EDUCATION REFORM IN PUNJAB A DECENTRALISED GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK FOR GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

Abstract

Improving the quality of public sector education and increasing its coverage is a complex challenge in Pakistan mainly because of the very large number of schools, inherently diverse requirements of various levels and types of education, low levels of investment and weak accountability mechanisms. The governance challenge comprises two important questions: 1) how to increase investment; and 2) how to make teachers and education managers more accountable. This paper examines the existing framework for governance of public sector education in Punjab to understand its consistent failure in providing quality education. It is argued that education is hardly a priority area for district managers and that a unionised cadre makes it virtually impossible to hold service providers accountable for a demonstrated poor quality of education. The paper makes a case for the establishment of District Education Authorities with the specific mandate of improving outreach and quality of education within their area of responsibility. Within a district, the paper proposes the gradual introduction of a decentralised governance framework in which most decisions – including fund utilisation and teacher assignment – are taken by elected School Councils and information on a range of fiscal and performance indicators is widely available. It is argued that accountability of education providers by direct beneficiaries is the only effective form of accountability that can lead to service improvement.