Educational Development of Pakistan (EDU505)

Educational Development of Pakistan (EDU505)

Assignment 1 (Spring 2016)

Total Marks: 20

(Lesson No. (123-160)

Question no 1:

Describe Punjab Education Sector Reform Program (PESRP)? 4/5

Answer:

The Government of Punjab is implementing the Education Sector Reforms Programme (PESRP) in 2003

It has undertaken major investments in education
It is funded by the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development (DFID)

Goals of PESRP

Three primary goals by the PESRP are:

Improving access,
Quality, and
Governance in education

Explanation:

The Punjab government meets most of the PESRP’s cost (about USD 3.5 billion) with support from donors, mainly the World Bank (USD 350 million) and DFID (USD 200 million).A devolved administrative structure with increased targeting of educational expenditures to poorer households was also planned .And moreover the program’s general impact has not been significant as, over the reform period the primary and middle school enrollments have been stagnant with only secondary school girls’ enrollments increasing in some years Under this programmed, the Government of Punjab intends to develop and implement „Web Based Schools Procurement Planning Tool‟ which will provide interface to all concerned users i.e. School Councils to prepare their procurement plans as per the allocated budgets. The tool will also provide interface to users to review/approve the schools procurement plans, monitor the progress and expenditure details etc.

Data will be collected timely in regard to any head of account and other related information which would be helpful for the policy makers for better policy decisions and for others as well by introducing new web based tool.

For the above purpose, the Government of Punjab intends to engage a capable and experienced IT/Software development firm which can develop and implement Web Based Schools Procurement Planning Tool for about 50,000 to 54,000 Primary, Elementary, Secondary and High Secondary Schools of 36 Districts of the Punjab Province. The application and the system to be developed will be fully tested and IT/Software development firm is also required to provide support for a period of at least one year in order to resolve any bugs after development. The firm will also propose the technical solution for automation of the process.

The PESRP, Program Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU) now invite registered software development firms etc to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested firms should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

Question no 2 4/5

Write a note on Evaluations of Educational initiatives?

Answer:

For programs implemented in Punjab and in Pakistan few rigorous evaluations of educational initiatives have been conducted. For greater accuracy in assessing program results, baseline data needs to be collected on variables of interest and other factors that might influence outcomes. The counterfactual also needs to be built for meaningful comparison of results Revisions in implementation and policy design can be based on these evaluations it needs to be understood that educational investments do show results over time. Education budgets usually suffer cutbacks along with other public sector development programs during periods of economic downturn. To prevent the early dissipation of educational benefits, investments in education have to follow overall school, district, provincial, and national goals and continue over a period of time despite political and economic setbacks.

For the above purpose, the Government of Punjab intends to engage a capable and experienced IT/Software development firm which can develop and implement Web Based Schools Procurement Planning Tool for about 50,000 to 54,000 Primary, Elementary, Secondary and High Secondary Schools of 36 Districts of the Punjab Province. The application and the system to be developed will be fully tested and IT/Software development firm is also required to provide support for a period of at least one year in order to resolve any bugs after development/operationalization. The firm will also propose the technical solution for automation of the process.

Question no 3 7/10

Describe Educational vision in detail? Also tell what happened if educational vision lacks?

Answer:

One of the most important responsibilities of any leader is establishing a vision and inviting others to share in its development.

It’s a world of creativity, inspiration and ambition informed by real-world evidence and experience. O

So by making educational vision we can give a bright future to the new generation.

Variations in education systems emerged from countries’ unique institutional and cultural backgrounds.

In the mid-19th century many countries that are now considered developed, launched public education to instill a sense of national cohesion among their citizens and develop the basic skills required by newly industrializing economies.

Example:

Britain’s education system started out with the objective of promoting an elite class, and Germany’s more centralized system promoted early streaming in primary and middle schools to develop specialized skills
Japan emphasized schools primarily for the purpose of preparing industrial workers rather than developing individual talent
Most developing countries with colonial backgrounds inherited the systems their rulers had introduced

Lack of educational vision:

If there is lack of educational bison then we face alit of problem for example in 1947, Pakistan and India inherited a colonial system designed to prepare government and army officers to work for their British rulers. While the purpose of this education system for the Subcontinent was clear, Pakistan has yet to define a clear postcolonial objective of education. A policy objective of investing in education for the purpose of developing the basic skills of all citizens for economic and social development still has to be clearly articulated and implemented by the federal and provincial governments .So it may be that this lack of a clear vision has resulted in the government’s failure to commit steadily to investing in education and improving outcomes.