MDA National Report Suggested Outline

I. Introduction

  1. Historical, Social/Cultural (linguistic, religious), Economic, Political and Geographic (map) Country Background

B. General Overview of Level of Development

  1. Poverty, human development index, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
  2. Health, economic, and social indicators

C. The Role of Education in the Context of National Development

  1. Highlighting linkages between education and the MDGs and national development priorities and strategies

D. Data Collection, Sources, Quality Assurance

II. Introduction to the National Educational System

A. Trends in Educational Development

  1. Historical origins of present structure of education system
  2. Expansion of government-financed education to various categories of learners
  3. Development in education since Jomtien (1990) or Dakar (2000)
  4. Use of ICT in education
  5. Unreached Groups (general examples that may be applicable to your country)
  1. Religious, linguistic, racial, and ethnic minorities/tribal groups
  2. Castes, socio-economic classes, and other social stratifications
  3. Women and girls (or boys)
  4. Persons discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation
  5. Persons with disabilities or special needs
  6. Residents of remote, rural, or border areas
  7. Undocumented people, non-citizens, non-registered residents
  8. Migrants, refugees, displaced persons (conflict or natural disaster)
  9. Children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS
  10. Children affected by conflict
  11. Street Children
  12. Working children
  13. Orphans
  14. The very poor
  15. Victims of domestic abuse
  1. Educational Policy, Laws, and Legislation

Is there compulsory education? Is it rights-based? Is it free and how is “free” defined? Is there a mechanism for public awareness and implementation?

  1. National EFA Program/Action Plan
  2. National constitution
  3. National policies, laws and legislation
  4. International treaties
  1. Education Structure

(public and private education included)

  1. Formal: Pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, secondary, tertiary; non-formal; informal (use diagram to illustrate the structure)
  2. Responsible agencies

D. Education Financing

  1. Structure of financing of education by central government, state/provincial government and local government/community
  2. Decentralization: mechanism of financing, fund flow from center to state, local
  3. Education budget as percentage of GDP or GNP
  4. Education budget as percentage of national budget (Also, if applicable, percentage of district or provincial level budget in decentralized governments or states)
  5. Percentage from government, private sector, donors
  6. Financing for disadvantaged groups (grants, scholarships, incentives, special programs)
  7. Standard school income sources (government subsidies, fees, community, NGOs, international donors, etc) and cost breakdown (absolute and percentage)
  8. Breakdown of education spending (ie. staff costs, infrastructure, resources, development costs, operation costs, etc)
  1. Assessment of EFA Coordination

(If not explicitly called EFA then should refer to national education plan along the six goals)

  1. Existence of a functioning National EFA Forum with mandate and authority
  2. Presence of an EFA National Coordinator with mandate and authority
  3. Publication of an EFA National Action Plan
  4. Integration of the EFA National Action Plan in National Education Development Strategy and national development planning framework and process
  5. Budget allocation for implementation of EFA National Action Plan
  6. External (international) and internal (domestic) funding support for the EFA Programme
  7. Strategy in place for the monitoring and evaluation of the EFA programme

III. Analysis of the Six EFA Goals (separate chapter/section for each goal)

  1. National Action Plan/Education Reform Program
  1. Statement of EFA goal
  2. Description of EFA goal and specific national targets
  3. Strategies to achieve the goal
  4. Budget (cost calculation, expenditure) and financing (sources of income to cover costs) plan
  1. Implementation of EFA goal
  1. General policies and programs
  2. Policies and programs mentioning specific target groups (disadvantaged groups)
  3. Legislation and legal framework
  4. Responsible agencies and coordination of implementation
  5. Budgeting and financing: resource mobilization and allocation
  6. Quality assurance monitoring and evaluation
  1. Progress in Achieving EFA goal (using disaggregated indicators to show patterns of change)
  1. Performance indicators: measure the gap between the target and attained level of performance
  2. Time and cross-sectional analysis (using disaggregated indicators)
  3. Quality and equity outcomes
  1. Implementation Gaps and Disparities or Variations (using disaggregated indicators to show disparities or variations)
  1. Identifying gaps and locating the reached and unreached
  2. Analysis of differential impact of policy implementation
  3. Identify disparities in social and gender equality
  4. Identify disparities in quality of education across social groups and geographic areas
  5. Identify implementation capacity gaps
  1. Successes and Remaining Challenges in Implementation of EFA goal (assessing impact of policy and practices)
  1. Successes and challenges in achieving social and gender equality
  2. Success stories and good practices to be re-enforced
  3. Identify and explain why and how areas and groups where success has been least
  4. Successes and challenges in achieving quality education
  5. Success stories and good practices to be re-enforced
  6. Identify and explain why and how areas and groups where success has been least
  1. Recommendations for adjustments in terms of
  2. Target-settings with specific references to priority target groups
  3. Strategies for attaining the unattained and reaching the unreached
  4. Schedule of milestones to be attained over the remaining period

Summarize for all Goals:

IV. Challenges to Providing Education

General examples that may be applicable to your country:

  1. Policy and budget
  2. Economic factors
  3. Social and cultural factors
  4. Legal factors
  5. Geographic factors
  6. Language
  7. School factors (facilities, human resources, teaching resources)
  8. Risk factors (HIV/AIDS, drugs, prostitution, etc)
  9. Political unrest and conflict
  10. Natural disasters
  11. Child labor

V. Linkages between the Goals in lifelong perspective

(flow of education)

VI. EFA Strategies and Flagship Issues

(i.e. relating country situation to global issues)

VII. Managing International Support and Coordination of EFA Partners

(evaluation of performance of donors and EFA convening partners)

VIII. Overall Conclusions and Policy Recommendations

IX. References

X. Statistical Annex(es)