strong> comfortfor parents, and they therefore will<strong>in</strong>gly sent their daughters to the school.Two <strong>of</strong> the four schools run by an old and well-established NGO <strong>in</strong> S<strong>in</strong>dh prov<strong>in</strong>ce were no differentfrom the shoddy private sector schools. In one <strong>of</strong> the two schools, the teacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g was poor and thestudents were found giv<strong>in</strong>g tuition. While there was a general body (twenty-six NGO and communitymembers) to run the school, it made little difference to the school’s function<strong>in</strong>g. In the other school,management by the NGO was very lax. No attendance register was ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed and teachers rout<strong>in</strong>elycame late. Four <strong>of</strong> the classes were be<strong>in</strong>g held <strong>in</strong> a veranda, which made concentration difficult forteachers and students. Class 3 students were unable to read the math. and comprehension tests <strong>in</strong> S<strong>in</strong>dhi,even though that was the medium <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>struction. While ten percent <strong>of</strong> the students were supposed to be12
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47allowed to attend free, students had dropped out because they could not afford the fee. <strong>The</strong> communityhad been mobilized and was fully <strong>in</strong>volved, <strong>in</strong>terested and active and represented on the PTA. <strong>The</strong>y hadcontributed the land and towards the cost <strong>of</strong> the build<strong>in</strong>g and, despite the poor performance <strong>of</strong> the school,were will<strong>in</strong>g to cont<strong>in</strong>ue contribut<strong>in</strong>g.d. <strong>The</strong> well managed multi-school religious NGO programs<strong>The</strong>re were two Asgharia <strong>Education</strong>al & Welfare Society (AEWS) Schools <strong>in</strong> the sample and it was clearthat the NGO management was sound. <strong>The</strong> teachers were very pr<strong>of</strong>essional and committed even thoughnot highly qualified. <strong>The</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal was also very dedicated and pr<strong>of</strong>essional and tra<strong>in</strong>ed teachers on hisown accord. <strong>The</strong> fee structure was perceived by the community to be reasonable. <strong>The</strong>y also appreciatedthe well-equipped computer lab. <strong>The</strong> Sunni households noted the sectarian (Shia) orientation <strong>of</strong> theschools (parents asked to sign release forms), but they were content with the education and satisfied withcounter<strong>in</strong>g the sectarian <strong>in</strong>fluence via religious education at home. <strong>The</strong> NGO exercised good oversight,although excess demand had started result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> over-crowd<strong>in</strong>g. Nonetheless, the parents noted thetremendous progress made by their children s<strong>in</strong>ce they had been shifted to this school.<strong>The</strong> five successful Hira schools run by the Tanzeem-e-Asatza, were <strong>in</strong>dividualized. <strong>The</strong>re seemed to beno overarch<strong>in</strong>g organizational presence <strong>of</strong> the parent NGO perform<strong>in</strong>g the supervisory role. <strong>The</strong> teachers<strong>in</strong> some schools were not highly qualified but were dedicated and managed to <strong>in</strong>fuse confidence <strong>in</strong> thestudents who were well dressed and well behaved. By contrast to the crowded rented build<strong>in</strong>gs and poorlyqualified teachers <strong>of</strong> some schools, others had spacious and well-equipped classes and highly qualifiedand hard work<strong>in</strong>g teachers.<strong>The</strong> poor parents felt p<strong>in</strong>ched by the fees that the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration said was necessary to recoverrecurrent expenditures. In one school, poor students were allowed to attend free and the communitycontributed for scholarships for very poor deserv<strong>in</strong>g students. In another, an elaborate fee structure wasadopted to accommodate the poor students. Some parents nonetheless compla<strong>in</strong>ed about the high fees.Two <strong>of</strong> the three partners runn<strong>in</strong>g one school, orig<strong>in</strong>ally started as a “for pr<strong>of</strong>it” school, showed concernthat the school was not recover<strong>in</strong>g costs.<strong>The</strong> parents across the board were very supportive <strong>of</strong> the religious orientation <strong>of</strong> the schools. In thisregard, the schools could get away with poor delivery as <strong>in</strong>dicated by one Hira School described <strong>in</strong> thelast sub-section. Tameer-i-Millat (TM) is probably one <strong>of</strong> the best examples <strong>of</strong> such multi-schoolprograms that consistently produce good results. <strong>The</strong> parents supported this orientation, the religiouseducation and the efforts <strong>of</strong> the school to <strong>in</strong>culcate a moral outlook among the students.TM schools were well managed with the NGO play<strong>in</strong>g the role <strong>of</strong> a monitor and enforcer <strong>of</strong> standards.<strong>The</strong> schools build<strong>in</strong>gs were purpose built and hence had all the facilities necessary for good school<strong>in</strong>g.Compared to government schools, this meant that they were well lit, properly ventilated, had appropriatefurniture for the students and teachers and that the classes were <strong>of</strong> a comfortable size and not crowded.One comment about the students was that they were discipl<strong>in</strong>ed, self-confident and had a spark rare <strong>in</strong>rural schools. <strong>The</strong> teachers were motivated, aware, <strong>in</strong>volved, knew the parents and put <strong>in</strong> a great deal <strong>of</strong>effort.A systematic policy to curb absenteeism was observed. <strong>The</strong> students were admonished twice and, if thisdid not work, a letter was written to the parents to discuss the issue. Expulsion was ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed as the lastoption. <strong>The</strong>re was regular test<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> students to keep them <strong>in</strong>volved and alert. Extra periods wereobserved after school to provide special assistance for weak students.13
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisIn some cases, a strong and <strong>in</strong>volved SMC, composed <strong>of</strong> village notables, addressed parental concerns.<strong>The</strong>se were educated <strong>in</strong>dividuals who gave adequate time to the school. Interest<strong>in</strong>gly, the NGO did notseem to encourage collective action on the part <strong>of</strong> the community and, <strong>in</strong> one case, discouraged a fundrais<strong>in</strong>g effort by the community for the school build<strong>in</strong>g. It may be that this effort competed with what theNGO felt it was there to provide.e. Other well managed multi-school NGO programs<strong>The</strong> Pak Public School, Kharan, was one <strong>of</strong> a cha<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> over 15 schools run by <strong>Pakistan</strong> Public WelfareSociety, Balochistan. It battled odds to deliver a good education. A hall <strong>in</strong> a rented build<strong>in</strong>g was divided<strong>in</strong>to classes and so the noise level was very high. Nonetheless, the teachers were well paid, worked hardand performed well. <strong>The</strong> parents appreciated the good education. Although they found the fees high, butthe government school alternative was not considered acceptable. <strong>The</strong>y appreciated and participatedactively <strong>in</strong> the functions organized by the school. <strong>The</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istration was responsive to the parents andwelcomed their <strong>in</strong>puts for improvements.Two S<strong>in</strong>dh Graduate Association (SGA) Roshan Tara schools were successful. <strong>The</strong>y showed betterperformance among class 3 relative to class 5 students because the latter atta<strong>in</strong>ed their earlier school<strong>in</strong>gelsewhere. SGA took pa<strong>in</strong>s with teacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g which was provided for two weeks twice a year. In thetwo successful schools, the community po<strong>in</strong>ted to the dedication <strong>of</strong> the teachers as mak<strong>in</strong>g a difference <strong>in</strong>both cases. In one school, the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal had spent her life <strong>in</strong> the education department and retired after ast<strong>in</strong>t as a DEO. She had <strong>in</strong>stituted a policy <strong>of</strong> turn<strong>in</strong>g back students arriv<strong>in</strong>g late. Parents resented thewastage <strong>of</strong> the fare but appreciated the discipl<strong>in</strong>e among the teachers and students. <strong>The</strong> other school wassuccessful despite the description <strong>of</strong> the school by the field-team as “small, cramped, d<strong>in</strong>gy, damp, dirtyand rat <strong>in</strong>fested.”In assess<strong>in</strong>g success, the importance <strong>of</strong> the exceptional <strong>in</strong>dividual sh<strong>in</strong>es through. This could be adedicated pr<strong>in</strong>cipal or motivated adm<strong>in</strong>istrator. However, even more important was good overallmanagement. <strong>The</strong> Citizen’s Foundation (TCF) and the Aga Khan <strong>Education</strong>al Services (AKES) schoolswere outstand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> conditions where government and private school<strong>in</strong>g were disasters. <strong>The</strong> facilities andteacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g provided and the monitor<strong>in</strong>g systems established delivered good school<strong>in</strong>g with greatconsistency.TCF targeted the most deprived peri-urban and rural communities and hence the schools were built <strong>in</strong>very poor neighborhoods. One description <strong>of</strong> an impos<strong>in</strong>g structure was that it was a “palace amidst huts”<strong>in</strong> an area that was “humm<strong>in</strong>g with flies and had people play<strong>in</strong>g cards and board-games on the streets.”<strong>The</strong> purpose built schools, cost<strong>in</strong>g up to Rs. 25 lakhs, were fully equipped <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g art rooms for thejunior section. <strong>The</strong> rooms were large and airy, had good furniture and all necessary charts and aids,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g audio aids, were available and <strong>in</strong> use.Free milk and cookies were provided several times a week, the frequency determ<strong>in</strong>ed by how poor thecommunity was. In one neighborhood, parents could not afford to feed the children before send<strong>in</strong>g themto school. <strong>The</strong> fees were tailored to the <strong>in</strong>come <strong>of</strong> the parents such that five percent <strong>of</strong> household <strong>in</strong>comewas charged. <strong>The</strong> school ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed all the relevant data concern<strong>in</strong>g the students and the parents.Uniforms were provided free and books provided on credit on very easy terms.Both the teachers and students were <strong>in</strong> uniform. <strong>The</strong> teachers were confident and treated well <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>gbe<strong>in</strong>g given a “pick-up and drop” service. However, <strong>in</strong> return, they were expected to work hard andprepare monthly and annual work-plans. Teachers attended monthly meet<strong>in</strong>gs to present performance14
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47reports and problems were discussed with the NGO education specialist. <strong>The</strong>y were provided threemonths <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensive teacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and bi-annual refresher courses.<strong>The</strong>re was no formal PTA but a parent association (PA) was formed to conta<strong>in</strong> high dropout rates and toencourage enrollments. <strong>The</strong> school adm<strong>in</strong>istration was very responsive to the parents and kept themposted on the child’s progress, but the PA has no formal role <strong>in</strong> school affairs. A limit on the studentteacherratio was strictly observed and excess demand resulted <strong>in</strong> plans for build<strong>in</strong>g a new school. Thisexcess demand, which arose once the school was established, was particularly commendable given thatTCF schools were normally built <strong>in</strong> communities where at least the fathers saw little value to school<strong>in</strong>gand would have preferred the child to help them with their own work or otherwise supplement household<strong>in</strong>come.Like TCF schools, the three AKES schools <strong>in</strong> our sample <strong>in</strong> the Northern Areas had good facilities,science labs, well qualified and tra<strong>in</strong>ed teachers, confident, hardwork<strong>in</strong>g and well behaved students. <strong>The</strong>school adm<strong>in</strong>istration followed up the progress <strong>of</strong> the students with the parents, but also relied on veryactive VECs (village education committees). Thus students absent for more than six days were referredto the VECs which also assessed <strong>in</strong>dividual fees and paid the teachers’ salaries. <strong>The</strong> overall monitor<strong>in</strong>gand evaluation was reta<strong>in</strong>ed by the AKES.AKES schools proved that VECs can work. 25 <strong>The</strong> communities had been mobilized to take an <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong>their children’s school<strong>in</strong>g, had contributed land and labor for the school build<strong>in</strong>g and for on-go<strong>in</strong>gimprovements like boundary walls, a science lab or an exam<strong>in</strong>ation hall. <strong>The</strong>y took an active on-go<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> school affairs and had the power to replace poor teachers <strong>in</strong> consultation with the NGO. In onecase, an SMC blocked admission because, due to excess demand, the classes were gett<strong>in</strong>g overcrowded.In turn, it began consultations with the NGO to build more classrooms. It also permitted the school to usethe premise for even<strong>in</strong>g classes for a girl’s college, s<strong>in</strong>ce none was available for miles. Thus <strong>in</strong> allaspects, the parents performed the role <strong>of</strong> effective co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipals.Several lessons are evident from the successful NGO school<strong>in</strong>g for the reform <strong>of</strong> public sector delivery <strong>in</strong>basic education.V. Reform<strong>in</strong>g government basic educationNot all government schools performed poorly as <strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>in</strong> Table 1. In Appendix III, we present a casestudy <strong>of</strong> a very successful government school. However, the case study also expla<strong>in</strong>s the specialcircumstances <strong>of</strong> this success. We feel that with appropriate school reform, this should become the norm.Our concern is ma<strong>in</strong>ly with government school<strong>in</strong>g, which is all that the poorest now have recourse to.NGO schools seem to be do<strong>in</strong>g well for the most part and, <strong>in</strong> any case, address<strong>in</strong>g problems <strong>in</strong> the NGOand private sectors perta<strong>in</strong>s to regulation.Given the very low base delivery <strong>of</strong> government schools, it was relatively easy for the NGO schools andprivate schools to w<strong>in</strong> support from households and communities for the service they delivered.Provid<strong>in</strong>g effective competition and hence rais<strong>in</strong>g overall standards is another reason why reform<strong>in</strong>gpublic sector education is so essential. <strong>The</strong> impact will be felt across the board and not just <strong>in</strong> publicschools, s<strong>in</strong>ce the public sector is the base standard bearer given its lower fees.25 For more details on AKES, see Karez and Mitchell (1999).15
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisBased on field observations, we feel that successful reform <strong>of</strong> basic education has to tackle teacher powerand parent dis<strong>in</strong>terest head on. We suggest the follow<strong>in</strong>g:a. Given the exodus <strong>of</strong> children away from government schools and the rapid pace <strong>of</strong> expansion <strong>of</strong>non-government school<strong>in</strong>g, the public sector should now focus on quality. Thus most newresources should to allocated to up-grad<strong>in</strong>g and provid<strong>in</strong>g adequate facilities to exist<strong>in</strong>ggovernment schools. Government schools uniformly seemed to have the worst facilities. Sitt<strong>in</strong>gon the floor <strong>in</strong> a small multi-grade class, <strong>in</strong> the veranda or under a tree can be a deterrent tolearn<strong>in</strong>g. Even when schools did have small classrooms, the space, light<strong>in</strong>g and ventilation werevery <strong>in</strong>adequate.b. Even though public sector teacher’s pay is higher than NGO and private sector schools, wesuggest that the pay should be raised to attract a better quality teacher.c. <strong>The</strong> power <strong>of</strong> the teacher association should be conf<strong>in</strong>ed to negotiat<strong>in</strong>g pay and perks. De factotenure should be abolished and <strong>in</strong>competent teachers weeded out by hav<strong>in</strong>g them sit forqualify<strong>in</strong>g tests. 26d. Teachers need to be assessed by enrollment rates, retention rates and the performance <strong>of</strong> theirstudents on board exams. Pr<strong>in</strong>cipals are required to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> such data, and it should be put togood use. We found it <strong>in</strong>structive that parent groups <strong>in</strong> all four prov<strong>in</strong>ces mentioned the key role<strong>of</strong> monitor<strong>in</strong>g and the lack <strong>of</strong> it <strong>in</strong> government schools as be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>strumental <strong>in</strong> their poorperformance.e. S<strong>in</strong>ce enrollment and retention rates have much to do with the household and community, theteachers will have an <strong>in</strong>centive to work with households and communities. Instead <strong>of</strong> sabotag<strong>in</strong>gthe PTA, they will have an <strong>in</strong>centive to use it to mobilize the community and parents. <strong>The</strong>parents <strong>in</strong> turn should have a role <strong>in</strong> ensur<strong>in</strong>g that the data collected is accurate.f. <strong>The</strong> most challeng<strong>in</strong>g part <strong>of</strong> school<strong>in</strong>g reform will be to ensur<strong>in</strong>g the state plays its part as aneffective “co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipal.” Obviously, this issue is part <strong>of</strong> overall public sector reforms. 27 Ourview is that parents can work effectively with government <strong>of</strong>ficials as “co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipals” if thepower balance <strong>of</strong> government <strong>of</strong>ficials are also altered relative to the parents. If school <strong>of</strong>ficialsare well paid local (rather than prov<strong>in</strong>cial) government <strong>of</strong>ficials, whose evaluation is done partlyby the PTA and who are accessible to the PTA, effective monitor<strong>in</strong>g and supervision becomes apossibility.We feel that the reforms suggested above are among the m<strong>in</strong>imum essential steps that are required toimprove public sector school<strong>in</strong>g. However, without such steps, public sector school<strong>in</strong>g will rema<strong>in</strong> adead loss.Conclud<strong>in</strong>g remarksThis study reported on the qualitative results <strong>of</strong> a comparative <strong>in</strong>stitutional analysis <strong>of</strong> government,private and NGO schools. Forty-three NGO schools engag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> formal primary school<strong>in</strong>g were firstrandomly selected and then the closest government and private schools were <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the sample.Three male / female field teams gathered <strong>in</strong>formation from the schools, teachers, households and thecommunities. In addition, tests were adm<strong>in</strong>istered to class 3 and class 5 students and also to class 5teachers. Based on field observation, the field-team wrote detailed field reports about the performance <strong>of</strong>the school. This report is based primarily on the field reports.26 Table 2 reports the poor performance <strong>of</strong> government schoolteachers on math tests. Hoodbhoy (1998, pp. 8-9)also reports evidence on the poor performance <strong>of</strong> government schoolteachers on various tests.27 World Bank (1999).16
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47Our research showed that overall, the NGOs were the most successful <strong>in</strong> deliver<strong>in</strong>g good education.NGO schools had the best performance <strong>in</strong> math and comprehension tests. Also, the <strong>in</strong>cidence <strong>of</strong> cheat<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong> these schools was the lowest as were the absentee rates. NGO schools were rated the highest on ourphysical quality <strong>of</strong> school <strong>in</strong>dex and they also <strong>in</strong>vested the most <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>-service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for teachers. Whilethose charg<strong>in</strong>g a fee had a higher average fee than government or private schools, 77 percent <strong>of</strong> NGOsreported charg<strong>in</strong>g none.Our research also confirmed, what is now well known, that the state <strong>of</strong> public basic education is anunmitigated disaster. Only 5 out <strong>of</strong> the 43 government schools visited were successful. <strong>The</strong> school<strong>in</strong>gconditions were abysmal. <strong>The</strong>re were poor facilities, lack <strong>of</strong> furniture, stationary, supplies and teacher’saids. Also, if usable rooms were available, they tended to be small, poorly lit, poorly ventilated and <strong>of</strong>tenwithout basic utilities. Poor teach<strong>in</strong>g conditions and multi-grade teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ten proved to be a verydistract<strong>in</strong>g teach<strong>in</strong>g environment. <strong>The</strong> student teacher ratio was very high and absenteeism among thestudents and teachers chronic. Teachers beat the students, exploited them via requir<strong>in</strong>g gifts <strong>in</strong> k<strong>in</strong>d andchores and sold tuition to the students after school while they wasted time gossip<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> school. <strong>The</strong> factthat government school teachers sent their own children to private schools reveals the extent to whichpublic education has deteriorated.<strong>The</strong> government is and will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to be the most important provider <strong>of</strong> basic education for a while yet.<strong>The</strong> reason for this is that they will <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly cater to the poor majority that has neither “voice” or“exit” options. As the relatively more prosperous rural households cont<strong>in</strong>ue to transfer their children toNGO and private schools, the rural poor will be left at the mercy <strong>of</strong> sub-standard schools that willdeteriorate further.<strong>The</strong> growth <strong>of</strong> enrollments <strong>in</strong> non-government schools <strong>in</strong>creased by 131 percent for girls and 61 percentfor boys between 1991 and 1995-96. <strong>The</strong> brighter poor children and the richer children are <strong>in</strong>dicated asmost likely to leave. This deprives government schools <strong>of</strong> both standard setters and countervail<strong>in</strong>g powerto decl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g standards. <strong>The</strong> brighter children set the standards and the richer parents have <strong>in</strong>fluence withteachers and the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration. Thus with the exodus currently underway, there is no check to thedecl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the quality <strong>of</strong> public school<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> big public policy challenge is to arrest this rot and providethe rural poor children with a fair opportunity to compete.S<strong>in</strong>ce public sector school<strong>in</strong>g sets the base standard for private and NGO school<strong>in</strong>g, this decl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> qualitymeans that the private sector has little to compete with. This is important s<strong>in</strong>ce private schools do nothave the good oversight <strong>of</strong> solid multi-school NGO programs and so competition is the only reliablemechanism to make them deliver. About half the private schools <strong>in</strong> the sample were not successful andan important part <strong>of</strong> the reason is that they have to beat a very low standard to be do<strong>in</strong>g better.Our research shows that deal<strong>in</strong>g with teacher power and good management and oversight are the keys topublic sector school<strong>in</strong>g success. Teacher power is rooted <strong>in</strong> tenure, lack <strong>of</strong> oversight, political protection,poor parents with little countervail<strong>in</strong>g power and the strength <strong>of</strong> the teacher associations. Remov<strong>in</strong>g defacto tenure is necessary but good pay for solid teach<strong>in</strong>g is also necessary. Also, the parents need to be<strong>in</strong>volved as a “co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” <strong>in</strong> oversight via school management committees (SMCs).SMCs can play an important role as <strong>in</strong>dicated by the Aga Khan <strong>Education</strong> Services (AKES) schools.Given the general perception <strong>of</strong> parents across the board that education is the school’s responsibility, onewondered if such committees could work. We found illiterate mothers hard at work at home and outsidethe home and fathers return<strong>in</strong>g late from work or work<strong>in</strong>g away from the village. Thus it was17
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional Analysisunderstandable that we found such an attitude among parents. However, it is clear that the hard work put<strong>in</strong> by AKES <strong>in</strong> mobilization communities turned the latter <strong>in</strong>to an <strong>in</strong>terested force to improve basiceducation.<strong>The</strong> role <strong>of</strong> notables is a complex one. In some cases, their presence on the SMC is merely form. <strong>The</strong>rehave no personal stake <strong>in</strong> the school or any deep <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> education. However, as prom<strong>in</strong>ent members<strong>of</strong> the community, they have to be represented <strong>in</strong> all community matters. In some cases, their presence onSMCs merely allows them to appropriate resources that might become available. However, they are alsosituations <strong>in</strong> which they take a charitable <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the school and contribute to it f<strong>in</strong>ancially. In onecase, a notable secretly paid the fees for some poor children. Thus, hav<strong>in</strong>g them on the SMC amounts to<strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g a potential sponsor. Our view is that while the notables sometimes play a benign role, thepotential for harm is great and rely<strong>in</strong>g on them to play the parents’ role is not sensible.For NGOs, community <strong>in</strong>volvement is important but not the most fundamental <strong>in</strong>gredient <strong>in</strong> successfulschool<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong>re were examples <strong>of</strong> NGO schools where the community seemed highly motivated,actively participated <strong>in</strong> PTCs (parent teacher committees), contributed f<strong>in</strong>ancially and physically and yetstudents performed poorly on the tests. <strong>The</strong> contrast with <strong>The</strong> Citizen Foundation (TCF) schools is<strong>in</strong>structive where parental <strong>in</strong>volvement was low (although they were apprised by the school <strong>of</strong> the child’sprogress), but the overall school management and adm<strong>in</strong>istration and facilities were exemplary. <strong>The</strong> testresults were also outstand<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> teachers were treated well, tra<strong>in</strong>ed well and made to feel they werepart <strong>of</strong> a team and a mission. Thus, for the NGO and private sectors, the key to good school<strong>in</strong>g is goodmanagement that can produce excellence <strong>in</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g and the other needed <strong>in</strong>gredients.We found that when the multi-school NGO organization was not uniformly strong and effective, the role<strong>of</strong> a pr<strong>in</strong>cipal or key adm<strong>in</strong>istrator could be key to mak<strong>in</strong>g a difference. However, when the organizationwas strong like TCF or AKES, the results were uniformly good and not dependent on an exceptional<strong>in</strong>dividual, who if present represented a bonus. Good adm<strong>in</strong>istration was also observed <strong>in</strong> some one-<strong>of</strong>fNGO schools but obviously the economies <strong>of</strong> scale were not present.<strong>The</strong> religious multi-school NGOs like Tameer-i-Millat were successful and also pose a challenge toliberal th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g as observed by Gazdar (1999). Judged by current standards, they deliver good educationand also concern themselves with moral development <strong>of</strong> the students. <strong>The</strong>se efforts were supportedenthusiastically by the communities.<strong>The</strong> physical condition <strong>of</strong> the school and facilities available are aga<strong>in</strong> not central and dedicated teacherswere able to produce good results <strong>in</strong> one NGO school that was described as “crowded, d<strong>in</strong>gy and rat<strong>in</strong>fested.”However, there are limits to what good management and dedicated teachers can overcome.<strong>The</strong> level <strong>of</strong> distraction was so high <strong>in</strong> another school run by the same NGO, where four <strong>of</strong> the fiveclasses were be<strong>in</strong>g held <strong>in</strong> a veranda, that neither teachers nor students could concentrate. This appearedto be generally true <strong>of</strong> multi-grade teach<strong>in</strong>g also.To sum up, for NGO schools, good management is the key to good performance as demonstrated bymulti-school NGOs like TCF, AKES and TM. However, good management is possible for NGOs s<strong>in</strong>ceparent organization as the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” is driven by a mission and exercises the supervision and oversightneeded. <strong>The</strong> mission could be a dedication to the cause <strong>of</strong> education and what this represents for nationbuild<strong>in</strong>g or the motivation to construct society <strong>in</strong> a particular image as <strong>in</strong> the case <strong>of</strong> the religious NGOs.Further, AKES also demonstrated that community participation and collective action via a SMC andbroader community <strong>in</strong>terest and <strong>in</strong>volvement can also be a force for good school<strong>in</strong>g.18
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47For private schools, competition plays the role <strong>of</strong> the owner act<strong>in</strong>g as the “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” seek<strong>in</strong>g good results,s<strong>in</strong>ce that is related to the owner’s pr<strong>of</strong>it as long as there is competition. Here we need the public sectorto provide the effective competition. In addition to this, the state needs to provide the necessaryregulatory function and the parents need to provide the necessary “voice” to br<strong>in</strong>g about changes and use“exit” as a last resort option.It would be far fetched to expect government to play the part <strong>of</strong> a “pr<strong>in</strong>cipal” as <strong>in</strong> well-organized NGOs.However, the government may be able to deliver if parents as the concerned client can be turned <strong>in</strong>to aneffective “co-pr<strong>in</strong>cipal.” <strong>The</strong> po<strong>in</strong>t to keep <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d is the need for genu<strong>in</strong>e empowerment <strong>of</strong> parents.This will only happen if the power balance is effectively shifted away from teachers and local government<strong>of</strong>ficials towards parents and if teachers and local government <strong>of</strong>ficials have adequate <strong>in</strong>centive to workwith parents.ReferencesAlderman, H., J. R. Behrman, S. R. Khan, D. R. Ross and R. Sabot, 1995, “Public School<strong>in</strong>g Expenditures <strong>in</strong>Rural <strong>Pakistan</strong>: Efficiently Target<strong>in</strong>g Girls and a Lagg<strong>in</strong>g Region,” <strong>in</strong> eds. D. van de Walle and K.Nead, Public Spend<strong>in</strong>g and the Poor: <strong>The</strong>ory and Evidence (Baltimore: Johns Hopk<strong>in</strong>s UniversityPress).Baqir, F., 1998, “<strong>The</strong> Role <strong>of</strong> NGOs <strong>in</strong> <strong>Education</strong>,” <strong>in</strong> ed. P. Hoodbhoy, <strong>Education</strong> and the <strong>State</strong>: FiftyYears <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong> (Karachi: Oxford University Press).Government <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>, 1998, "<strong>Education</strong> Sector Performance <strong>in</strong> the 1990s: Analysis from the PIHS,"Federal Bureau <strong>of</strong> Statistics, Islamabad.Gazdar, H., 1999, Universal <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: Commentary on Strategy and Results <strong>of</strong> aSurvey,” SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series No. 39, Islamabad.Government <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>, 1999, Economic Survey 1998-99, F<strong>in</strong>ance Division, Economic Advisor’s W<strong>in</strong>g,Islamabad.Hirschman, A. O., 1970, Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Responses to Decl<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong> Firms, Organizations, and<strong>State</strong>s (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press).Hoodbhoy, P., 1998, “Out <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>’s <strong>Education</strong>al Morass: Possible? How?” <strong>in</strong> ed. P. Hoodbhoy,<strong>Education</strong> and the <strong>State</strong>: Fifty Years <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong> (Karachi: Oxford University Press).Karez, S. and J. Mitchell, 1999, “Community Participation <strong>in</strong> the Management and F<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> HighSchool <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> Chitral: the AKES, P Experience,” for the SPEDP Conference on Enhanc<strong>in</strong>gCapabilities for Community Participation – Revisit<strong>in</strong>g Practices <strong>in</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>Development</strong>,” 17-19 May, KarachiKhan, A. H., 1998, “Community Based Schools and the Orangi Project,” <strong>in</strong> ed. P. Hoodbhoy, <strong>Education</strong>and the <strong>State</strong>: Fifty Years <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong> (Karachi: Oxford University Press).SAHE (Society for Advancement <strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong>), 1997, Directory <strong>of</strong> NGOs <strong>in</strong> <strong>Education</strong>, Lahore.Stiglitz, J. E., 1998, “Pr<strong>in</strong>ciple and Agent,” <strong>in</strong> Allocation, Information and Markets, <strong>The</strong> New PalgraveDictionary <strong>of</strong> Economics and <strong>The</strong> Law, ed. P. Newman (New York: Grove’s Dictionaries), pp.241-253.TVO (Trust for Voluntary Organizations), 1994, Directory <strong>of</strong> NGOs, Prepared by Datal<strong>in</strong>e Services,Islamabad.World Bank, 1998, <strong>Pakistan</strong>: Public Expenditure Review: Reform Issues and Options, Report No. 18432-Pak, Islamabad.19
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisAppendix ISampl<strong>in</strong>g NGO schoolsTables I-IV below give an <strong>in</strong>dication <strong>of</strong> how closely we were able to follow our orig<strong>in</strong>al sampl<strong>in</strong>g planand detail the NGO school selection process.Table I:Sr. NGO#Eligible, sampled and surveyed NGO schools <strong>in</strong> the PunjabTotal # schs orig Report# <strong>of</strong> eli. sampledschs.1 Tameer-e-Millat Foundation 12 5 Random, from list <strong>of</strong>schools obta<strong>in</strong>ed.2 Hira Taleemi Mansooba 29 10 Random, from list <strong>of</strong> 4 (I)locations dictated onthe phone.3 Sufi Foundation 1 1 1(I)4 Anjuman Khudaam-e- 1 1 1(I)Rasool Allah5 Awami Committee for Dev. 10 4 Org. found to be 0(ACD)existent only onpaper – were notable to contact any <strong>of</strong>the members onceon site6 Baagh-e-Rahmat Trust 1 1 School was <strong>in</strong> urban 0area7 Malik Maula Bakhsh 71 29 Random, from list <strong>of</strong> 0Memorial Trustschools obta<strong>in</strong>ed.8 Roshni Foundation 1 0 CBO currently 1 (I)handl<strong>in</strong>g one ACDschoolSurveys conductedsuccessfully(Phase I / II)4 (I) + 2 (II)9 Shuaib Qadria Welfare 1 0 Used as on spot 1 (I)Societysubstitute <strong>in</strong> phase I10 Qasim Bela Welfare Society 1 0 Used as on spot 1 (I)substitute <strong>in</strong> phase I11 Anjuman-e-Hussa<strong>in</strong> 1 0 Used as on spot 1 (I)Secondary Associationsubstitute <strong>in</strong> phase I12 Anjuman Farogh-e-Taleem 1 0 Used as on spot 1 (I)substitute <strong>in</strong> phase I12 Mohd Yar Memorial Society 1 0 Used as substitute <strong>in</strong> 1 (II)phase IITotal 135 50(I) +2(II) 14 (I) + 4 (II)Notes: Eli. = eligibleSch. = schoolOrig. =Sub. =rig<strong>in</strong>alubstitute.By October 10, 1998, we had completed fieldwork <strong>in</strong> 14 villages <strong>of</strong> the Punjab referred to <strong>in</strong> theTable above as phase I. We found that the most substantial section <strong>of</strong> our sample -- the 29 schools20
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47be<strong>in</strong>g run by the MMBT -- were non-formal. At this stage we realized that sampl<strong>in</strong>g 50 schoolswould require extend<strong>in</strong>g the fieldwork to the rest <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ces <strong>of</strong> the country.A rough estimate for a prov<strong>in</strong>cial breakdown for these 50 schools that we decided on was as follows:Punjab 18S<strong>in</strong>dh 15NWFP 10Balochistan 5Thus under phase II <strong>of</strong> the fieldwork, we visited 4 more schools <strong>in</strong> the Punjab as <strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>in</strong> Table I. Afterthat, we had to search for NGO schools <strong>in</strong> S<strong>in</strong>dh, Balochistan and the NWFP. For this, we were able to makeuse <strong>of</strong> the questionnaires that had been sent back to us as a result <strong>of</strong> the mailed survey based on the TVODatal<strong>in</strong>e Directory (1994). Aga<strong>in</strong>, a vast majority <strong>of</strong> the returned questionnaires for all three prov<strong>in</strong>ces (andthe Capital) <strong>in</strong>dicated that the NGOs <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> education were mostly runn<strong>in</strong>g non-formal schools. Also,most <strong>of</strong> these NGOs were runn<strong>in</strong>g an average <strong>of</strong> two or three schools. <strong>The</strong> plan <strong>of</strong> sampl<strong>in</strong>g only NGOsrunn<strong>in</strong>g large networks <strong>of</strong> schools thus had to be dropped.<strong>The</strong> sample selected for S<strong>in</strong>dh is reported <strong>in</strong> Table II below:Table II:Sr. # NGOEligible, sampled and surveyed schools <strong>in</strong> S<strong>in</strong>dhTotal # schs Report# <strong>of</strong> eli origschs sampled1 Thardeep Rural Dev.Prog.2 S<strong>in</strong>dh GraduatesAssociation2 2 One selected NGO schoolwas too far from a privateschool9 5 Random selection from listobta<strong>in</strong>ed3 S<strong>in</strong>dh <strong>Education</strong> 10 5 All schools turned out to beFoundation: Nowanon-formalPrabath: Naz Old BoysAssociation4 <strong>The</strong> Citizen’s Foundation 22 7 Some schools didn’t haveclass 5Surveysconductedsuccessfully(Orig / Sub)1 (Orig)3 (Orig)+ 2 (NearestSub)03 (Orig)+ 4 (Out <strong>of</strong> 16 eli:random Sub)5 Ahle Bait 2 0 On-spot <strong>in</strong>formation 2 (Sub)Total 45 19 7 (Orig.) + 8(Sub.)Notes:As <strong>in</strong> Table I<strong>The</strong> sample selected for Balochistan is reported <strong>in</strong> Table III below:21
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisTable III:Sr. # NGOEligible, sampled and surveyed schools <strong>in</strong> BalochistanTotal # schs orig Report# <strong>of</strong> eli sampledschsSurveysconductedsuccessfully(Orig / Sub)1(Orig.)1 Helper’s Association <strong>of</strong> 3 1 Random selection from<strong>Pakistan</strong>list obta<strong>in</strong>ed2 Tanzeem Idarah Bahali e 4 3 1 unsafe area1 (Orig.)Mutasireen1 closed for w<strong>in</strong>ter3 Pak. Public WelfareSociety15 0 7 closed for w<strong>in</strong>ter5 too far1 (Sub.)4 Tanzeem Welfare Society 1 1 No class 5 04 Balochistan Rural Support 2 2 1 handed over to govt. 0Programme1 too farTotal 27 9 2 (Orig.) + 1(Sub.)Notes: As <strong>in</strong> Table I.Fieldwork began <strong>in</strong> Balochistan on November 27, 1999. This meant that schools which were <strong>in</strong> theW<strong>in</strong>ter Zone had started to close down for the w<strong>in</strong>ter break, which <strong>in</strong> some areas is eight weeks long.Also, because <strong>of</strong> the vast size <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ce and the scarce roads and other <strong>in</strong>frastructure, travel wasdifficult.<strong>The</strong> sample selected for NWFP is reported <strong>in</strong> Table IV below:Table IV:Sr. # NGOEligible, sampled and surveyed schools <strong>in</strong> NWFPTotal # <strong>of</strong> eli # schs orig Reportschs sampledSurveysconductedsuccessfully(Orig / Sub)01 Ch<strong>in</strong>nai WelfareOrganization3 3 Organization found tobe non-existent2 Swabi Women’s Welfare 2 2 2 (orig)Society3 Swabi <strong>Education</strong> & 3 1 Schools found to be 0Environmentalfunction<strong>in</strong>g as private,<strong>Development</strong> Societyfor-pr<strong>of</strong>it enterprises4 Aga Khan <strong>Education</strong>al 23 5 1: no nearby pvt.. sch. 1 (orig)Service, Gilgit3: closed for w<strong>in</strong>ter 2 (out <strong>of</strong> 18;1 completed random sub)5 Hira Taleemi Mansooba 4 0 On spot <strong>in</strong>formation 2 (nearest sub)Total 35 11 3 (orig) + 4 (sub)Notes: As <strong>in</strong> Table I.22
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47Appendix IIField Work InstrumentsA. Student Math TestsThis test was formulated by as an amalgamation <strong>of</strong> the math syllabi <strong>of</strong> classes 3 and 5, <strong>in</strong> consultationwith other such tests previously formulated. <strong>The</strong> challenge was to make it a reasonable test for bothclasses so that it was not too easy for class 5 or too difficult for class 3. <strong>The</strong> test was <strong>in</strong> Urdu, andcomprised a total <strong>of</strong> 10 sums. All students <strong>in</strong> class 3 and 5 were asked to attempt it.B. Student Urdu / S<strong>in</strong>dhi TestsThis test was also formulated <strong>in</strong> consultation with the syllabi other previously formulated tests. <strong>The</strong>purpose <strong>of</strong> the test was to ascerta<strong>in</strong> student comprehension. It was aga<strong>in</strong> devised to be accessible forstudents <strong>of</strong> classes 3 and 5. It comprised two paragraphs and questions based on them. <strong>The</strong> test <strong>in</strong>cludedmultiple choice, fill <strong>in</strong> the blank and short answer questions. Every student <strong>in</strong> class 3 and 5 was tested.C. Teacher Math TestsThis questionnaire was based on a Matric (“O” or junior high equivalent) syllabus. All class 5 teacherswere asked to attempt the test.D. Teacher Urdu / S<strong>in</strong>dhi TestsThis was a comprehension test <strong>of</strong> multiple choice questions based on a lengthy passage. <strong>The</strong>re were atotal <strong>of</strong> 30 questions. Teachers were given an average <strong>of</strong> 45 m<strong>in</strong>utes to attempt the paper. All language(Urdu or S<strong>in</strong>dhi) teachers <strong>of</strong> class 5 were asked to attempt it.E. Household (student respondents)This questionnaire was put to all students <strong>of</strong> class 5. It <strong>in</strong>volved questions relat<strong>in</strong>g to family backgroundand household <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the child’s school<strong>in</strong>g.F. Household (parent respondents)This was adm<strong>in</strong>istered to the available parent <strong>of</strong> up to about 15 percent <strong>of</strong> randomly selected students <strong>in</strong>class 5 (with a m<strong>in</strong>imum <strong>of</strong> 5 students). This attempted to gauge their <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> education, theirknowledge about a school management committee / parent teacher association and their satisfaction withthe school. We also used the household visit to generate an <strong>in</strong>dex <strong>of</strong> household wealth.G. School facilityThis questionnaire was a detailed assimilation <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation relat<strong>in</strong>g to the school and teachers. It dealtwith questions such as teachers’ tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, salaries and absenteeism, number <strong>of</strong> students enrolled, methodstaken to curb student absenteeism, source <strong>of</strong> funds and problems faced while work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the community.23
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisH. School management committeeThis questionnaire was put to a group <strong>of</strong> as many members <strong>of</strong> the school management committee / parentteacher association (if either existed) as possible. <strong>The</strong> objective was to understand the function<strong>in</strong>g / nonfunction<strong>in</strong>g<strong>of</strong> such committees and their impact, if any, <strong>in</strong> improv<strong>in</strong>g the quality <strong>of</strong> school<strong>in</strong>g.I. CommunityThis was put to groups <strong>of</strong> people belong<strong>in</strong>g to areas surround<strong>in</strong>g the school. <strong>The</strong> objective <strong>of</strong> thisquestionnaire was to gauge the degree <strong>of</strong> community <strong>in</strong>volvement with the school and to explorecommunity perceptions about the school and how it functioned.J. Drop-outsThis questionnaire (F) was adm<strong>in</strong>istered to the parents <strong>of</strong> students who had dropped out (who hadenrolled <strong>in</strong> class 5 but left the school) and who, had not enrolled <strong>in</strong> any other school. It was based on theHousehold part 2 questionnaire described above, and <strong>in</strong> addition attempted to f<strong>in</strong>d out the reasons for thestudent hav<strong>in</strong>g left this particular school.24
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47Appendix IIICase StudiesCase study #1:Good NGO schoolSchool Type : NGOSchool Name : Agha Khan Golden Jubilee School, Danyore, GilgitField team : Yasm<strong>in</strong> Khattak & Shahbaz BokhariDate : 23-12-98This was the biggest middle girls’ school <strong>in</strong> the area. <strong>The</strong> school had seven hundred students enrolled andtwenty teachers.Was the school<strong>in</strong>g successful?Yes, very successfulSchool factors<strong>The</strong> school build<strong>in</strong>g was fully equipped with requisite teach<strong>in</strong>g facilities. <strong>The</strong> school also had a sciencelaboratory which other schools <strong>in</strong> the area also made use <strong>of</strong>. All the teachers <strong>of</strong> the schools are wellqualified and experienced. Most <strong>of</strong> the teachers received tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g from reputable teach<strong>in</strong>g tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g centers,and they were well acqua<strong>in</strong>ted with modern teach<strong>in</strong>g methods. Both the math and Urdu teachersperformed well <strong>in</strong> the tests.<strong>The</strong> performance <strong>of</strong> class five students on the tests was outstand<strong>in</strong>g. Twenty five percent <strong>of</strong> the studentssecured one hundred percents marks <strong>in</strong> the Urdu test. It was evident that the adm<strong>in</strong>istration gave properattention to student confidence build<strong>in</strong>g.Household factors<strong>The</strong> students socio-economic background was diverse and the parents <strong>of</strong> all the students were satisfiedwith the school’s performance. Most <strong>of</strong> the families mentioned that they could not give time to theirchildren’s education at home but nonetheless the children were hardwork<strong>in</strong>g and managed on their own.<strong>The</strong> parents appreciated the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration’s efforts to keep them <strong>in</strong>formed about their children’seducation.Community factors<strong>The</strong> community had full confidence <strong>in</strong> the school. <strong>The</strong>y actively participate <strong>in</strong> school’s activities. <strong>The</strong>school was built on land donated by the community. Two years after the establishment <strong>of</strong> the school, theschool adm<strong>in</strong>istration requested more land for a school laboratory and an exam<strong>in</strong>ation hall and thecommunity once aga<strong>in</strong> contributed the land. Although the material cost was provided by the NGO, thecommunity contributed the labor costs.<strong>The</strong> school had a strong school management committee (SMC), the members <strong>of</strong> which were selected bythe community. We were <strong>in</strong>formed that the SMC had the power to remove a teacher or pr<strong>in</strong>cipal <strong>in</strong>consultation with the NGO. <strong>The</strong> SMC also handled absenteeism among students and if any studentrema<strong>in</strong>ed absent from school for more than six days, they school adm<strong>in</strong>istration referred the case to the25
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisSMC. At the time <strong>of</strong> the field visit, the school was fac<strong>in</strong>g a congestion problem due to excess demand.With SMC concurrence, admissions were closed and the SMC was plann<strong>in</strong>g to approach the NGO’s head<strong>of</strong>fice for more classrooms.<strong>The</strong> community’s will<strong>in</strong>gness to allow an optimum utilization <strong>of</strong> the school build<strong>in</strong>g was commendable.<strong>The</strong>re is no girls’ college <strong>in</strong> the area, and so the community had allowed a private college to hold even<strong>in</strong>gclasses after school hours.26
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47Case study #2:Poor NGO schoolSchool Type : NGOSchool Name : Not cited to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> confidentialityField team : Sajid Kazmi & Saadia AlmasDate : 29-09-1998This school was started about seven years ago by the present pr<strong>in</strong>cipal who, with the help <strong>of</strong> some <strong>in</strong>terestedpeople, formed an NGO.Was School<strong>in</strong>g Successful?NoSchool factors<strong>The</strong> teacher’s performance was abysmal (zero marks <strong>in</strong> math). <strong>The</strong> poor results <strong>of</strong> both the classes reflectedpoor teacher performance. Moreover, the school had not much space to accommodate even a very lownumber <strong>of</strong> students. Class 1, 5 and 6 were housed <strong>in</strong> one room and only one teacher was teach<strong>in</strong>g these threeclasses. Late fee payment was a big problem here. <strong>The</strong>re were a number <strong>of</strong> students who had not paid theirdues for over a year.Household factors<strong>The</strong> parents <strong>of</strong> all the students were farmers and almost all <strong>of</strong> them were f<strong>in</strong>ancially sound. <strong>The</strong>y viewededucation to be responsibility <strong>of</strong> the school authorities. In general there seemed content with their children’sperformance. Perhaps some quietly protested by not pay<strong>in</strong>g the fee!Community factorsAccord<strong>in</strong>g to the parents present <strong>in</strong> the community meet<strong>in</strong>g, the school was do<strong>in</strong>g well on a number <strong>of</strong> counts.Accord<strong>in</strong>g to them, small class sizes and discipl<strong>in</strong>e were plus po<strong>in</strong>ts. Given the large population <strong>in</strong> the village,an alternative <strong>in</strong>terpretation <strong>of</strong> small class sizes was also possible. Notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g the parent’s view <strong>of</strong>discipl<strong>in</strong>e, students bunked classes, and the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration had asked the shopkeepers around the schoolto keep an eye on the students who bunked classes and <strong>in</strong>form teachers about them. <strong>The</strong> parents also viewedthe extra curricular activities organized by the school as a mark <strong>of</strong> success. <strong>The</strong> school had a Village <strong>Education</strong>Committee (VEC) compris<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> parents, teachers and notables <strong>of</strong> the village.27
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisCase study #3:Good private schoolSchool Type : PrivateSchool Name : Mehran Model School, Pano Akil, Distt. SukkerFiled team : Sajid Kazmi & Rehana Shahani BalochDate : 30-10-98Although, a cooperative society was formed for Mehran Model School, it operates as a for pr<strong>of</strong>it school.<strong>The</strong> cooperative committee was formed <strong>in</strong> 1980, and almost half <strong>of</strong> the members <strong>of</strong> the had passed awayand had not been replaced. This school had more than 2,600 students enrolled and 132 teachers. This wasa higher secondary school with separate school and college sections.Was school<strong>in</strong>g successful?YesSchool factorsStudents secured good marks on both tests <strong>in</strong> both classes. Although the teachers helped a few students,yet they were capable anyway. In response to a compla<strong>in</strong>t from the field team, the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal expla<strong>in</strong>edthat it was a language issue s<strong>in</strong>ce the math test was not <strong>in</strong> the S<strong>in</strong>dhi language. <strong>The</strong> school was coeducation,but hang<strong>in</strong>g curta<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the classrooms separated girls and boy’s classes. Discipl<strong>in</strong>e seemedgood and even the teachers wore uniforms. Besides deliver<strong>in</strong>g good education, the school adm<strong>in</strong>istrationemphasized character build<strong>in</strong>g. One example <strong>of</strong> such tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g was that outside every school there was aself-service tuck shop that ran on the honor system. <strong>The</strong> school had well equipped labs and a very richlibrary. <strong>The</strong> large number <strong>of</strong> teachers ensured a good teacher student ratio for quality education.Households factorsS<strong>in</strong>ce the fee was not very high as compared to the other private schools, it was affordable for average<strong>in</strong>come families. <strong>The</strong> households visited were not very affluent. <strong>The</strong>y were very satisfied with theperformance <strong>of</strong> their children. <strong>The</strong>y appreciated the school’s emphasis on moral values. <strong>The</strong>y also feltthat there was no preferential treatment for the students from rich families. Dur<strong>in</strong>g school hours, eatablesfrom outside the school were not allowed to avoid poor students feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ferior.Community factors<strong>The</strong> community was all praise for the school. Even the adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>of</strong> the nearby NGO school wevisited felt that this school was deliver<strong>in</strong>g quality education. <strong>The</strong> community felt that the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal’seducation background had much to do with this success. While there was no special concession for poorstudents, the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration persuaded effluent people to f<strong>in</strong>ance the education <strong>of</strong> the studentsfrom the poor families. <strong>The</strong> community rated the school discipl<strong>in</strong>e very highly. <strong>The</strong>y were <strong>of</strong> the viewthat discipl<strong>in</strong>e was a must to ensure quality education.28
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47Case study #4:Poor private schoolSchool Type : PrivateSchool Name : Not cited to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> confidentialityField team : Yasm<strong>in</strong> Khattak & Shahbaz BokhariDate : 18-12-98<strong>The</strong> school was established <strong>in</strong> 1988 but had a total <strong>of</strong> 70 students enrolled <strong>in</strong> all the classes.Was the school<strong>in</strong>g successful?NoSchool factorsAlthough the school had its own build<strong>in</strong>g, it was physically <strong>in</strong> very poor condition. <strong>The</strong>re were onlythree small classes that barely had the capacity <strong>of</strong> accommodat<strong>in</strong>g a maximum <strong>of</strong> fifteen students.However, thirty students were stuffed <strong>in</strong> these rooms and three classes were be<strong>in</strong>g held <strong>in</strong> eachclassroom. <strong>The</strong> students <strong>of</strong> both class three and class five performed very poorly <strong>in</strong> both the tests.<strong>The</strong> teacher could not attempt the math test and barely got 40 percent marks <strong>in</strong> the Urdu test. <strong>The</strong>teachers were neither well qualified nor well tra<strong>in</strong>ed.Household factorsMost <strong>of</strong> the students belonged to well <strong>of</strong>f families. <strong>The</strong> fathers were educated but the mothers weremostly illiterate. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the household visits, the mothers <strong>in</strong>dicated satisfaction with the school, butthe fathers viewed the school’s educational standard to be poor. <strong>The</strong>y did however expresssatisfaction with the attention paid by the school adm<strong>in</strong>istration to discipl<strong>in</strong>e, and some <strong>in</strong>dicated thisto their reason for opt<strong>in</strong>g for a private school.Community factors<strong>The</strong> community revealed <strong>in</strong> a focus group meet<strong>in</strong>g that it was not satisfied with the performance <strong>of</strong>the school. <strong>The</strong>y felt that while private schools generally perform better than government schools,this school was an exception. <strong>The</strong>y revealed that the adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>of</strong> this school bribed theexam<strong>in</strong>ation authorities to pass all their students <strong>in</strong> class five to show a “perfect” result. Once aga<strong>in</strong>,good discipl<strong>in</strong>e was highlighted as the s<strong>in</strong>gular achievement <strong>of</strong> this private school.29
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisCase study #5:Good government schoolSchool Type : GovernmentSchool Name : Govt. Primary School, Qadir Pur Rawan, District MultanField team : Rahat Almas & Shahbaz BokhariDate : 30-09-98This school was established as a primary school <strong>in</strong> 1885, given the status <strong>of</strong> middle school <strong>in</strong> 1906and f<strong>in</strong>ally upgraded to a high school <strong>in</strong> 1956. <strong>The</strong> high school was shifted to another build<strong>in</strong>g andthe orig<strong>in</strong>al build<strong>in</strong>g rema<strong>in</strong>ed as the primary school. <strong>The</strong> primary school had eight hundred studentsenrolled and twenty-three teachers.Was the school<strong>in</strong>g successful?Yes, very successfulSchool factorsAlthough the school had n<strong>in</strong>e rooms, these were <strong>in</strong>sufficient to accommodate the large student body.Each class had three or four sections (twenty-two <strong>in</strong> all). Class five had one hundred and fiftystudents with four sections. Eight classes were held <strong>in</strong> the verandas and eight classes were us<strong>in</strong>g theexam<strong>in</strong>ation hall <strong>of</strong> the adjacent high school. Although there was a lack <strong>of</strong> classrooms, the studentperformance was outstand<strong>in</strong>g.<strong>The</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g staff seemed very hardwork<strong>in</strong>g and dedicated to their responsibilities. Most <strong>of</strong> theteachers were educated <strong>in</strong> the same school and an emotional attachment was evident. Teachers hadthe responsibility for a given section from class one all the way until class five. Most <strong>of</strong> studentsobta<strong>in</strong>ed over eighty percent marks <strong>in</strong> both tests. Before we handed out the questionnaires, a lectureaga<strong>in</strong>st cheat<strong>in</strong>g was delivered by the teacher.Apart from the dedication <strong>of</strong> the teachers, another reason for the good performance was the highstandard <strong>of</strong> education <strong>in</strong> the associated village high school. Admission to class six was byexam<strong>in</strong>ation and the competition was tough. <strong>The</strong> teachers <strong>of</strong> the primary school viewed gett<strong>in</strong>g theirstudents admitted a matter <strong>of</strong> honor.Household factors<strong>The</strong> parents were unanimous is view<strong>in</strong>g this school as deliver<strong>in</strong>g a good education and also as anexception among government schools. Many <strong>of</strong> them were ex-students <strong>of</strong> this school and proud tosend their children to it. <strong>The</strong>y po<strong>in</strong>ted out that students come to this school from a distance <strong>of</strong> up t<strong>of</strong>ifteen kilometers. <strong>The</strong> parents also claimed to be giv<strong>in</strong>g due attention to their children’s homework<strong>in</strong> view <strong>of</strong> the high expectations <strong>of</strong> the teachers.Community factors<strong>The</strong> education department tra<strong>in</strong>ed the School Management Committee (SMC) members. Parentswere given proper representation <strong>in</strong> the committee. To enable a long tenure on the committee,parents <strong>of</strong> children <strong>in</strong> the early classes were given preference. All the committee members were oldstudents <strong>of</strong> the head master and this was one reason why they actively worked for the management <strong>of</strong>30
SDPI Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper Series # 47the school. <strong>The</strong> SMC members spent some time <strong>in</strong>form<strong>in</strong>g us <strong>of</strong> cases <strong>of</strong> corruption <strong>in</strong> the educationdepartment.<strong>The</strong> community as a whole also seemed <strong>in</strong>terested and active. <strong>The</strong>y made contributions on requestand as a result the school had electricity. In general, the community was <strong>of</strong> the view that with theexception <strong>of</strong> schools such as this one, government schools should be handed over to the privatesector.31
<strong>The</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: A Qualitative, Comparative Institutional AnalysisCase study # 6:Poor government schoolSchool Type : GovernmentSchool Name : Not cited to preserve confidentialityField team : Sajid Kazmi and & Rehana Shahani BalochDate : 21-11-98This school ran multiple shifts and we visited the second shift s<strong>in</strong>ce the premise was used as a secondarysection <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g shift.Was school<strong>in</strong>g successful?NoSchool factors<strong>The</strong>re were no teachers <strong>in</strong> the school when we first arrived at the school. <strong>The</strong> teachers were supposed toarrive at 12:30 p.m., but came at 2:00 p.m. <strong>The</strong> students were play<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the playground when we arrived.Shortly after, the senior students got all the students assembled <strong>in</strong> the playground and held the assembly,recited prayers and sang the national anthem. It seemed as if that this was their rout<strong>in</strong>e and the studentsconfirmed that it was <strong>in</strong>deed the case. <strong>The</strong> students’ results <strong>in</strong> both classes and for both tests were verypoor. <strong>The</strong>y had very poor test tak<strong>in</strong>g abilities, lacked confidence and seemed at a complete loss. <strong>The</strong>rewere three teachers and five classes. Teachers compla<strong>in</strong>ed that they were short <strong>of</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g staff. <strong>The</strong>ytold us that this was a S<strong>in</strong>dhi school and they were not provided a S<strong>in</strong>dhi teacher. While the build<strong>in</strong>g wasnew, it was poorly ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed and already <strong>in</strong> bad condition.Household factors<strong>The</strong> households were clearly very poor. <strong>The</strong>y told us that they could not afford to send their children toprivate schools or they would do so. <strong>The</strong>y were <strong>of</strong> the view that the private schools were deliver<strong>in</strong>gquality education because there was a proper monitor<strong>in</strong>g system. <strong>The</strong>y felt their children seemed dull andheld the teachers responsible for this sorry state <strong>of</strong> affairs. <strong>The</strong>y <strong>in</strong>formed us that the headmaster took no<strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>ister<strong>in</strong>g the school.Community factors<strong>The</strong> community was very unhappy with the school. <strong>The</strong> teachers rout<strong>in</strong>ely came late and paid noattention to the students. <strong>The</strong>y didn’t bother about the students wear<strong>in</strong>g uniforms or rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g absent forlong periods. <strong>The</strong>y compla<strong>in</strong>ed about the lack <strong>of</strong> a proper monitor<strong>in</strong>g system. We were <strong>in</strong>formed thatthat s<strong>in</strong>ce second shift teachers had absolutely no chance <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g caught out for neglect <strong>of</strong> duty becausegovernment <strong>of</strong>fices closed at 2:00 p.m., and this school started at 1:00 p.m.. Thus the teachers took fulladvantage <strong>of</strong> this lack <strong>of</strong> oversight. Most shock<strong>in</strong>g, we were <strong>in</strong>formed that the school was be<strong>in</strong>g used asgambl<strong>in</strong>g den and addicts rema<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> the school throughout the day. <strong>The</strong> teachers played cards dur<strong>in</strong>gschool hours while students made noise or quarreled among themselves. As a result, the students werecompelled to take private tuition from the teachers.32