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Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Schools Sector Plan
Financial Years 2015/16 to 2019/20
Elementary & Secondary Education Department
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Contents
Message from the Chief Minister ....................................................................... 3
Message from the Minister Elementary & Secondary Education ............................. 5
Foreword, Secretary Elementary & Secondary Education ...................................... 7
Summary ....................................................................................................... 9
Process Note ................................................................................................ 15
Situational Analysis: Barriers to Reform ........................................................... 18
Transforming Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ............................................... 31
Priorities for ESP 2020 ................................................................................... 44
Policy Group 1: More Effective Teachers ........................................................... 47
Policy Group 2: Better Schools and Facilities ..................................................... 60
Policy Group 3: Every Child’s Right to Education ............................................... 64
Policy Group 4: Good Governance & Management ............................................. 76
Modelling the Provincial School System ............................................................ 86
Monitoring & Evaluation ................................................................................. 96
Annex: Actions for 2014/15 .......................................................................... 111
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Message from the Chief Minister
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is deeply committed to ensuring every man,
woman and child has access to the services he or she should expect to receive as a
citizen of this province. It is unacceptable that so many of our children still lack a secure
environment in which to live and grow up, protection against communicable diseases,
and access to a school system where they can learn and flourish.
The single most important priority for this administration is the transformation of service
delivery for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, harnessing the assistance provided by
our international partners more effectively than we have been able to do in the past.
For this reason we created the Strategic Development Partners Framework in 2013,
bringing together the whole of government as well as its partners for the first time, to
identify and tackle common obstacles to delivery, and to strengthen strategic planning
in a range of sectors.
I am therefore delighted the Elementary & Secondary Education Department has taken
up the challenge of creating a strategic plan that does not shy away from identifying
the obstacles that have made it difficult historically to offer our children a high quality
education. Too often governments have committed to delivering better schools but
focused simply on providing more inputs and resources. Without a clear commitment to
fundamental reform and institutional development, and a plan for delivery, these
pledges have been able to deliver little sustained positive change for children.
We have made a constitutional commitment to provide high quality learning free of
charge to all our children. More importantly still, we have a moral obligation to do so.
To deprive children of the opportunity to learn to read and write, do mathematics, and
understand the world in which they live more clearly is to deprive them of the chance
to achieve their full potential as adults. Protecting children from ignorance and its
companion poverty is just as important as protecting them from danger and disease.
Nor is the argument for prioritising education confined to its impact on individuals and
their families. The province estimates that almost two fifths of people in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa live in poverty today. Improved provision of basic services, including
education, is the most effective way in which the government can create the underlying
conditions required for much stronger economic growth across the province, benefitting
the whole population both now and in the future.
It will not be easy to achieve the agenda set out by the Elementary & Secondary
Education Department for the next five years. Many of the 10 policies that shape this
document will require a fundamental rethink of the way in which not only the sector,
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but also government as a whole, operates. However, this administration was elected as
a direct result of its promise to modernise and reform approaches to public service. In
education as in other sectors we remain prepared to make difficult choices to ensure
we deliver now and in the future for all of the children of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pervez Khattak
Chief Minister, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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Message from the Minister Elementary & Secondary
Education
This year the world is taking stock of progress made towards meeting the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) agreed at the turn of the century. In many countries
millions of people and their families have been lifted out of poverty and given the
opportunity of a more prosperous and fulfilling future. Yet according to the United
Nations Development Programme Pakistan is on track to meet just 9 of 41 indicators in
spite of 15 years of work and investment.
It is clear neither the country nor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be in a position to meet the
MDGs as they relate to education by the end of 2015. The 18th Amendment to the
Constitution of Pakistan enshrined the right to a free, high quality education for all our
children five years ago. Yet millions still do not go to school. And we are not even sure
of the scale of the problem. Estimates vary from 5.5 million according to UNICEF, to
more than 25 million according to a 2014 paper.
Alif Ailaan believes more than 700,000 of our province’s boys and 1.7 million of our girls
do not attend school today. Meanwhile up to 30 percent of those who are in education
attend private institutions, often because their parents, however poor, feel unable to
rely on government to offer their children the opportunity to learn effectively. Tackling
the causes of this systemic failure to provide a basic service to the most vulnerable
citizens in our society is one of the most important priorities of the current
administration.
While 2015 throws past failures to provide education and other services to the people
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into stark relief, it also presents us with a unique opportunity
to set a course that will ensure the story is very different by 2030. The Post-2015 Global
Development Framework, soon to be finalised, has a strong emphasis on inclusion,
ensuring no child is left behind whatever their personal circumstances, and on
transforming the quality of education. These two principles are at the heart of the
current administration’s resolve to tackle the education emergency.
We are determined to learn from the experiences of the last 15 years and Pakistan’s
collective failure to meet the MDGs. After one year in office, during which we took stock
of the extent of the problem, I therefore challenged officials to think in a fundamental
way about why so little progress has been made in spite of the investment of millions
of rupees on the part of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its partners.
I believe this process has produced a strategy unlike anything we have seen before. In
particular, we have acknowledged that transforming education will require a common
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vision and sustained resolve on the part of both politicians and bureaucrats over the
long term. It is especially evident that continued failure to take difficult decisions to
strengthen our institutions and the way the school system is managed is not an option.
In years to come, I believe we will look back on this period as the turning point for
education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. I am proud to have the opportunity to serve as
Minister for Elementary & Secondary Education at such a critical time.
Atif Khan
Minister for Elementary & Secondary Education, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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Foreword, Secretary Elementary & Secondary Education
In 2014, more than one in four children in 15 of the 25 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
was not in education. For girls the picture was even bleaker. Even in the best performing
districts almost one in five girls was out of school, while in the worst, less than 15
percent were enrolled. Parents offer a range of reasons why this is the case, many of
which suggest the experience of trying to learn in a government institution is so poor,
and in some cases hazardous, that it is simply not worth the commitment the family
must make to send a child to school.
This picture is replicated across Pakistan and rates of progress are slow. In Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa the situation is compounded by a large number of remote communities
where it is difficult to provide services as well as a higher than average incidence of
disruptive events. Yet to blame the weakness of the school system on geography,
climate change, or extremism is to miss the point. Most educationally deprived children
do not go to school because their families do not believe what they will learn there will
provide them with any more advantages than missing out on education.
The Elementary & Secondary Education Department, supported by many partners, has
been trying to tackle these problems for more than a generation. There have been some
successes. While net enrolment remains unacceptably low, it has improved over the last
decade in almost all districts. Successive administrations have collaborated with
partners to provide more and better quality professional development opportunities for
teachers, and to rebuild and upgrade school buildings. More recently, the Department
has taken steps to strengthen the way in which teachers are recruited and posted, as
well as to improve its budgeting.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first province in Pakistan to produce an Education Sector
Plan. This early demonstration of commitment was laudable, and we have gained much
from the first generation of plans. But while many teachers continue to be absent from
school in term time, no amount of professional development support will help students
learn more effectively. And as long as the province is unable to determine with
reasonable accuracy the number and location of its children, building facilities and
recruiting new teachers will remain an inexact and therefore inefficient process. The
time has come to tackle the underlying issues that stand in the way of sustained
improvements in the services we provide to children.
The Department therefore welcomed this opportunity to examine the fundamental
reasons why we are not currently able to provide a good quality service to all our
children. It is clear that transforming education in the province is a long term
endeavour, and not one the Elementary & Secondary Education Department can
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undertake in isolation from the rest of government. I and my team believe that by
focusing on and pursuing the 10 policies set out in this document, the government will
be able to lay the groundwork required to build the culture of continuous improvement
in our schools required to achieve international goals by 2030. We look forward to
working with our partners with a renewed sense of realism and purpose over the next
five years, and the decade to follow.
Afzal Latif
Secretary, Elementary & Secondary Education Department, Government of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
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Summary
ESP 2015 is a strategic document with five main purposes:
1. To assess the status of development in the schools sector in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa at present, identify barriers to reform, and use these to identify
the Elementary & Secondary Education Department’s specific priority policies
for the next five years.
2. To provide department officials with a roadmap for their work over the next
five years, enabling them to develop detailed, costed work plans on an annual
basis and focus their efforts on delivering the results outlined.
3. To provide development partners with an overview of the Department’s
programme for transforming education services, both for the next five years and
into the longer term, to facilitate their own decision making about the nature and
scope of future support for the sector.
4. To provide the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a clear indication
of how work in education fits into the broader reform agenda for the province,
and the resources and support that will be required to deliver on the vision set
out.
5. To safeguard continuity of purpose to 2019/20 and beyond by setting out a
clear and feasible vision and strategy that prioritises efforts to produce a logical
order for reform that will enable continuous and improvement over the long term.
Underpinning the document is the explicit acknowledgement that providing all children
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with access to high quality education, including girls, those
living in remote and marginalised communities, and children with special needs,
involves a sustained and long term commitment to reform. ESP 2015 is therefore set in
the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and seeks to create the underlying
conditions required to achieve international education goals in the province by 2030. At
the same time, it harnesses unprecedented levels of political will to ensure delivery of
high quality services to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the recent emergence
of a new focus on interdepartmental working.
ESP 2015 builds on the experience of previous sector plans in two ways. First, it does
so by adopting much of the excellent work that has already been done, such as
extensive situational analysis and the development of a working statistical model for
inputs. Second, it analyses the difficulties experienced over the past decade in delivering
substantive improvements in the sector, and uses lessons from previous experience to
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produce a five year plan that will build solid foundations for full transformation of service
delivery by 2030.
This process identifies five interdependent barriers to reform, all of which have
contributed to retarding substantive progress over the last decade of work. Together
they suggest a short term focus on institution building and strengthening of capacity
across the Department will be critical to achieving long term success. The barriers are:
1. Weaknesses in data and information management
2. Weaknesses in budgeting and financial management
3. Limited capacity to deliver across the Department
4. Politicisation of employees
5. The geography and social fabric of the province
At the same time, ESP 2015 identifies four factors that must function properly for
children to be able to enrol in school, attend regularly, and learn well; the definition of
effective service delivery in education; and the core purpose of the Elementary &
Secondary Education Department. These factors and their relationships with one
another are summarised as follows:
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The student needs...
ESP 2015 Focus 1 More effective
teachers deliver...
a good teacher tolearn and stay interested
better learningoutcomes for students
ESP 2015 Focus 2 Better schools and facilities
deliver...
a safe and welcomingenvironment to learn in
ESP 2015 Focus 3 Every child’s right
to education delivers...
the chance to goto school and learn
free access to schoolwith extra help for poor families
enough facilities forall children in the province
a safe, functional workingenvironment for teachers
places that supportstudent learning
ESP 2015 Focus 4 Good governance and management
deliver...
a system that functionsfairly and effectively
clear roles and rules for teachersas well as high quality CPD
finance for pro poor initiativesand help for those that need it most
finance for school facilitiesand well managed maintenance
better curriculum, testingand management of schools
Figure 1
The document uses this structure, and its analysis of the five barriers to reform, to
develop 10 detailed policies that together make up the province’s focus on education
for fiscal years 2015/16 to 2019/20. Each policy includes a summary of achievements
that the Department will deliver by the end of the ESP 2015 period, further broken down
by annual milestones set out in a draft Joint Review Framework for agreement with
development partners.
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Group Policy Achievements by 2019/20
More
effective
teachers
Redevelop
approach to
training and
selecting new
teachers
Redevelop Grade 16 training and roll out to all
trainee primary teachers Provincial dialogue with HEC on quality of post primary training
Identify and publicise list of preferred teacher education qualifications
Roll out teacher rationalisation policy across the province Design and launch teacher scholarship
programme
Develop a
consolidated,
needs based,
high quality
approach to CPD
Create one managing institution for CPD in the
province Integrate approaches and projects connected with CPD
Publish and achieve targets included in annual CPD calendars
Design and implement or manage approach to head teacher development Monitor and support teachers to improve
performance and access appropriate CPD
Redevelop
teaching cadre
employment
rules
Develop a clear Departmental proposal on
changes to T&Cs Agree proposal at provincial government level
Agree proposal with teaching unions and other
stakeholders
Better
schools and
facilities
Establish a
sustainable
approach to
provision of
facilities
Repair and re-open all non-functioning schools Repair or construct boundary walls in
functioning schools Repair or install water supply in functioning schools
Repair or install lavatories in functioning schools
Repair or install electricity supply in functioning schools Construct additional classrooms in all primary
schools where N=<6 Complete transfer of construction portfolio to
C&W department
Every child’s
right to
education
Launch new
benefits aimed at
children most at
risk of
educational
deprivation
Develop new approach on cash transfers Conclusion of existing cash transfer projects
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Scale up
partnerships with
the private
sector
Implement scaled up plan for voucher programme Increase coverage of urban areas
Increase number of vouchers offered Assess learning outcomes annually
Review programme and re-plan for Years 4
and 5
Launch a draw
down fund for
use in
emergency
situations
Create emergency management fund
Create emergency management plans Commission independent reviews in wake of
emergencies
Good
governance
and
management
Testing and
updating of
population data
Discussions at provincial level to broaden approach across sectors
Commission sample based household survey Results used to re-plan for next three years
Development of
district officials’
management
skills
Agree level of support with funders and service
providers Assemble well qualified team to work at district level
Continuous improvement on Annual School Census returns
Continuous improvement on District Budgets Continuous improvement on use of IMU data
Peg education
budget to
inflation
Conduct comparative study on trends in salary and non-salary components Conduct study on impact of non-salary
components on teachers Develop purchasing power scenarios for
discussion on budget Agree inflation rate and policy on pegging
budget with Finance
Preparation
for ESP 2020
Prepare for cross
departmental
work on ESP
2020
Open dialogue with relevant departments on an holistic sector plan
Create a cross departmental working group to produce ESP 2020 Include policies on adult, special and higher
education, and TVET in ESP 2020
Prepare for a
quality focused
ESP 2020
Complete review of DCTE/PITE/RITEs Create Provincial Commission, including appropriate representation from partners and
teacher groups Use Commission to develop specific quality
focused policies for inclusion in ESP 2020
Table 1
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The Department understands that many of these policies will be difficult to realise, and
the support and advice of partner governments, as well as their financial investment in
education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, will be critical over the coming five years. Yet the
Elementary & Secondary Education Department believes it is only by prioritising policies
that will help build stronger institutions, build capacity at all levels, and align the
incentives of employees with those of the children they serve, that it will be able to
transform service delivery in this vital sector in the long run.
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Process Note
1. Planning Principles
The Elementary & Secondary Education Department (ESED) published its first Education
Sector Plan (ESP) in 2008. A further plan was developed in 2010, with revisions made
in 2012. The Department is greatly indebted to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and its funders for the considerable technical
support it received in both cases.
These first generation plans were particularly strong on two of the five essential
characteristics of a credible Sector Plan included in the guidelines published by the
Global Partnership for Education and UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational
Planning in 2012. Both the 2008 and 2010 documents were holistic in their definition
and treatment of the education sector, covering both formal and non-formal education,
the school system, technical and vocational, special and higher education. In addition,
both documents emphasised sensitivity to the context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
included detailed expositions of the specific issues faced by the province.
In practice, it has proved difficult for the Department to implement either plan
effectively. One reason for this is that the province has suffered disproportionately from
both natural and manmade emergencies over the last decade. But at the same time, it
has been important to look for specific lessons from previous plans when creating ESP
2015.
First, while international guidelines highlight the desirability of creating a holistic plan,
the ESED has no mandate in any of TVET, special or higher education, the responsibility
of the Industries, Social Welfare and Higher Education departments of the provincial
government respectively. As long as responsibility for the development of Education
Sector Plans resides solely with the ESED, it is not feasible that plans covering parts of
the sector outside its control could be delivered.
Second, while first generation plans contain extensive description of the social,
geographical, and economic context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are relatively few
analytical links made between this and the range of activities set out in the main body
of the documents. This has led to some separation of provincial context from the
roadmap for delivery and projections, and a resulting lack of realism what has been
proposed.
For both these reasons, ESP 2015 has chosen to focus more closely on the other three
recommendations made in the international guidelines. The starting point for the
process was that it was critical to focus on developing a plan that it would be feasible
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for government to deliver in a five year period. The Post-2015 Development Agenda
provides the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the 15 year time horizon it
realistically requires to transform schools in the province.
ESP 2015 has therefore been developed as the first in a series of three sequential
documents that will guide the work of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in
education to 2030. Ensuring ESP 2015 is feasible and realistic, while still delivering
fundamental change has required the Department to be highly strategic, and therefore
selective, in what it focuses on delivering in the coming five years. During the planning
process, officials therefore identified a total of 10 core policies that together form the
basis of ESP 2015 and the Joint Review Framework that accompanies it.
This selective approach has been influenced by a guiding vision for ESP 2015, rooted
in the situational analysis conducted for previous plans. The Department has used this,
and a more recent diagnosis of the underlying issues that have retarded reform of the
schools sector to date, to create a vision that dedicates the next five years to creating
the conditions required for a well-managed school system where teachers are proud to
serve, and parents are confident in sending their children to learn.
2. Planning Process
ESP 2015 was developed over a period of nine months between May 2014 and January
2015. This is a faster process than has been the case in the past, reflecting the excellent
work that has already been done by officials and partners in describing the operating
environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of earlier planning exercises.
The primary emphasis for developing ESP 2015 has been on using technical assistance
capacity to work with the Department to build a vision and strategy that originates from
officials and is therefore owned by them. In many cases this has involved discussions
on sensitive topics, and has required high levels of trust and openness. Thanks are
therefore due to a group of individuals drawn from across the ESED, including officials
from Planning, the ESRU, EMIS, Budget, DCTE, and the Directorate for their sustained
commitment in this area. It is important to acknowledge in particular the considerable
contributions of Mr Noor Alam, Mr Hashmat Ali and Mr Abid Ullah Khakhahel, and Mr
Salahuddin.
Given short time frames, the strategic emphasis on tackling underlying barriers to
reform over the next five years, and the existence of a range of mechanisms for dialogue
with partners, the Department elected not to establish further formal working groups
as part of the planning process. Yet structured consultation with a wide range of
stakeholders has been an important feature in the development of ESP 2015.
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International partners, including existing donors and providers of technical assistance,
have been consulted in four ways. First, the work of existing Task Forces on the role of
Parent Teacher Councils and Continuing Professional Development has been
incorporated into the plan wherever possible. Second, the Department has made use of
the provincial government’s Strategic Development Partners Framework as a forum for
wide ranging discussion of draft policies and priorities.
Third, international partners were invited to comment formally as a group on an early
document, produced in August 2014 that contained the strategic nucleus of ESP 2015.
Subsequently, there was an additional opportunity for those partners providing sector
budget support to the Department to comment on the zero draft of the plan in November
2014, followed by consultative meetings held in December 2014 and January 2015.
Fourth, a range of partners approached the Department and the technical assistance
team working with it on ESP 2015 with specific ideas, priorities and requests, all of
which have been given due consideration. Where these are not included as part of the
Department’s immediate priorities for the next five years, partners can expect to see a
renewed emphasis in ESP 2020.
The ESED has also consulted carefully with other parts of the Government of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa throughout the process. The Strategic Development Partners Framework
has been an important vehicle for this, as have formal briefings with key departments
on the first draft, and subsequent revisions on the basis of feedback. Many of the 10
core policies for ESP 2015 rely on improved cooperation between parts of government
in the future, and the Department sees this as a major priority going forward.
Finally, the planning process for ESP 2015 has also included representatives of all 25
districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In August 2014, the Department used an early draft
of the 10 core policies to shape a series of seven consultation events held in a range of
locations across the province. Participants in these events included district managers in
the schools sector, as well as local NGOs, and ordinary citizens, represented by
members of PTCs. Views and suggestions from these sessions have, as in the case of
partner and government feedback, been incorporated in the plan wherever possible.
The ESED would like to thank all those individuals and organisations who have taken
the time and trouble to support its planning process.
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Situational Analysis: Barriers to Reform
1. Evidence from 2004 to 2014
Over the past decade, significant technical and financial resources have been invested
with the aim of transforming the availability and quality of public primary and secondary
education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. By 2014, both the UK and Australian governments
were providing substantial financial aid earmarked for the schools sector in addition to
technical assistance while the European Union was in the process of agreeing a similar
approach. Meanwhile, many other funders and implementing agencies were delivering
project based work, from professional development for teachers, to support for Parent
Teacher Councils and construction and repair of school buildings.
This sustained determination on the part of partners to help the government reform
public education in the province is extremely welcome. Yet the multiplicity of current
projects, assistance and advice is symptomatic of the fact the Department has
historically been unable to articulate a vision for reforming the schools sector, and
communicate and deliver on a strong and realistic strategy for change. The purpose of
ESP 2015 is to provide this clarity for partners as well as for the provincial government,
making direct links between what the Department chooses to prioritise in the short
term, and significantly better service delivery for children and their families in the
future.
At the turn of the century, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) focused the
world’s attention on ensuring every child gained access to basic education. Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, along with other provinces in Pakistan, has struggled to deliver this, as
Table 2, adapted from UNDP data for 2004/05 and 2010/11 for selected districts shows.
Area1 Net percentage point change in
NER between 2004/5 and
2010/11
District rank
for 2010/11
data Top Five NER in 2004/05 (Highest to Lowest)
01. Abbottabad -11.7 5th
02. Mansehra
Haripur
Karak
Chitral
-5.3 4th
03. Haripur 9.4 1st
04. Karak -5.1 7th
05. Chitral 2.0 6th
Bottom Five NER in 2004/05 (Lowest to Highest)
24. Kohistan 0.6 24th
1 NB: Tor Ghar, created in 2011, is not included in this data set.
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23. Shangla 5.2 23rd
22. Upper Dir 21.4 11th
21. Tank 3.2 21st
20. DI Khan -6.8 22nd
Table 2
While more positive on enrolment than the earlier UNDP data,2 Alif Ailaan found in 2014
that 28.2 percent of children in the province were still out of school five years after the
18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan codified and enshrined their right to a
free, quality education between the ages for 5 and 16. These recent estimates range
from 12.7 percent in the best performing district to fully 65.1 percent in that with the
lowest enrolment rate.
Achieving the MDGs as they relate to education by 2015 was the stated purpose of
earlier Education Sector Plans prepared by the ESED. It is apparent with hindsight this
was not a realistic aspiration given the scale of the challenge facing the province. A
comparison of projections for enrolment at Grade 1 included in the 2010 plan, and EMIS
data showing actual progress indicates an overambitious goal was compounded by some
weaknesses in planning. Figure 2 suggests the plan overestimated enrolment rates at
the start of the period, and proceeded to project improvements at a faster rate than it
proved to be possible for the province to achieve.
The divergence between previous plans and delivery can be partially explained by poor
and contested data, particularly in the area of population estimates. Yet the growth rate
for enrolment projected in the plan was not strikingly ambitious. It is notable that
enrolment in Grade 1 grew by less than 100,000 children in four academic years in a
context where rates are low, and all analysts believe the dependent population is
continuing to increase quickly. These factors together suggest there are some very
fundamental reasons why hundreds of thousands of children are not attending school.
2 UNDP and Alif Ailaan have used different population projections as the basis for their calculations. It is therefore not feasible to draw a direct comparison between enrolment rates between 2010 and 2014 on this basis. The issue of determining the number of children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as accurately as possible is the subject of one of the 10 core policies that shape ESP 2015.
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Figure 2
Much work has been done to try and understand this issue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in
common with the rest of Pakistan. It is certainly the case that the geography of the
province is a factor, with many families living in remote villages and disruption caused
by natural emergencies including floods and earthquakes. It is also the case that
militancy and conflict have played a significant role in slowing progress.
While the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cannot control these factors, it must
plan as effectively as possible to manage and mitigate the risks to education from
natural and manmade emergencies. For this reason, ESP 2015 includes specific policies
that will improve the Department’s ability to provide emergency provision, and to assess
the school age population in every district in the province more accurately for future
planning.
It has also been suggested that many children in the province, girls in particular, do not
attend school because their families do not wish them to. This is a complex issue that
cannot be reduced to broad assumptions about culture. Parents typically provide
multiple reasons to researchers when asked why their children are out of school, many
of which imply they do not believe the environment of their local school to be an
appropriate or productive environment. It appears the risks of sending a child to sit in
a building that may be in a poor state of repair often outweigh perceptions about the
value and quality of what a student is likely to learn.
Improving the quality of teaching and the learning environment we provide is fully
within the control of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However the experience
of the past decade demonstrates that this is not simply a question of providing more
450,000
500,000
550,000
600,000
650,000
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
Grade 1 Forecast Grade 1 Actual
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inputs in the form of new buildings, professional development for teachers and head
teachers, better textbooks, or training for PTCs. Considerable resources have been
invested in all these areas over the last 10 years, and yet service provision has not
improved significantly enough to attract many more children to government schools.
2. Five Fundamental Roadblocks
The Department took the analysis above as its starting point for developing ESP 2015,
along with a commitment to produce a realistic plan that could be achieved in a five
year period. Through a process of discussion and further analysis, officials identified five
fundamental roadblocks, many of which are related to one another, to achieving
significant improvements in the services provided to children through the school
system.
These roadblocks have formed the basis of the Department’s thinking when creating
the vision and strategy for ESP 2015. The 10 policies that shape this document are
designed collectively to overcome or mitigate each of the five fundamental issues
described below, with the aim of building firm foundations for continuous and
accelerating improvements in the delivery of high quality education to the children of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the future.
(1) Data & Information Management
Weak data and information management has a highly negative impact on the quality of
planning and resource management in the public sector. This is a critical issue for the
ESED for two reasons. First, the Department is responsible for over half the workforce
employed by the provincial government, as well as more than 23,000 buildings. Second,
it has a constitutional duty to ensure all children aged between 5 and 16 in the province
have access to free, high quality education. Without accurate and detailed information
on both the population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the status of current human
resources and buildings, it is difficult for the Department to make optimal decisions
about investment and priorities for the school system in the province.
Given the severity of the issues outlined below and their impact on the Department’s
ability to project with accuracy the requirements of the system, ESP 2015 does not
include an updated statistical model. The section that deals with this issue (see page
65) instead outlines some of the issues produced by the data available at present, and
advances a methodology for developing a new model once improved population
estimates are available. This will require the Department to work with a qualified
education economist during fiscal year 2015/16 (Year 1 of the ESP 2015 period) to
develop fresh projections. In the meantime, the Department will use the model currently
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in existence, which was the subject of substantive revision in 2014 with the aim of
forecasting likely financial requirements for the three fiscal years 2014/15 to 2016/17.
(1.1) Education Data
ESED uses two main sources of data to plan and prioritise investment and work. The
first is the Education Management Information System (EMIS), which provides detail
about the basic fabric of the school system, including buildings, their contents and state
of repair, teachers, and enrolment of students. Much work has been done with technical
assistance from GIZ to improve the quality of EMIS in recent years. Government schools
across the province have been mapped using GIS and in 2014, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
became the first province in Pakistan to publish EMIS data online, transforming its
availability and therefore utility.
EMIS has three main limitations. First, data are typically only published between 6 and
7 months after the Annual School Census is conducted, given the processing
requirements. This means the latest available data at present are for the fiscal year
2013/14, fully two years prior to the first year covered by the plan. Third, officials in
the Department have concerns about the quality of data provided at the district level
through the Annual School Census in some cases. Both these factors are likely to have
an impact on the accuracy of starting assumptions about the status of the schools
system. Third, while EMIS includes detail about the inputs made by government into
the system, such as buildings and teachers, as well as enrolment of students, it does
not cover other critical issues, such as teacher and student presence, or the quality of
teaching and learning.
The Department has recently taken steps to strengthen data on the school system,
establishing an Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) in 2014. This body, funded by, but
independent of government, uses a group of monitors to visit all government schools
monthly, checking the status of inputs ranging from buildings and teachers to
distribution of textbooks and stipends where these apply, and also issues such as
teacher and student presence. In addition, monitors look at a sample of children’s work
to make basic assessments of the quality of teaching and learning. The introduction of
the IMU means district officials and the Department now have richer and more regular
data to work with.
(1.2) Population Data
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The second major data source used by the Department is based on population
projections from the 1998 Census, provided by the provincial Bureau of Statistics. This
is a more contested and problematic area than information on the schools system. There
are three major issues. The first is that the Census was last conducted almost 17 years
ago. As a result all projections are likely to be significantly inaccurate for current and
future years, given events over the last two decades in Pakistan, ranging from conflict
and natural disasters to national and international migration, including increasing
movement of people towards urban centres. Commissioning a new census is not within
the Department or the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s control, but it will be
important to take as many steps as possible to mitigate this problem while continuing
to press at federal level for action.
Second, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the ESED, uses provincial
projections in all sectors rather than those produced by the National Institute of
Population Studies because it believes the latter significantly underestimate population
growth rates for the province. This makes it difficult to compare data produced by the
provincial government with other sources and studies which work from a more
conservative estimate of population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Third, the Department believes there are issues with the population estimates provided,
linked to the conduct of the 1998 Census and the subsequent treatment of data. These
are covered in detail in the section on modelling on page 65. They include the fact that
Census data for some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where families typically migrate
annually to avoid harsh winter weather, record very low population levels for 1998
suggesting that at district level, base year data may be inaccurate. In addition, the
Bureau of Statistics has assumed that growth rates in all districts, constructed by
comparing population growth between 1998 and the previous Census, remain constant
indefinitely. Population projections therefore do not model for migration, including
significant inward flows of people from Afghanistan and FATA over the past decades.
Nor do they consider infant mortality, rural to urban migration, or the possibility that in
some districts average family sizes may already be shrinking.
(2) Budgeting & Financial Management
(2.1) Budgeting
This issue is closely influenced by and linked to poor data and information management.
The ESED uses the Output Based Budgeting approach developed by Finance Department
to produce its annual request for funds from the provincial government. The first step
in this process is for district managers to assess and plan for the investment that will
be required to run all government schools under their care. This in turn enables the
Department, in theory, to produce a consolidated request.
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In practice, many District Education Officers and their teams lack both the necessary
information and management skills to develop high quality budgets on the basis
required by the Elementary & Secondary Education and Finance Departments. It is
difficult to assess real district requirements when the number of children theoretically
eligible for education services is uncertain and EMIS provides data retrospectively on
an annual basis. The introduction of IMU data is beginning to tackle the latter issue, but
capacity to make use of this information is also often weak. Most district administrators
in education are former teachers, rather than professional managers, with the result
that planning and budgeting are seldom core skills.
Weaknesses in budgeting at district level have an inevitable effect on the Department’s
ability to create a consolidated budget that accurately reflects the needs of the schools
sector. That said much work has been done in this area to strengthen budgeting
throughout 2013 and 2014, with technical assistance provided by Adam Smith
International, funded by the UK Department for International Development. In
particular, the Department was able to secure ground breaking and much needed
increases in allocations to the non-salary elements of the 2014/15 budget. This work
will continue throughout the period covered by ESP 2015, with increasing emphasis on
building budgeting and other forms of management capacity at district and tehsil levels,
combined with continuous improvement in the quality of data placed at the disposal of
officials.
(2.2) Execution & Financial Control
Strengthening the release, expenditure, and control of financial resources has also been
a focus for reform, particularly during fiscal year 2014/15. Timely releases of budgeted
funds depend not only on strengthening planning and management within the
Department but also on the Finance and Planning & Development Departments’
willingness and ability to make resources available. This in turn depends in part on the
ESED’s ability to satisfy its colleagues in government that the resources released are
being spent and accounted for effectively.
At present, the Department is conducting high level reviews of releases and expenditure
on a twice monthly basis, having made this issue a top priority. The process is useful
not only to ensure that budget execution is on track, but also to develop officials’
understanding of the work that needs to be done to strengthen financial management
and accountability skills at district and tehsil levels. Work in this area will continue
throughout the period covered by ESP 2015, again with increasing emphasis on building
management capacity among administrators working at sub-provincial levels.
(3) Capacity to Deliver
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The quality of both information and financial management throughout the Department
is currently affected by the weak capacity of managers to deliver as discussed above.
In addition, the evidence is that at present many teachers who make up the majority
of ESED’s large workforce also struggle to help students learn effectively in government
schools. Creating and prioritising fresh approaches to managing and developing the
workforce in all areas of the Department is therefore an important policy priority for
ESP 2015.
(3.1) Administration & Management
The ESED employs many administrators who come from the teaching cadre. This is not
an uncommon approach globally speaking, and running a school system using people
with direct experience of working in the classroom can be extremely effective. However,
many administrators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with teaching backgrounds currently lack
the management skills required to manage often sizeable numbers of schools
effectively. As responsibility, including for financial management, becomes increasingly
devolved in the province, strengthening capacity at district level and below will become
ever more pressing.
This is particularly evident in the area of budgeting and planning, but also important in
improving the day to day management of schools and teachers and in providing
information to the Department, including through the Annual School Census. In addition
district managers have oversight responsibility for ensuring that children in their area
enrol in school, attend regularly and learn effectively. The Department has taken steps
by creating the IMU to provide managers with regular, independently sourced data on
issues such as teacher and student attendance, and basic information on the quality of
learning taking place. It is now important that district officials also develop the skills
needed to interrogate and make effective use of these data.
Some work has already begun in this area during 2014, with the development of job
descriptions for district managers. In addition, technical assistance is increasingly
focused on helping administrators at district level manage data and information for
budgeting and other types of decision making.
(3.2) Teaching
Improved administration of the department and its resources is an important priority
area for ESP 2015. But transforming the quality of teaching, and therefore learning, is
at the heart of what the ESED must deliver to ensure it can offer all children in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa good basic and secondary education free of charge, and meet the Post-
2015 Development Agenda as it relates to education by 2030.
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Teaching, and the underlying reasons why many teachers in government schools are
currently unable to ensure their students learn effectively, has been the subject of much
discussion in recent years throughout Pakistan. This complex area is linked to the way
in which teachers are employed, and the use government makes of them in areas
unconnected to working with students, as well as to the quality of teacher training and
subsequent opportunities for professional development.
Creating a new deal for teachers, including incentives for better performance as well as
addressing some of the structural barriers to improving presence and performance in
the classroom, is therefore an important priority for ESP 2015. Several of the 10 policies
that shape this document are designed to tackle aspects of this issue, with the aim of
restoring the reputation and respect once given to teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
and improving service delivery for children.
(3.2.1) Employment Conditions
Students cannot learn if there is no teacher present in the classroom. IMU data indicate
teacher absenteeism is a significant problem, particularly in some districts and tehsils.
This in turn appears to be one of the main reasons why parents do not send their
children to school, or choose to pay for private education if they can afford it. According
to the data, most absent teachers are not in school either because they are taking
sanctioned leave, or because they are fulfilling other duties required of them by the
government, rather than as a result of unauthorised absence. Yet the core purpose of
the school system is to provide education services to children. It is important that
teachers should be present every day when schools are in session.
Inevitably it is more difficult to find teachers willing to serve in remote or conflict prone
communities than in other parts of the province, particularly given the centralised
nature of the way in which posting and transfers is structured and the fact that there
are fewer qualified teachers from remote districts to choose from. If the Department is
to be able to offer a quality education to all children in the province, it will be vital to
find ways of persuading teachers to serve in all parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the
past, the approach has been to provide financial incentives, transport, and
accommodation in some cases. While this has met with some success, it is now
important also to consider this problem when reviewing terms and conditions for
teachers.
Work has already begun in this area during 2014 with the development of job
descriptions for teachers, as well as implementation of the teacher rationalisation policy
in selected districts and the introduction of school based recruitment. A more
fundamental realignment of teacher terms and conditions is also an area of focus for
ESP 2015.
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In addition to the technical aspects of teacher employment rules, the Department needs
to consider the quality of the working environment it provides to its employees. Many
schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain in a poor state of repair, in spite of considerable
investment in this area, on the part of government and its partners. Continuing to work
on the improvement of school buildings is therefore also a focus for the coming five
years. This will include rationalisation of current approaches, with the aim of restoring
responsibility for these civil works to the Communications & Works Department, freeing
the ESED up to focus on the core business of educating children.
(3.2.2) Continuing Professional Development
Students will not learn effectively if teachers are not well equipped to teach them.
Continuing professional development for serving teachers is an area where international
partners in particular have invested heavily over the past decade, with thousands of
teachers taking part in training courses funded and delivered by organisations with the
consent of the Department. This is problematic for three reasons. First, the experience
of the past decade has shown that increasing inputs, such as CPD opportunities, is not
sufficient to deliver better teaching on its own. It is important also that structural issues
such as absenteeism are tackled, and that work is done to improve the quality of pre-
service training.
Second, CPD opportunities provided by partners while extremely welcome have been
piecemeal in their content and approach, as well as in their geographical coverage.
Security concerns and limitations to partners’ ability to operate in some districts has
understandably driven the latter, but has resulted in many more opportunities being
made available to teachers in Mardan and parts of Hazara and Malakand Divisions than
elsewhere in the province. It will be important in the future that teachers from every
district, however remote or insecure, have access to needs based training and other
forms of support.
Meanwhile, CPD content tends at present to reflect the priorities of partner organisations
as they relate to pedagogy, rather than views held by the provincial government. It is
crucial that the Department and the specialists it employs in this area take control of
the CPD agenda, and approach partners for help in delivering opportunities for teachers,
rather than simply trying to balance a multiplicity of suggestions and proposals. Work
has already begun in this area with the development of a training calendar and CPD
framework. Further, for the first time there is provision in the 2014/15 budget for
government funded professional development opportunities. In the future, therefore,
partners can expect the Department to approach them to discuss funding and logistics
for the scale up of selected training interventions.
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Third, it is important that CPD is not simply equated with the provision of training
courses for teachers, but also includes mentoring and regular discussion of ways to
improve teaching approaches, ideally at school level using head teachers as a focal
point. This is an area where relatively little work has been done to date, but is a priority
for detailed policy formulation during the ESP 2015 period, specifically in the area of
developing head teachers and their role in creating a challenging, but supportive and
encouraging teaching and learning environment in government schools.
(3.2.3) Teacher Training
The framework for delivering pre-service teacher training is complex, and not wholly
under the control of the ESED. While the province has a network of 20 centres for
teacher education, the majority of new teachers qualify through university and other
further education courses, the quality of which is controlled by the Department of Higher
Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as equivalent departments in other
provinces, where qualifications are gained outside the province.
The Department has taken steps already to ensure the merit based recruitment of new
teachers, using a combination of a written test administered by the NTS and evidence
of relevant academic qualifications to select candidates. The perceived need to eliminate
any element of discretion from this process means there is no interview, and no
assessment of prospective teachers’ readiness to work with students effectively in the
classroom. At the same time, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that, at present,
many trainee teachers tend to have been lower achieving students in school themselves,
a marker of how far the respect attached to the profession has been eroded.
There is a limit to the Department’s ability to influence the quality of externally provided
teacher training programmes, although it will work with the provincial Department of
Higher Education during the ESP 2015 period to seek improvements in the quality of
instruction, and particularly in ensuring new teachers are prepared adequately to ensure
students learn more effectively. ESP 2015 also includes some specific actions designed
to encourage higher quality candidates, particularly from remote districts, and to
introduce assessment at recruitment stage of new teachers’ aptitude for working with
students in practice.
(4) Politicisation of Employees
The politicisation of the Department’s workforce, and teachers in particular, has been
the subject of much debate. This is a pervasive and complex phenomenon which has
profound effects on employees’ willingness and capacity to prioritise the core business
of delivering high quality education to all children in the province over other demands
on their time.
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The Department is responsible for more than half the provincial government’s
workforce. Table 3 summarises the share of the departmental budget allotted to salaries
and pensions. While it is important that the Department continues to press for higher
allocations under non-salary heads to enable it to invest in school buildings, teacher
development, and improved materials for students, it is inevitable and right that salaries
should continue to make up the majority of the provincial education budget. Teachers
are the single most important resource the Department can provide to ensure children
learn in school. What is vital is that this substantial investment in human resource
should be effectively managed and supported to teach well and deliver high quality
education across the province.
Item 2013/14
allocation3
Proportion
of 2013/14
spend
2014/15
allocation
Proportion
of 2014/15
spend Salaries and
benefits
61,191 78.70% 65,771 68.39%
Operating expenses 3,216 4.14% 7,452 7.75%
Transfers 4,055 5.22% 6,691 6.96%
Physical assets 9,256 11.91% 15,529 16.15%
Civil works 30 0.04% 727 0.76%
Table 3
The Department has already done much to attempt to mitigate the problem of
politicisation, including introducing merit based recruitment for all new teachers, and
the piloting in 2014 of an approach that identifies the need for new staff at school rather
than whole system level. In addition, the ESED is piloting rationalisation of existing
posts, with the purpose of ensuring each school has the right number of teaching staff
for its student population. There are also strong service rules in place, for example
giving head teachers and DEOs the authority to withhold wages, or even re-set service
records in cases of persistent absenteeism.
In spite of this work, it is often difficult in practice for the department to manage the
teaching cadre, particularly postings and transfers, effectively, given strong alliances in
many cases between individuals and unions and elected representatives. In tackling this
issue, the Department will look for the support of politicians from every party and their
commitment in practice to upholding the principle that teachers should focus on
delivering high quality education to their students.
(5) Provincial Geography & Social Fabric
The fifth of the fundamental roadblocks facing the Department in its efforts to provide
children in all parts of the province with a high quality education is the most difficult for
3All amounts are shown in PKR million. The 2013/14 allocation was revised during the course of the fiscal year.
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government to manage and control. The province faces multiple barriers to developing
its education sector that are particular to its geography and social fabric.
Many districts are characterised by remote and scattered communities, often cut off for
part of the year by harsh weather. The topography of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can make
it problematic to find land on which to build schools, while it is also difficult to provide
adequately for small isolated communities under the current school model.
In addition, the province has suffered a large number of both natural and conflict
generated disasters in recent years affecting a range of districts and divisions. Where
schools are destroyed through earthquake, flood, or the efforts of militants, it is costly
to repair or replace them, with the result that many are still in a state of partial or total
disrepair several years after disruptive events have taken place. In turn, the cost of
repairing damaged and destroyed school buildings has a negative impact on the
government’s ability to upgrade other facilities, with the result that even undamaged
school buildings are often inadequate for current needs.
Where large numbers of families enter a district and its villages from elsewhere in the
province, or neighbouring parts of Pakistan and other states, it is difficult to provide for
sudden influxes of children into public schools. Since the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb
in June 2014 alone, approximately a million people have left North Waziristan for
districts including Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Peshawar, of whom more than 400,000 are
children.
These are not factors the Department or indeed the provincial government can control,
or even influence in the case of natural disasters. However, it will be important to plan
strategies for mitigating these risks in future, including provision for additional
resources on an emergency basis, as well as steps to ensure that school buildings are
able to withstand events such as earthquake and flooding in the future. The draft Post-
2015 Development Agenda is explicit about equity and provision of education for all
children. This must include those displaced from their homes by natural or manmade
emergencies in the future, as well as those for whom advocacy is more advanced at
present, such as girls and children with disabilities and special educational needs.
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Transforming Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Situational analysis conducted during the preparation of ESP 2015 focused on exploring
the underlying reasons why, in spite of considerable investment over the past decade,
the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has found it difficult to make large scale
progress on delivering good quality education to all children in the province. The process
explored five fundamental roadblocks to reform, and articulated the fact that continuing
to increase inputs alone will not enable the Department to tackle the reasons why so
many parents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prefer to enrol their children in private school, or
keep them out of formal education altogether, than to send them regularly to a
government run institution.
The ESED has varying degrees of control over each of the issues identified during the
process. The fact that there has been little focus on tackling these five roadblocks to
date is testament to the difficulty of finding resolutions to any of them. Yet the
Department believes that delivering high quality services in education to all children in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is heavily dependent on the institutional strengthening and a focus
on solving systemic issues. In addition, taking action in these areas is critical if
investment made in the schools sector by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
its partners is to provide good value for money.
1. The Opportunity
The period covered by ESP 2015 presents a once in a generation opportunity to make
significant progress on the fundamental underlying reforms that will be necessary if the
province is to provide high quality education services to children and their families.
Three factors (one external and two internal) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have come
together to make the possibility of transforming the schools sector feasible in the
medium term.
(1) The Post-2015 Development Agenda
Externally, the critical factor is the launch of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which,
while not yet finalised, is set to have a strong emphasis on high quality education and
ensuring no child is excluded. While first generation Education Sector Plans struggled
with the scale of the task faced by the province to achieve the MDG 3 in a short time
frame, ESP 2015 is being published at the same time as new international development
goals and aspirations are being agreed. This provides the Department with an
opportunity to set the next five years in the context of a 15 year transformation process
for the public school system, with enough time to prioritise underlying barriers to
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change in the coming five years and create a platform for faster and more sustainable
improvements throughout the schools sector.
The Post-2015 Development Agenda will also be important for the Government of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its partners politically. The Government of Pakistan, a
founding member of the G77, is likely to be a signatory, as is the range of international
governments that invest in the province’s education system. By linking ESP 2015
explicitly to Post-2015, the Department is building relevance for its plans to the
international policy context, with the aim of ensuring it can focus on delivery over the
next five years, without the need to undergo a second major planning exercise.
(2) The Strategic Development Partners Framework
The first of the internal factors that have made the development of a new kind of
strategy for the schools sector possible is the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s
decision to form the Strategic Development Partners Framework (SDPF) in 2013. The
SDPF is important because it acknowledges explicitly that departments within the
provincial government cannot operate in isolation from one another and that work is
needed to build a more joined up approach to problem solving in the delivery of public
services.
This presents a major opportunity for the ESED as it does for other parts of government.
The Department relies on a wide range of others to enable it to deliver on its core
purpose of providing good quality education services to children and their families.
These can be categorised into three main groups.
The first is the group of departments with which Elementary & Secondary Education
must work in order to deliver even very basic services. These include Finance and
Planning & Development Departments, to enable the provision of financial and human
resources respectively. Much work has been done in 2013 and 2014 in particular to
improve the ESED’s approach to budgeting, and this will continue throughout the ESP
2015 period. In the case of human resources, the Department has also worked
constructively with Planning & Development to strengthen the relationship between
merit and what is required by the system and the posting and transfer of officers. Again,
this work will continue to be developed over the next five years.
The first group also includes the Communications & Works Department. Here significant
work will be required to ensure departments focus increasingly on their core functions.
Over the past decade, international partners have encouraged the ESED to establish
alternative mechanisms for constructing and repairing buildings and classrooms in
several districts. In part this has been a response to the emergencies that have affected
the province, but it has also been as a direct result of concerns about the value for
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money offered and levels of fiduciary risk presented by civil works carried out by
government. As a result, the ESED is currently in the position of having to oversee
construction work through a multiplicity of projects. Tackling this issue and enabling the
Department to focus on the core business of providing education to children is a major
priority for ESP 2015.
The second group comprises government departments that have responsibility for parts
of the provincial education system. These include the Industries Department for TVET,
the Higher Education Department, and the Department of Social Welfare & Women
Development for special education. First generation Education Sector Plans sought to
be holistic in their treatment of the sector, covering all of these areas in addition to the
schools sector. However, it has not proved possible in practice to deliver on plans in
any of these areas since these were not developed collectively.
Given little history of collaborative working across the broader sector, the pressing
constitutional imperative to deliver on education for children aged between 5 and 16,
and the proposed focus on tackling underlying barriers to change, the ESED has taken
the decision to confine the scope of ESP 2015 to the schools sector. That said, building
interdepartmental relationships, discussing the needs of the broader sector, and
working increasingly closely with the aim of delivering a more holistic approach in ESP
2020 will be a priority for Department officials over the next five years.
The third group comprises organisations that deliver services critical to the ESED’s
ability to plan and manage its core business. In most cases these institutions are also
very important to other service delivery focused departments in the provincial
government. Chief among these is the Provincial Bureau of Statistics, given the critical
role of reasonably robust population data to the Department’s ability to plan effectively.
Another is the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). As with civil works a great
deal of investment has been made by the ESED over the past decade in stimulating
demand for education by providing various forms of cash incentives, particularly to girls.
Much of this activity has been encouraged by international partners seeking to earmark
their investment in education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is unclear that administration
of large scale cash transfers fits well with the core expertise of the Department, while
the effectiveness of these interventions is also unproven. BISP provides education
related cash transfers to children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in addition to those
administered by the provincial government. Review of this area, and the development
of a more streamlined and accountable approach is an important priority for ESP 2015.
In the case of all three groups, the ESED believes that its approach to collaboration with
other parts of government and associated organisations will be best served by working
through the SDPF. The existence of this new forum provides an important opportunity,
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for the first time, to build stronger relationships and understanding of joint goals,
particularly where sister departments, such as Health, share the Department’s
requirements and current constraints to effective planning and delivery of services to
the public.
(3) Manifesto Pledges & Government Priorities
The second of the two internal factors that have presented the ESED with this unique
opportunity to deal with the fundamental roadblocks to significant improvements in the
schools sector is the deep and frequently communicated commitment of the current
administration to tackling what it has termed Pakistan’s Education Emergency. In An
Agenda For Resurgence, its 2013 election manifesto, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the
leading party in the coalition government identified 12 headline goals. Of these, four
are directly applicable to the development of ESP 2015:
“Strengthen state institutions to promote democracy and complete political,
economic and religious freedom for the people;
“Provide an accountable and efficient government that ensures the
protection of life and property of its citizens;
“Launch an Education Revolution to promote universal literacy and raise the
standard of education in our schools, colleges and universities;
“End the VIP culture by setting an example in simple living and an austere
lifestyle.”
Education is one of just two sectors along with Health highlighted in the list of core
manifesto pledges, demonstrating the administration’s deep commitment to improving
delivery of basic services to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At the same time, the
emphasis on accountable and efficient government, stronger institutions and the
elimination of corruption in public life, signals there is a strong appetite in government
to tackle the underlying roadblocks to reform highlighted in the situational analysis for
ESP 2015.
The Department believes this level of political commitment to reform and transformation
of the schools system is crucial if it is to be able to dismantle the fundamental roadblocks
it has identified during the preparation of ESP 2015. The ambition is therefore to use
the next five years to focus on 10 major reforms, many of which will be difficult to
achieve, but all of which, if successful, will have a profound effect on the quality of
education the province is able to provide to its children far into the future.
2. The Vision
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The ESED of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa exists solely to provide the
province’s children with the best possible opportunities to learn in school. This purpose
has been more sharply defined since the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan
was made in 2010, at which point responsibility for delivering basic services such as
healthcare and education was devolved to the provincial governments, and the right of
all children in Pakistan aged between 5 and 16 to access a free, high quality education
was formally adopted in law.
Transforming the quality of education services provided to children in every district in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is therefore the provincial government’s vision both for ESP 2015
and the decade to come. The Department is committed to using the once in a generation
opportunity described above to make this vision a reality, ensuring that by 2030 every
child in the province enrols in school, learns effectively to the best of his or her ability,
and therefore is able to access the lifelong benefits of a good education. Achieving this
transformation will require careful and consistent approaches to improving the physical
and pedagogical environment in which children study and teachers teach, including, and
beginning with, the removal of current barriers to change.
Given the core purpose of the ESED, and the government’s vision for transforming
services for students, it follows that children must be at the heart of the approach to
planning and delivery for the coming five years and beyond. Officials’ thinking in this
area owes a deep debt to a range of sources, including all of its development partners.
There are many different ways to structure approaches to reform in the education
sector, given the complexity and overlapping nature of the issues. Figure 2, informed
by and adapted from GIZ’s Whole School Development Model, summarises the
framework for ESP 2015 that the Department will use over the next five years and
beyond to conceptualise and review its work towards achieving the vision for the schools
sector. This is also the structure the Department will use in future when discussing and
reviewing progress with other parts of government and with its development partners.
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The student needs...
ESP 2015 Focus 1 More effective
teachers deliver...
a good teacher tolearn and stay interested
better learningoutcomes for students
ESP 2015 Focus 2 Better schools and facilities
deliver...
a safe and welcomingenvironment to learn in
ESP 2015 Focus 3 Every child’s right
to education delivers...
the chance to goto school and learn
free access to schoolwith extra help for poor families
enough facilities forall children in the province
a safe, functional workingenvironment for teachers
places that supportstudent learning
ESP 2015 Focus 4 Good governance and management
deliver...
a system that functionsfairly and effectively
clear roles and rules for teachersas well as high quality CPD
finance for pro poor initiativesand help for those that need it most
finance for school facilitiesand well managed maintenance
better curriculum, testingand management of schools
Figure 3
Figure 3 identifies four things every student needs in order to be able to access a good
education from the provincial government. First, it is important to have a teacher who
is present and who teaches well. Every child needs someone who is both well qualified
and talented to help him or her learn effectively. This means not only that teachers
must be well prepared to work with their classes, but also that they must be reliably
present, every day. For students from low income families in particular, where the
decision to send children to school is often a marginal one in economic terms, this will
be especially important in improving completion rates and therefore learning outcomes.
The first policy area for ESP 2015 is therefore to ensure the province’s teachers become
more effective.
Second, it is important that children go to school in a safe and welcoming environment,
and indeed that teachers have a workplace that is fit for purpose. Every child needs to
feel safe in his or her school, which means buildings must be well designed and
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constructed with good facilities. This is especially important for girls, where families are
particularly reluctant to send their daughters to buildings that may lack walls, running
water, and sanitation. It is also critical for children with special needs. This also includes
less tangible issues that overlap with teaching, such as the ethos of the school and the
way in which head teachers in particular manage the institution. The second policy area
for ESP 2015 is therefore to ensure improvement of the province’s schools and facilities.
Third, the provincial government has a moral, as well as a constitutional duty to ensure
that every child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regardless of their personal circumstances,
has the opportunity to go to school and learn. This is a complex area, requiring a more
precise understanding of where provision is currently lacking, and working with the
private sector and other partners to create temporary and alternative solutions where
these are needed. In addition, it is important to consider effective ways of providing
additional help for the poorest families who may find sending their children to school is
a difficult economic decision to make. The third policy area for ESP 2015 is therefore to
ensure that every child in the province has the chance to go to school and learn.
The fourth area is one that children and their families should be able to take for granted
from government, and which, if it is working well, should go unnoticed and unremarked
upon. A school system that functions fairly and effectively relies on good governance
and management of the Department, its human and financial resources, and its working
relationship with the rest of government. This area also includes disaster preparedness,
to ensure that in the event of natural or manmade emergencies children are still able
to go to school and learn. The fourth policy area for ESP 2015, which in turn drives
delivery in all three of the others, is therefore to ensure the school system is
characterised by good governance and management.
The next five years will be crucial if the Department is to lay the groundwork that will
enable the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to deliver increasingly successfully on
this vision by 2030, giving all the province’s children the same educational opportunities
as their peers in other parts of the world. While it may be difficult at times to focus on
the direct links between specific policies identified for the ESP 2015 period and
improvements in service delivery for students, it will always be important to remember
that each one of them has its conceptual roots in a process of child centred analysis of
priorities.
3. The Strategy
Over the past decade and since 2010 in particular, the Department and its partners
have made substantial investments of time, expertise, and money to try and deliver on
the Millennium Development Goal on education. Multiple studies and sources of data
indicate it will not be feasible to reach the target set at the turn of the century in Khyber
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Pakhtunkhwa by the end of 2015. That said, the ESED welcomes the efforts being made
by UNDP to find ways of accelerating progress during the final months of the MDG
period, and has used the discussions that have been held to inform ESP 2015 and the
longer term strategy for the next 15 years to 2030.
Analysis conducted during the preparation of ESP 2015 suggests the following reasons
why faster progress has not been possible in recent years. First, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
has suffered disproportionately from the effects of natural and manmade emergencies.
This is an issue that it is difficult for the provincial government to control and influence,
but it is clear that in the future it will be important for the Department to be better
prepared for the effects of such events on the school system. It is also vital that the
fragility of the security and natural environment does not become an excuse for
inaction.
Second, the province has historically lacked the sustained political will and joined up
working across government that is required to deliver substantive and sustained
improvements in service delivery in education and other sectors. This has been difficult
for the ESED to influence in the past. As discussed above, strong political prioritisation
of education and other basic services, combined with the emergence of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa’s first cross departmental forum presents the Department with a unique
opportunity to enact difficult reforms over the next five years.
Third, efforts to deliver service improvements in the schools sector have in recent years
focused on increasing inputs, partly because the second issue may have influenced
partners to safeguard their investments in education by focusing on areas such as
construction, cash transfers, and training. It is also possibly the case that the increasing
urgency of the Millennium Development Goals’ deadline, and the education goal’s
primary focus on increasing enrolment, has contributed to the Department and its
partners shaping activity in this way.
Given the once in a generation opportunity that brings together political will and
increased collaboration in the provincial government, and assuming that future planning
will include improved preparedness for emergencies, the Department’s strategy for ESP
2015 focuses on the third of these issues. Specifically, officials involved in the
preparation of the plan concentrated on how best to prioritise activity in each of the
four policy areas outlined in the section on page 24 to lay foundations that will ensure
future investment in inputs produces high quality, irreversible results on government
schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The situational analysis conducted by the Department and summarised on pages 13 to
23 found five fundamental barriers to accelerating improvements to the education
services provided to children in the province. Most of these demand action focused on
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strengthening institutions, including finding ways to focus on core business while
trusting others to deliver ancillary services; on strengthening professional skills among
teachers and managers; and on aligning incentives for the workforce with serving the
best interests of students.
In addition, the draft Post-2015 Development Agenda currently includes ten sub goals,
released by the Open Working Group in July 2014. Of these, seven (1, 2, 5-8, and 10)
are wholly or partially within the current mandate of the ESED. In the case of 2, it is
important to note that the constitutional obligation is to provide free quality education
to all children aged between 5 and 16 years of age. That said, the Department is already
committed to providing for children at pre-school age, and has begun some work in this
area. Given the decision to focus on delivering the basics of a well-managed and better
quality school system, officials have chosen to concentrate on sub goals 1, 5 (as it
applies to schools, girls and children living in remote and conflict affected areas), 6 (as
it applies to youth), 8, and 10 for ESP 2015. The draft sub-goals are:
1. Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and
secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
2. Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development,
care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education;
3. Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable quality technical,
vocational and tertiary education, including university;
4. Increase by x% the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills,
including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and
entrepreneurship;
5. Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of
education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with
disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations;
6. Ensure that all youth and at least x% of adults, both men and women, achieve
literacy and numeracy;
7. Ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including among others through education for sustainable
development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality,
promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and
appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable
development;
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8. Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender
sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning
environments for all;
9. Expand by x% globally the number of scholarships for developing countries in
particular LDCs, SIDS and African countries to enrol in higher education, including
vocational training, ICT, technical, engineering and scientific programmes in
developed countries and other developing countries;
10. Increase by x% the supply of qualified teachers, including through international
cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially LDCs and
SIDS.
ESP 2015 includes 10 core policies organised into the four policy areas identified as
essential to delivering better services to children. Table 4 summarises the relationship
between individual policies, policy areas, the barriers to reform addressed in each case,
and contribution towards the draft sub goals included in the current iteration of the
Post-2015 Development Agenda as they relate to education.
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ESP 2015 core policy ESP 2015 policy area
5 barriers to reform
addressed
Post-2015 sub goals
addressed Establish a sustainable
approach to provision of facilities
Better
schools and facilities
3, 5 1, (2), 5, 8, 10
Redevelop approach to training and selecting new teachers
More
effective teachers
3, 4, 5 1, (2), 5, 6, (7), 10
Develop a consolidated,
needs based, high quality approach to CPD
3, 4 1, (2), 5, 6, (7),
10
Redevelop teaching cadre employment rules
3, 4 1, (2), 5, 6, (7), 10
Launch new benefits aimed
at children most at risk of educational deprivation
Every child’s right to education
2, 5 1, 5, 6
Scale up partnerships with the private sector
2, 5 1, 2, 6
Launch a draw down fund
for use in emergency situations
2, 5 1, 5, 8
Testing and updating of population data
Good
governance and
management
1, 2, 5 Underpins focus areas 1-3
Development of district
officials’ management skills
1, 2, 3, 4 Underpins focus
areas 1-3
Peg education budget to inflation
1, 2 Underpins focus areas 1-3
Table 4
At the same time, mindful of the onerous transaction costs currently exacted on both
the Department and its partners outside government, ESP 2015 aims to align donor and
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partner programmes behind the Department’s own strategy for transforming service
delivery in education. By linking its priorities for the next five years and beyond to the
draft Post-2015 Development Agenda, the ESED has sought to align its own strategy,
based on an assessment of the needs of the province, with the international framework
for education for all children. ESP 2015 has also been developed with the priorities of
its current partners in mind, in particular making explicit the links between a short term
focus on institutional strengthening and better learning outcomes for children. All future
proposals to the Department should therefore be developed with the priorities
articulated in ESP 2015 in mind.
ESP 2015 therefore also includes a Joint Review Framework which will be the
centrepiece of its approach to monitoring and evaluation of progress over the next five
years. With yearly milestones structured around the 10 policy priorities for the five year
period of the plan, this Framework will be the document the Department refers to
annually, working with its partners in government and outside, to assess gains made,
identify issues, and correct its course as required. This Framework has been agreed
with all current funding partners as the basis for future assessment for further
investment, and the Department will expect to conduct one joint review annually from
June 2015 onwards.
As an additional check on the quality and relevance of the policy priorities defined for
ESP 2015, the Department has referred extensively to the World Bank’s 2014 paper on
Student Learning in South Asia. This document includes seven areas for governments
in the region to consider when working to improve education outcomes for children. Of
these, ESP 2015 addresses four directly: (i) making learning outcomes the central goal
of education policy; (ii) improving teacher effectiveness and accountability; (iii) using
financing tools to improve quality; and (iv) leveraging the contribution of the private
sector.
Of the other three, the Department has taken the decision to defer one in terms of
substantive development over the next five years: (v) improving quality through
enhanced learning assessment systems. The other two are partly or wholly beyond the
remit of the ESED, and will therefore be the subject of dialogue with other parts of
government, specifically the Departments of Health and Social Welfare: (vi) investing
in early childhood nutrition; and (vii) giving disadvantaged children additional
instructional resources in early grades. However in both cases, ESP 2015 does include
specific policies aimed at ensuring every child can access their right to education.
The ESED believes that by focusing its efforts on the 10 policies outlined above over the
next five years, it will be able to lay sustainable groundwork for the subsequent decade
and beyond. The process of developing ESP 2015 has necessitated making tough
choices. First, the Department has taken the decision to tackle deep rooted systemic
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issues. Second, it has acknowledged explicitly that ESED cannot deliver on adult and
special education, TVET and higher education without working with other departments.
Third, it has decided that major quality focused innovations in the area of learning
assessment, textbooks, and the curriculum must be delivered on the basis of a much
stronger institutional framework in the province if best practice is to flourish. The
experience of the past decade has taught the Department that adopting a purely
technical or input based approach to improving services in education cannot work while
such fundamental barriers to reform still exist.
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Priorities for ESP 2020
The 10 policies that comprise the ESED’s priorities for ESP 2015 together address a
series of fundamental issues in four areas that shape children’s experience of the school
sector and their ability to learn effectively.
The ambition of ESP 2015 is to make full use of the opportunity presented by the Post-
2015 Development Agenda combined with a new focus in the provincial government on
cross departmental working through the SDPF forum, and unprecedented political will
to transform service delivery in education. ESP 2015 therefore focuses on delivering a
relatively small number of critical reform actions with an emphasis on institutional
strengthening and capacity building at all levels in the Department.
This means substantive work on some important areas will be the focus of work for
plans covering 2020/21 to 2024/25, and 2025/26 to 2029/30 respectively. On the basis
of past experience, the Department believes this prioritisation is important if it is to
achieve faster improvement in the sector, while acknowledging this means there will be
much left to accomplish in the decade that follows this plan.
This section therefore outlines the main areas of work that the Department will need to
consider as its priorities for ESP 2020 and beyond, assuming it is able to deliver on the
10 reforms planned for the next five years. It also includes a summary of actions that
will be required during the lifetime of ESP 2015 to prepare the ground for future work.
1 Holistic Sector Planning
As discussed in the Process Note (see page 10), the Department’s mandate in the
education sector is largely confined to schools along with nominal control over adult
education, which currently resides with the Elementary Education Foundation. Given
capacity constraints in that organisation, combined with the demands of Policy 6 on
partnerships with the private sector, and the constitutionally driven need to focus on
providing education for children aged between 5 and 16, the Department has taken the
decision to defer work in this area, along with others over which it does not have a
mandate, to ESP 2020 and beyond.
The Post-2015 Development Agenda identifies the following, in addition to the main
school sector, as priorities for reaching sub goals by 2030: (i) pre-primary education
and preparedness for school; (ii) special education; (iii) TVET; (iv) higher education;
and (v) adult education. It will therefore be important for ESP 2020 and ESP 2025 to
include detailed policy in each of these areas. This in turn means plans will need to be
jointly developed by the ESED, along with the Departments of Higher Education, Social
Welfare & Women Development, and Industries.
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Creating joint policy and holistic sector plans that are both feasible and strategic in their
approach will require the provincial government to develop a strong culture of cross
departmental working. The ESED sees the new SDPF forum, together with strong
political will to transform education service delivery, as an excellent opportunity to begin
building this collaborative approach.
Actions for ESP 2015: Use the SDPF and other forums to open dialogue with other
departments with responsibility for aspects of the education
sector. Work with colleagues to create a holistic, yet strategic
and feasible Education Sector Plan for 2020 that addresses
the full range of education service provision.
2 Learning Assessment, Teaching & Learning Materials, and the
School Curriculum
The ESED has taken the decision to focus on fundamental work for this group of critical
quality related issues during the ESP 2020 period. It will, however, continue to work
with partners to develop possible approaches with a view to scaling these up in the
decade that follows the years covered by ESP 2015.
The reasons for this decision are as follows:
The experience of the past decade is that progress in all these areas has been
difficult to achieve sustainably or at scale given underlying institutional and
capacity related weaknesses. While the Department is acutely aware of their
importance, and grateful to partners for their efforts to build understanding of
international best practice, it is important for the ESED to focus on improving the
education services it offers to children from a realistic assessment of the current
situation. This issue is discussed in detail in the opening sections of ESP 2015.
The Department’s assessment of the current situation and subsequent decision
is that priority must be given to the policies described in detail in this document.
The central aim of ESP 2015 is to develop the institutional and capabilities
required to run an effective school system, upon which future work will be built
more effectively in the coming years. Evidence from elsewhere, including other
provinces in Pakistan, suggests that solid institutions are a pre-requisite to
sustained improvement, particularly in the area of strengthening quality of
learning outcomes.
At the same time it is critical the ESED also addresses the urgent requirement to
repair existing school buildings, making them working and learning environments
fit for teachers and students alike. Without focusing on this issue, it is unlikely
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the province will improve student enrolment and retention, or be able to ensure
all its teachers are in school every day to work with children, regardless of
improvements in other areas.
Learning assessment, teaching and learning materials, and the school curriculum
are closely linked issues, with important interdependencies. The Department
therefore plans to make these three important aspects of teaching and learning
the principal policy focus of ESP 2020, once it has tackled the groundwork that is
required to create conditions where improvements in these areas can flourish,
driving up the quality of teaching, and with it children’s ability to learn effectively
in schools.
Actions for ESP 2015: Use the outcome of the 2015/16 review of DCTE, PITE and
the network of RITEs as the starting point for establishing a
Provincial Commission on Quality Teaching & Learning that
will be responsible for developing detailed policy in the areas
of learning assessment, materials, and the school curriculum
in preparation for ESP 2020. Chaired by the Secretary
Elementary & Secondary Education, this Commission will
include technical advisers drawn from outside the
Department to contribute expertise and experience from
other school systems. It will also include representation from
teacher groups.
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Policy Group 1: More Effective Teachers
1. Redevelop approach to selecting and training new teachers
What will the Department do?
The ESED has identified four major activities that will transform the province’s approach
to selecting and training new teachers to be deployed in government schools.
Over the next five years, the Department will achieve the following:
Maintain and strengthen the existing policy of merit based recruitment for all new
primary level teachers. DCTE4 will review the training it provides for prospective
Grade 16 entrants, using technical assistance. Work in this area will focus on
strengthening classroom preparedness, as well as improved approaches to
pedagogy, using, among other sources, the early childhood education pilot
project delivered by Save the Children, and the pedagogical aspects of GIZ’s
whole school development model. Consideration will also be given to preparing
new entrants to work with children with special needs.
Maintain and strengthen the existing policy of merit based recruitment for all new
post-primary teachers. The Department will work with the Higher Education
Department to agree a province level approach to HEC to discuss the quality of
teacher training courses. It will also identify a range of preferred institutions,
based on an assessment of course content.
Roll out the existing teacher rationalisation policy based on an assessment of
need in each school in the province, and use this to inform the recruitment and
deployment of new teachers. The quality of this work will in turn rely heavily on
improving the collection and management of population and education data (see
Policies 8 and 9 on pages 57 onwards).
Launch a prestigious scholarship programme with limited places and a contractual
commitment to provide services to the Department over a fixed period. Use this
activity to rebuild the reputation and respect accorded to teaching in the public
sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to improve the supply of well qualified
teachers to marginalised communities and schools.
4 DCTE’s role will be reviewed, along with that of PITE and the network of RITEs in 2015/16. This work is described in more detail under Policy 3.
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Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 5 over the next five
years. On posting, priority will be given wherever possible to unfilled positions in girls’
schools and in marginalised tehsils and union councils.
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2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Redevelop
Grade 16
training and roll
out to all trainee
primary
teachers
Development
of new
Grade 16
syllabus.
1st cohort
trained.
2nd cohort
trained, 1st
cohort
deployed.
3rd cohort
trained,
2nd cohort
deployed.
4th cohort
trained, 3rd
cohort
deployed.
Provincial
dialogue with
HEC on quality
of post primary
training
Work with
HE Dept to
agree
approach.
Agree plan
of action
with HEC.
Review progress in conjunction with
HEC and HE Dept annually, feedback
and improve approach further.
Identify and
publicise list of
preferred
teacher
education
qualifications
Assess
major
qualifications
available and
produce list.
Launch list
in
agreement
with HE
Dept and
HEC.
NA Review list
after 2
years and
refresh.
NA
Roll out teacher
rationalisation
policy across the
province5
Complete
rollout in
20% of
districts and
review.
+8 districts
to 52%.
NA6 +7
districts to
80%.
+5
districts to
100%.
Design and
launch teacher
scholarship
programme
Design
programme,
earmark
funds.
Launch in
partnership
with HE
Dept and
HEC.
1st cohort
of awards
made.
2nd cohort
of awards
made, 1st
cohort
deployed.
3rd cohort
of awards
made, 2nd
cohort
deployed.
Table 5
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 6 summarises the specific ways in which the four activities included in this policy
will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. At the end of the period, the ESED will have achieved
a significant shift in the quality of teaching available in government schools, and by
extension, opportunities for students to learn effectively. In ESP 2020, the Department
5 At present, the policy has been rolled out to selected areas of five districts. 6 The scheduled General Election in 2018 means it will be unfeasible to complete rollout in fiscal year 2018/19
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will build on this progress with a major programme aimed at strengthening the syllabus,
textbooks and teaching materials (see page 35) available to educators.
For…
Learners More opportunities to go to
school, especially for girls and
those living in remote and
marginalised communities.
The opportunity to learn more
effectively, given rationalised
deployment of teachers, and
improvements in pre-service
training.
Teachers Opportunities to prepare more
effectively to teach children,
building capacity to manage
classes and help children
succeed.
Increased respect for the
profession in the province,
building confidence and
interest in educating students.
PTC/Community More opportunities for children
to learn in the community
given more equitable
deployment of teachers.
More opportunities to work
with teachers to build a
positive ethos and continuous
improvement of the learning
environment.
ESED Better qualified and prepared
teachers, ensuring more
children enrol and stay in
school, and learn effectively.
More efficient distribution of
teachers, supporting the
requirement to provide
services throughout the
province.
Partners Protection of historical
investment in teacher training,
through a unified approach
rolled out across the province.
Emergence of a clear pathway
for future engagement and
technical support in this area
for implementers and their
funders.
Table 6
What are the barriers to delivery?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Limited direct
control over
training at post-
primary level
Med/High Use strategies outlined above to influence
the quality of teacher training provided
externally.
Focus on working with provincial HE
Department to maximise chances of success
in discussions with HEC.
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Use identification of preferred courses to
strengthen dialogue about the nature of
quality pre-service training.
Organised
resistance to
teacher
rationalisation
policy
High/Med Communicate the context of a new deal for
teachers, improving delivery while
strengthening the cadre’s position.
Ensure rationalisation is conducted on the
basis of clear evidence and analysis of the
needs of schools.
Work actively with teaching unions and other
interest groups to reach agreement on
rationalisation.
Overlaps in
departmental
mandates, and
multiplicity of
partner
approaches
Low/High Preface work on primary pre-service training
with a review of DCTE, PITE and the RITEs to
obtain clarity.
Develop new teacher training approach with
inputs from all partners, and communicate
resulting approach widely.
Ask donors and implementers to provide
inputs within the framework for pre-service
training developed as a result.
Table 7
Table 7 summarises the three principal barriers to delivery of Policy 1, characterises the
associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and mitigate
them.
2. Develop a consolidated, needs based, high quality approach to CPD
What will the Department do?
The ESED has identified five major activities that will transform the province’s approach
to continuing professional development for serving teachers. This is an area where much
has been invested by partners over the past decade. It will be critical now to realise this
historical investment, identifying and replicating the best approaches.
At the same time, it is important the province provides equitable and well managed
opportunities for all teachers to strengthen and refresh their professional skills;
streamlines the transaction costs of managing multiple approaches and partners; and
moves away from focusing on the number of teachers trained, to addressing the specific
needs of individual educators.
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Over the next five years, the Department will achieve the following:
Identify a single institution within the Department with responsibility for
managing CPD at provincial level. This work will begin with a review of the
respective roles and capacity of DCTE, PITE and the network of 20 RITEs that
currently exist. Once identified the institution will be the focal point for setting
standards and priorities for CPD, for working with implementing partners in this
area, and for overseeing CPD requirements at provincial level, including
procurement of services and management of delivery contracts.
Review the multiplicity of approaches and projects currently in place on in-service
training and other aspects of CPD and streamline this work over the period,
improving equity of opportunity for teachers across the province and reducing
transaction costs to the Department. This will be managed through the
development and maintenance of an annual training calendar through which all
partner projects, as well as Department initiated CPD, will be channelled. Timely
inclusion in the calendar will be a condition for all partners wishing to implement
training in the province from 2015/16 onwards.
Work intensively with head teachers to build their knowledge and skills to provide
academic leadership in their schools, and specifically their capacity to provide
coaching and mentoring for teachers on their staff. This role is as important in
school leadership as the ability to manage and administer the institution, and will
capitalise on the province’s extensive use of the teaching cadre in management
positions.
Use the focus on head teachers to develop a school based approach to CPD for
serving teachers, including regular staff group meetings, classroom supervision,
and structured feedback for individual teachers on their performance and how
further to strengthen it.
Support head teachers, partners and the institution responsible for CPD by
developing a Teacher Management Information System, to allow teachers and
head teachers to communicate CPD needs, providers to tailor their approaches
more effectively, and the Department to prioritise delivery of CPD on the basis of
need.
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 8 over the next five
years. This work will form the nucleus of the benefits the Department will offer to the
entire cadre as part of its new deal for teachers, also covered in Policies 1 and 3 in this
section.
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53
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Create one
managing
institution
for CPD in
the
province7
Conduct
review of
existing
organisation
s.
Implement
findings
and
resource
organisatio
n.
Annual
review,
implement
improvemen
ts.
Annual
review,
implement
improvemen
ts.
Annual
review,
implement
improvemen
ts.
Integrate
approache
s and
projects
connected
with CPD
Agree plan
for
integration
with
partners.
Integration
50%
complete.
Integration
100%
complete.
NA NA
Publish
and
achieve
targets
included in
annual
CPD
calendars
Publish in
July 2015.
Review in
June 2016.
Publish in
July 2016.
Review in
June 2017.
Publish in
July 2017.
Review in
June 2018.
Publish in
July 2018.
Review in
June 2019.
Publish in
July 2019.
Review in
June 2020.
Design and
implement
or manage
approach
to HT
developme
nt
Design
approach
with input
from
partners.
Launch HT
developme
nt
programm
e.
Review progress in conjunction with
partners and HTs annually, feedback and
improve approach further.
Monitor
and
support
teachers to
improve
performan
ce and
access
appropriat
e CPD
Commission
design and
build of
TMIS.
Launch
TMIS.
1st year data
informs CPD
strategy.
2nd year data
informs CPD
strategy.
3rd year data
informs CPD
strategy.
7 All activities will be delivered by this institution once it is identified and resourced.
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54
Table 8
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 9 summarises the specific ways in which the five activities included in this policy
will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. At the end of the period, the ESED will have achieved
a significant shift in the quality of teaching available in government schools, as in the
case of Policies 1 and 3, and by extension, opportunities for students to learn effectively.
In ESP 2020, the Department will build on this progress with a major programme aimed
at strengthening the syllabus, textbooks and teaching materials available to educators
(see page 35).
For…
Learners Improved likelihood of staying
in school longer, and in some
cases enrolling, given
improved teaching and school
ethos.
The opportunity to learn more
effectively, given improved
teaching, especially in areas
where CPD is not currently
common.
Teachers More equitable provision of
CPD, providing better
opportunities to prepare for
classroom management and
teaching.
Improved professional support
at school level, given clear
leadership and coaching from
HTs, and needs based CPD
provision.
PTC/Community More opportunities for children
to learn in the community
given improved teacher skills
and motivation as educators.
More opportunities to work
with teachers to build a
positive ethos and continuous
improvement of the learning
environment.
ESED Better prepared and supported
teachers, ensuring more
children enrol and stay in
school, and learn effectively.
Clarity of mandate inside the
Department on the
management of CPD, including
liaison with partners.
Partners Protection of historical
investment in teacher training,
with roll out of the best
approaches province-wide.
Emergence of a clear pathway
for future engagement and
technical support in this area
for implementers and their
funders.
Table 9
What are the barriers to delivery?
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55
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Departmental
roles are unclear
resulting in high
transaction costs
and low
accountability for
managing
approaches
Med/High Prioritise review of the existing organisations
and clarify their roles, identifying a single
clear lead on CPD
Build skills in the organisation identified to
manage partners and procurement, as well
as deliver CPD in house
Publicise the refreshed structure, ensuring all
partners are aware of institutional
responsibilities
Uneven delivery of
CPD given
partners’ ability to
access parts of the
province
Med/Med Improve equity of opportunity by inviting
teachers from hard to reach areas to CPD
events in more accessible centres
Actively seek out partners who can combine
excellent provision with the ability to operate
in more areas
Possible
reluctance from
partners to adapt
approaches to
Department
priorities
Low/High Adopt a phased approach to integrating
approaches to allow for partner planning
cycles and current priorities
Hold regular meetings with major providers
of CPD to outline Departmental priorities and
seek advice
Possible
competition
between providers
to attract teachers
to courses
Low/High Hold an early discussion with implementers
to agree a standard policy on per diems and
other material benefits
Enforce the timely inclusion of partner led
CPD work in the Departmental calendar by
the start of each fiscal year
Ensure all partner run courses are conducted
outside times when teachers should be in the
classroom
Creating the fiscal
space required to
commission and
manage a TMIS
Low/High Use earmarked partner financial support in
the short term to manage budget shortfalls.
Protect existing fiscal space through Policy
10 on pegging budget to inflation rates.
Use political will to deliver education services
in the current term to drive budget
discussions.
Table 10
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56
Table 10 summarises the five principal barriers to delivery of Policy 2, characterises the
associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and mitigate
them.
3. Redevelop teaching cadre employment rules
What will the Department do?
In 2014, the ESED initiated some work in this area, specifically beginning to roll out a
policy of needs based recruitment and posting, and teacher rationalisation in pilot
districts. This in turn builds on the earlier decision to recruit new teachers solely on the
basis of merit and the launch of the IMU, which enables the province to monitor teacher
presence in schools on a regular basis.
It is self-evident that work in this area will be politically sensitive, likely to be contested
by some groups, and difficult to implement. Yet the Department believes this is a
fundamental area for reform if it is to be able to provide high quality education services
to all children in the province, and achieve long term goals for development of the
sector. The decision to grip this issue over the next five years is partly informed by the
current administration’s commitment to strengthening transparency and fairness in
public life.
It is also important to note that implementation of this policy is connected not only with
ensuring the best value for money for the provincial government’s substantial
investment in teachers, but also with helping restore the reputation of the profession
across the province. The Department recognises fully that in many cases teachers have
little control over whether, for example, they are present in school, and seeks to support
them in refocusing their careers on the core purpose of educating children. This work
will therefore form an important part of the broader departmental commitment to
delivering a new deal for teachers in the province, which also includes the
developmental benefits offered under Policies 2 and 3 in this section.
Over the next five years, the Department will achieve the following:
Conduct a major evidence based review of the terms and conditions for the
teaching cadre established more than 40 years ago at national level. The starting
hypothesis will be that this long standing policy has had a wide range of
unintended consequences on teachers, and both the quality of teaching and
learning in government schools and the reputation of the profession have suffered
as a result. Specific areas for review will include the principle of tenure, as well
as leave rules and the deployment of teachers for non-teaching duties.
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Use review findings and recommendations to enter a period of informed dialogue
with the rest of government and partners, using the SDPF as a starting vehicle,
as well with as political parties and teaching unions.
Broker and announce a mutually acceptable settlement with stakeholders on
terms and conditions to allow teachers to focus on their work in the classroom
with students.
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 11 over the next
five years. This work will form the nucleus of the benefits the Department will offer to
the entire cadre as part of its new deal for teachers, also covered in Policies 1 and 2 in
this section.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Develop a clear
Departmental
proposal on
changes to
T&Cs
Review
complete
and
findings
used to
develop
proposal.
NA NA NA NA
Agree proposal
at provincial
government
level
Discussion
at all SDPF
meetings.
Discussions
complete
and
approach
agreed.
Refine
approach
based on
feedback.
Agree
settlement
and approve
formally.
NA
Agree proposal
with teaching
unions and
other
stakeholders
Include
evidence
in review
process.
Open formal
negotiations.
Review
progress
and refine
as
required.
Agree
settlement
and
communicate.
NA
Table 11
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 12 summarises the specific ways in which the three activities included in this
policy will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. If the ESED is successful in achieving a mutually
acceptable settlement on the issue of teacher terms and conditions, this reform will
have far reaching long term benefits for the school system as a whole, and will, along
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58
with the work described in Policies 1 and 2, create a sustainable new deal for teachers
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
For…
Learners More opportunities to go to
school, given improved teacher
presence and focus on core
duties.
The opportunity to learn more
effectively, given a better
environment and improved
teacher presence and
performance.
Teachers Renewed clarity on roles,
enabling teachers to focus on
their core work, supported by
improved CPD opportunities.
Increased respect for the
profession in the province,
building confidence and
interest in educating students.
PTC/Community More opportunities for children
to learn in the community
given improved teacher
presence and accountability.
More opportunities to work
with teachers to build a
positive ethos and continuous
improvement of the learning
environment.
ESED Better value for money for
investment in teacher salaries
and benefits, and stronger
levers to ensure teacher
presence and focus.
Stronger teacher focus on
working with students, leading
to improved enrolment,
retention and learning
outcomes.
Partners Better value for money for
investment in sector budget
support, given improved
teacher presence and focus on
core duties.
Better value for money for
investment in CPD
interventions, given improved
teacher presence and focus on
core duties.
Table 12
What are the barriers to delivery?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Other
Departments raise
objections to
aspects of
proposed changes
in T&Cs
Med/High Use the SDPF as a vehicle for cross-
departmental discussions, working with the
rest of government and international
partners to broker a sustainable agreement.
Position this work as a path finding exercise
for other departments that may need to take
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59
similar action in relation to cadres included in
their workforces.
Teaching unions
raise objections to
the revision of
teacher T&Cs
High/High Communicate proposed changes within the
context of a new deal for teachers, including
better professional development and
improved working environments.
Focus on the importance of restoring the
reputation of the profession, and the
importance of teachers being present and
focusing on working with students to achieve
this.
Community
leaders raise
objections to the
revision of teacher
T&Cs
High/High Communicate proposed changes within the
context of transforming education services
for children and the importance of that to the
province’s future.
Focus on the current administration’s
commitment to improving service delivery as
well as better transparency in public life.
Table 13
Table 13 summarises the three principal barriers to delivery of Policy 3, characterises
the associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and
mitigate them.
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60
Policy Group 2: Better Schools and Facilities
4. Establish a sustainable approach to the provision of facilities
What will the Department do?
The ESED has identified five major activities that will transform the quality of the
province’s school buildings, and at the same time address current complexities in
managing civil works in the schools sector.
Over the next five years, the Department will achieve the following:
Ensure all non-functional schools are repaired as a priority, to ensure rapid
increases in access to education for children living in communities where
government facilities cannot currently be used. In all cases, this will be done to
a standard that will help buildings withstand potential future natural emergencies,
such as earthquakes and floods, as well considering barriers to access for children
with special needs.
Ensure all government schools in the province have the basic facilities of a
boundary wall, running water, lavatories, and electricity in place and functioning.
In all cases where significant work is required, this will be done to a standard
that will help buildings withstand potential future natural emergencies, such as
earthquakes and floods.
Pursue the existing policy of upgrading all existing primary schools to provide at
least one classroom per grade (6 rooms for Kachi to Grade 5), on the basis of
need. Construction of new schools will be deferred to subsequent plans. Rooms
provided for Kachi will take into account recommendations made for early years’
education as a result of the Save the Children pilot programme funded by DfAT
and other partners. All new classrooms will be constructed to a standard that will
help buildings withstand natural emergencies.
Work with other parts of government to agree a sustainable and mutually
acceptable approach to returning full responsibility for civil works to the
Communications & Works Department. This will include guidelines for future
collaboration between this specialist department and the ESED, as well as
sufficient assurances on the quality of works and fiscal responsibility to enable
partners to invest in school infrastructure without resorting to developing
alternative mechanisms.
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Either close existing projects that provide alternative approaches, or seek ways
to integrate these with the programme commissioned from Communications &
Works. This will include work such as the DFID funded Sub National Governance
programme and EU funded conditional grants.
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 14 over the next
five years. In all cases, priority will be given to girls’ schools, and to those districts
where there are fewer alternative opportunities available for children.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Repair and re-open all
non-functioning schools
50% 50% NA NA NA
Repair or construct
boundary walls in
functioning schools
33% 33% 33% NA NA
Repair or install water
supply in functioning
schools
33% 33% 33% NA NA
Repair or install
lavatories in functioning
schools
33% 33% 33% NA NA
Repair or install
electricity supply in
functioning schools
25% 25% 25% 25% NA
Construct additional
classrooms in all primary
schools where N=<6
33% 33% 33% NA NA
Complete transfer of
construction portfolio to
C&W department
To be completed by the end of the period. Progress to
be reviewed quarterly and annually as set out in the
M&E section.
Table 14
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 15 summarises the specific ways in which the five activities included in this policy
will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. At the end of the period, the ESED will therefore be
in a position to shift its focus in this area to constructing new schools required in the
province, and considering the case for upgrading primary to middle and secondary
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62
schools, based on stronger population and education data and improved net enrolment
rates.
For…
Learners More opportunities to go to
school, especially for girls,
children with special needs,
and those living in remote and
marginalised communities.
The opportunity to learn more
effectively, given a better
environment and improved
teacher presence and
performance.
Teachers An improved working
environment, encouraging
more teachers to be present in
school.
A functioning and stimulating
work space, supporting
teachers to work with students
more effectively.
PTC/Community More opportunities to learn for
children in the community, and
decreased pressure on
volunteers to manage civil
works.
The opportunity to develop as
a community support rather
than carrying out work that is
the responsibility of
government.
ESED More places available and
improved teacher
performance, supporting the
departmental purpose of
providing education services.
Reduced requirement to
manage civil works, freeing up
Department officials to focus
on core business of educating
children.
Partners Fewer transaction costs in
managing education projects
and financial support in the
area of civil works.
More opportunities to work
with the Department on
teaching and learning given
the reduced need to manage
civil works.
Table 15
What are the barriers to delivery?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Creating the fiscal
space needed to
complete all
required works
Low/High Use earmarked partner financial support in
the short term to manage budget shortfalls.
Protect existing fiscal space through Policy
10 on pegging budget to inflation rates.
Use political will to deliver education services
in the current term to drive budget
discussions.
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Delivering a
sustainable
handover to C&W
that satisfies all
stakeholders
High/High Use the SDPF as a vehicle for cross-
departmental discussions, working with the
rest of government and international
partners to broker a sustainable agreement.
Use existing partner technical assistance to
strengthen economy, efficiency and
effectiveness of provincial approach to civil
works in education.
Ensuring work
prioritises
facilities for girls
and marginalised
communities
Low/Med Analyse distribution of works to be done by
(i) maximum number of children reached;
(ii) lack of other opportunities for education;
and (iii) feasibility of working effectively in
specific tehsils and Union Councils.
Work with funding and implementing
partners to agree work plans that prioritise
these facilities.
Table 16
Table 16 summarises the three principal barriers to delivery of Policy 4, characterises
the associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and
mitigate them.
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64
Policy Group 3: Every Child’s Right to Education
5. Launch new benefits aimed at children most at risk of educational
deprivation
What will the Department do?
The ESED proposes to review fundamentally in 2015/16 its approach to providing cash
transfers to children of school age as a mechanism for increasing enrolment and
attendance. There are three principal reasons for this decision, summarised in Table
17:
Reason Characteristics The review will consider:
Multiplicity of
projects
A wide range of projects funded
through the ESED budget, often
driven by partner desire to track
funds.
A general focus on girls and hard to
reach districts, resulting in multiple
payments in some cases.
Other projects include education
related transfers delivered by BISP.
The evidence for the
impact of cash
transfers on
enrolment,
attendance and
learning;
The case for attaching
conditions to cash
transfers and
enforcing these in
practice;
The case and
feasibility for
establishing means
testing to improve
targeting and VfM;
The likely size of cash
transfer required to
encourage increased
attendance in
practice;
The range of feasible
delivery mechanisms;
The feasibility of
consolidating projects
into a single
programme;
Lack of
evidence for
impact
Conditionality linked to attendance
does not exist, or is not enforced in
practice.
Enrolment among girls and in hard
to reach districts has not increased
significantly since projects have
begun.
No evaluation has taken place,
aside from TPVs aimed at assessing
efficiency and transparency.
Not core
expertise for
ESED
Current projects do not consider
means testing, beyond broad
categories such as districts
considered to be poor, or suffering
educational disadvantage.
Periodic delays in disbursement due
to slow releases of budgeted funds.
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The range of
approaches to
delivery and ESED’s
role.
Table 17
The precise parameters and nature of subsequent work in this area will clearly depend
on the outcome of the review. The Department will therefore revise specific ambitions
for this policy in Year 2 of ESP 2015, once the review has been delivered and its findings
and recommendations debated. Table 18 therefore only includes preliminary specific
results for the period at this stage.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Develop
new
approach
on cash
transfers
Commissio
n and
complete
review.
Agree basis
for new
design.
Design of
new
approach
complete.
Agree
financing
for new
approach.
100% of
transfers
made.
Annual
review
conducted
and approach
strengthened
.
100% of
transfers
made.
Annual
review
conducted
and approach
strengthened
.
100% of
transfers
made.
Annual
review
conducted
and approach
strengthened
.
Conclusio
n of
existing
cash
transfer
projects
100% of
transfers
made.
TPVs
conducted.
100% of
transfers
made.
TPVs
conducted
.
NA NA NA
Table 18
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 19 summarises the specific ways in which the review of the Department’s
approach to providing cash transfers to children most at risk of educational deprivation,
and subsequent work (assuming the development of a single, better targeted and
managed programme), will contribute to positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
Large scale use of cash transfers, including the application of conditions, is one of the
most closely debated innovations in international development at present. By the end
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66
of the five year period the new programme will have been reviewed three times. As a
result, ESED will have contributed significantly to global evidence on the strength of the
relationship between cash transfers and education outcomes, as well transforming the
province’s understanding of how effective this approach can be in practice.
For…
Learners More opportunities for
marginalised children to attend
school, assuming direct link
between poverty and non-
enrolment.
Better targeted assistance,
aimed at those most at risk of
educational deprivation,
through a single, branded
programme.
Teachers More students attending
school regularly reducing
disparities in learning
outcomes in classes.
Contribution to reducing age
ranges in single classes over
time, improving age profile of
classes taught.
PTC/Community Assistance targeted directly at
children in the community
most at risk of educational
deprivation.
More children likely to
complete education and learn
more, contributing to the
human capital of the
community.
ESED Increased enrolment and
retention of girls and other
marginalised children,
contributing to delivery of long
run aims.
Significantly reduced
management burden, including
the possibility of delivery
outside the Department.
Partners Improved targeting of financial
assistance at girls and other
children most at risk of
educational deprivation.
Significant contribution to
global evidence for a link
between cash transfers and
increased enrolment and
retention.
Table 19
What are the principal barriers to delivery of this policy?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Creating the fiscal
space needed for
the programme
Low/High Use earmarked partner financial support in
the short term to manage budget shortfalls.
Protect existing fiscal space through Policy
10 on pegging budget to inflation rates.
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Use political will to deliver education services
in the current term to drive budget
discussions.
Partners raise
objections to
closure of existing
projects and
consolidation of
this work
Low/Med Use phased approach to ensure cash
transfers continue while new approach is
designed.
Communicate proposed changes effectively,
using evidence and demonstrating net gains
for more children in more tehsils and union
councils.
Build effective M&E into the new programme
to help partners produce evidence of what
works for comparable approaches elsewhere.
Community
leaders raise
objections to
closure of existing
programmes and
consolidation of
this work
High/Med Use phased approach to ensure cash
transfers continue while new approach is
designed.
Communicate proposed changes effectively,
using evidence and demonstrating net gains
for more children in more tehsils and union
councils.
Focus on the current administration’s
commitment to improving service delivery as
well as better transparency in public life.
Table 20
Table 20 summarises the three principal barriers to delivery of Policy 5, characterises
the associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and
mitigate them.
6. Scale up partnerships with the private sector
What will the Department do?
In 2014 ESED embarked on a new approach to working with the private sector to help
it offer free places in school for more children in areas where there is insufficient
provision at present. The Department now proposes to expand these partnerships
throughout the ESP 2015 period, subject to a review, planned for the second half of
fiscal year 2014/15, of the learning outcomes attained by the 1,500 out of school
students enrolled through a voucher scheme in private institutions in urban Peshawar.
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Assuming the outcome of the review indicates this policy is viable and should be pursued
and scaled up, the Department will achieve the following over the next five years:
Assess the most promising urban and peri-urban areas where vouchers could be
deployed, based on number of out of school children, and availability of good
quality low cost private schools.
Create a phased scale up plan for the first three years of the period (2015/16 to
2017/18), based on the assessment above, the Elementary Education
Foundation’s capacity to increase activity, and the willingness and capacity of the
sector to absorb further students.
Develop targets for numbers of vouchers and priority locations for each of these
years and measure progress.
Conduct annual assessments to test the learning outcomes achieved by children
receiving vouchers, to evaluate the value added through this approach.
Carry out a major review of the voucher programme in Year 3 of the period
(2017/18) and take decisions on its future during ESP 2020 based on findings
and recommendations.
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 21 over the next
five years. This policy concentrates specifically on children at strong risk of educational
deprivation, given its focus on those who are out of school in urban and peri-urban
areas.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Implement
scaled up
plan for
voucher
programm
e
Plan agreed
and first year
scale up
implemented
.
Second year
scale up
implemented
.
Third year
scale up
implemented
.
TBC,
depending
on review.
TBC,
depending
on review.
Increase
coverage
of urban
areas
X schools in
Peshawar
included.
Programme
rolled out to
X schools in
City A and
City B.
Programme
rolled out to
X schools in
City C and
City D.
TBC,
depending
on review.
TBC,
depending
on review.
Increase
number of
(1,500 +X)
vouchers
redeemed.
(1,500 + X +
Y) vouchers
redeemed.
(1,500 + X +
Y + Z)
TBC,
depending
on review.
TBC,
depending
on review.
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vouchers
offered
vouchers
redeemed.
Assess
learning
outcomes
annually
Average
2014 result
+ X%
Average
2015 result
+ X%
Average
2016 result
+ X%
TBC,
depending
on review.
TBC,
depending
on review.
Review
programm
e and re-
plan for
Years 4
and 5
Review
conducted
and findings
agreed.
Refresh of
programm
e based on
review.
Refresh of
programm
e based on
review.
Table 21
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 22 summarises the specific ways in which the Department’s partnerships with the
private sector, through the voucher programme, will contribute to positive outcomes
for all stakeholders.
Partnerships of this kind and the use of vouchers specifically are both prevalent in other
parts of Pakistan, and a closely debated approach to international development in the
education sector worldwide at present. As a result, ESED will have contributed
significantly to global evidence on the efficacy of partnerships between governments
and private providers of education, as well transforming the province’s understanding
of how effective this approach can be in practice.
For…
Learners More opportunities to go to
school for some of the most
marginalised children in the
province.
More opportunities for children
with vouchers to access good
quality education, and benefit
from annual assessment.
Teachers Less overcrowding in
government schools enabling
teachers to manage classes
and student learning more
effectively.
Opportunities for teachers and
schools in the private sector to
benefit from additional
enrolments.
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70
PTC/Community More opportunities for
marginalised communities,
including IDPs as well as those
in low income urban areas.
Quality assurance of education
received by children with
vouchers through annual
assessment.
ESED Increased enrolment and
retention of vulnerable
children in urban areas,
contributing to delivery of long
run aims.
Reduction in overcrowding in
government schools, and in
the number of unadmitted
children in major cities.
Partners Improved targeting of financial
assistance at children at most
risk of educational deprivation,
including IDPs.
Significant contribution to
global evidence on public
private partnerships in
education for international
development.
Table 22
What are the principal barriers to delivery of this policy?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Creating the fiscal
space needed for
the programme
Low/High Use earmarked partner financial support in
the short term to manage budget shortfalls.
Protect existing fiscal space through Policy 10
on pegging budget to inflation rates.
Use political will to deliver education services
in the current term to drive budget
discussions.
The EEF does not
have sufficient
capacity to
manage a larger
scale programme
Med/Med Scale up programme and targets on the basis
of an assessment of EEF’s capacity to
manage increased work.
Use technical assistance to build
management capabilities in the EEF
throughout the period.
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71
The private sector
lacks capacity or
will to absorb
larger numbers of
voucher students
Med/High Scale up programme and targets on the basis
of an assessment of the sector’s capacity and
appetite.
Choose locations for voucher scale up based
on prevalence of private sector schools.
Work with established chains of good quality
schools wherever possible, building
economies of scale for management on both
sides.
Table 23
Table 23 summarises the three principal barriers to delivery of Policy 6, characterises
the associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and
mitigate them.
7. Launch a draw down fund for use in emergency situations
What will the Department do?
Under this policy, aimed at improving the resilience of the schools sector and the
government’s ability to provide education services in the wake of natural or manmade
emergencies, the ESED will:
Launch a draw down fund for use in the aftermath of events that threaten to
affect the provision of education services. These include earthquake, flood, the
impact of militant action, and influxes of displaced people from within the
province and neighbouring territory.
Base the size and design of the fund on an assessment of the scale of resources
that would be required to provide emergency cover in the aftermath of an event,
as well as to repair damage to the fabric of school buildings, including likely
contributions from the federal government, and foreign governments and NGOs.
Create a set of emergency management plans, outlining the planned response in
the event of a range of scenarios, including advice and preparation aimed at
teachers and students. This is an area where PTCs could usefully contribute.
Include this provision in the Department’s budget for fiscal year 2016/17 onwards
on the basis that it will be used only when required.
Review the use of the fund and efficacy of plans annually, whenever there has
been a requirement to use this facility.
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72
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 24 over the next
five years. This policy will have a strong impact on the Department’s ability to provide
continuity of education services, including emergency provision, in the most vulnerable
and therefore educationally deprived areas of the province.
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73
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Create
emergency
managemen
t fund
Fund
designed
and
agreed
and with
funds
ring-
fenced.
Provision
included in
2016/17
budget.
Provision
included in
2017/18
budget.
Provision
included in
2018/19
budget.
Provision
included in
2019/20
budget.
Create
emergency
managemen
t plans
Plans
created
for range
of
scenarios
.
Plans
reviewed
and
updated.
Plans
reviewed
and
updated.
Plans
reviewed
and
updated.
Plans
reviewed
and
updated.
Commission
independent
reviews in
wake of
emergencies
NA Review
complete
and findings
incorporated
.
Review
complete
and findings
incorporated
.
Review
complete
and findings
incorporated
.
Review
complete
and findings
incorporated
.
Table 24
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 25 summarises the specific ways in which the development of an emergency
preparedness fund and management plans will deliver positive benefits for all
stakeholders.
For…
Learners Reduced disruption in access
to school and learning after an
emergency, including for
displaced students.
Faster, better quality
emergency repair of school
buildings, ensuring school
environments remain safe for
students.
Teachers Reduced disruption to the
running of schools in the wake
of an emergency, including
established protocols for
action.
Reduced pressure on other
schools to accept displaced
students, enabling teachers to
manage classes effectively.
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PTC/Community Reduced disruption in access
to school and learning, and
clear plans of action during an
emergency situation.
Fast, predictable disaster
management and emergency
relief available to affected
communities.
ESED Fiscal flexibility to tackle the
impact of emergencies quickly
and effectively and minimise
disruption to service delivery.
Greater resilience, lessening
risk of core programme of
reform being delayed or
derailed by an emergency.
Partners Greater resilience, lessening
risk of core programme of
reform being delayed or
derailed by an emergency.
Clear approach to disaster
management, enabling
partners to align their
emergency plans with the
government.
Table 25
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What are the principal barriers to delivery of this policy?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Creating the fiscal
space needed for
the programme
Low/High Use earmarked partner financial support in
the short term to manage budget shortfalls.
Protect existing fiscal space through Policy 10
on pegging budget to inflation rates.
Use political will to deliver education services
in the current term to drive budget
discussions.
Opposition based
on ESED’s role in
an emergency
Low/High Work through the SDPF to raise the issue of
providing services in the wake of an
emergency on a cross departmental basis.
Ensure fund and disaster management plans
are part of a broader government piece of
work on emergency preparedness.
Partners raise
concerns about
ESED’s ability to
manage an
emergency fund
effectively
Med/Med Continue to strengthen Department’s
capacity in financial management and control
of fiduciary risk through technical assistance.
Publish reviews of disaster management
within one year of each emergency, including
an assessment of financial management of
the fund.
Table 26
Table 26 summarises the three principal barriers to delivery of Policy 7, characterises
the associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and
mitigate them.
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Policy Group 4: Good Governance & Management
8. Test and update population estimates for school age population
What will the Department do?
As discussed in the section on Barriers to Reform (page 13), the quality of data available
to the ESED for planning and forecasting purposes is a significant issue. This is especially
true of population data given the length of time that has elapsed since the last Census
in Pakistan, provincial level concerns about the results of this as they relate to Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, and the treatment of data to produce forward estimates. Specific issues
are outlined in the section on modelling the schools system (page 65).
It is not within the mandate of the Department, nor indeed the provincial government,
to conduct a fresh Census. Yet it is clear the ESED urgently needs improved estimates
of the school age population in the province if it to be able to plan with accuracy. This
requirement has important implications, not just for the completion of ESP 2015 but
also for the quality of budgeting throughout the five year period and beyond.
The Department will therefore:
Commission a sample based household survey at the start of fiscal year 2015/16
to produce fresh estimates of the number of children of school age in the
province.
Focus questions on education related topics in addition to the numbers and ages
of children. Questions will cover issues such as the number of out of school
children and reasons why this is the case; the use of non-government forms of
education; and the scale and nature of special education required in the province.
Use findings to re-develop the existing model for resourcing the school system in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, enabling the Department to plan more accurately from
fiscal year 2016/17 onwards, as well as to measure results in terms of improved
enrolment, retention, and completion rates.
Repeat the survey on a triennial basis to strengthen data and therefore accuracy
of forecasting and planning progressively.
Work with other parts of the provincial government to seek ways to share this
approach across sectors, while lobbying at federal level for a fresh Census to take
place.
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Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 27 over the next
five years. This policy will enable ESED to target with more accuracy children most at
risk of educational deprivation. It will also facilitate discussions with other departments
for the development of a holistic education sector plan for the period 2020/21 to
2024/25.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Discussions at
provincial level
to broaden
approach
across sectors
Discussions
held,
survey
specified
accordingly.
NA NA Discussions
held,
survey
specified
accordingly.
NA
Commission
sample based
household
survey
Survey
conducted
and
findings
received.
NA NA Second
survey
conducted
and findings
received.
Results used to
re-plan for next
three years
Remodelling
for years
2016/17 to
2018/19.
Remodelling
for years
2019/20 to
2021/22.
Data used
to model
for ESP
2020.
Table 27
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 28 summarises the specific ways in which the three activities included in this
policy will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. Policy 8, along with Policies 9 and 10 should be
viewed as an essential underpinning activity to help the Department improve service
delivery in all aspects of the school system, and for all students, including girls and
others most at risk of educational deprivation.
For…
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Learners Improved targeting of out of
school children and those most
at risk of educational
deprivation.
Improved learning
environments given more
accuracy in planning,
forecasting and financing of
the system.
Teachers Improved teacher/student
ratios, enabling teachers to
manage classes and focus on
high quality work with
students.
Improved working
environments given more
accuracy in planning,
forecasting and financing of
the system.
PTC/Community Better targeted assistance in
communities where there is
most need for more resources
to improve service delivery.
Better supply of government
school places given more
accuracy in planning,
forecasting and financing of
the system.
ESED Improved ability to plan,
forecast and budget for
development of the schools
sector given better data.
Improved ability to assess and
communicate progress in
enrolment, retention and other
core indicators.
Partners Improved understanding of the
requirements of the province
to shape financial and other
contributions.
Improved ability to assess and
communicate progress in
enrolment, retention and other
core indicators.
Table 28
What are the principal barriers to delivery of this policy?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Creating the fiscal
space needed for
the programme
Med/High Use earmarked partner financial support in
the short term to manage budget shortfalls.
Protect existing fiscal space through Policy
10 on pegging budget to inflation rates.
Work with other departments to develop the
scope of the survey to include other service
delivery focused sectors, ideally
commissioning one piece of research for the
whole provincial government.
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Interested groups
criticise
methodology,
commissioning or
findings of survey
High/Med Commission survey through an open
tendering process to ensure the best
possible quality piece of research.
Communicate findings publicly, drawing
attention to the differences between these
and existing population estimates.
Work closely with the Bureau of Statistics
and other interested parties to align interests
and buy in to the process.
9able 29
Table 28 summarises the two principal barriers to delivery of Policy 8, characterises the
associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and mitigate
them.
9. Develop district officials’ management skills
What will the Department do?
To date, technical assistance provided to the ESED has focused principally on work with
officials at provincial level, and with teachers through a wide range of training and other
CPD offers. While it is important this work continues, the Department believes it will be
important to invest a considerable portion of this assistance in building the skills of
district officials throughout the ESP 2015 period.
There are two reasons for this. First, many administrators are taken from the teaching
cadre, and therefore need coaching to build their capabilities in a range of management
skills in the areas of information, financial and human resources in particular. Second,
the Department is aware that administrative demands on DEOs and their teams are set
to increase at such time as the Local Government Act comes into force and management
of basic service delivery, including in education, is devolved further.
District administrators are already required to provide significant inputs into the
provincial planning and budgeting process. Intensive technical assistance provided at
this level will improve the quality of work on the Output Based Budgeting process, and
budget execution, as well as returns provided for the Annual School Census, and more
effective use of IMU data. Strengthening management at this level will in turn impact
positively on provincial level work.
The Department will:
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80
Come to an agreement with organisations funding technical assistance, and their
service providers, on the level of support that can be provided over the next five
years at district level.
Work with service providers to assemble a technical assistance team with the
relevant skills to support district administrators, combined with understanding of
the province and ability to travel throughout the province in spite of the fragile
security situation in some areas.
Work with service providers to identify a series of set piece activities for technical
assistance at district level. The final list of activities is likely to include monthly
reviews of the implications of IMU data, as well as annual work on district
budgets, school census inputs for EMIS, and enrolment drives, to be agreed with
funding donors.
Produce annual district level work plans for this technical support, and review
progress at the end of each fiscal year.
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 30 over the next
five years. The ESED believes that deployment of technical assistance at this level over
the period of ESP 2015 will greatly improve the capacity of DEOs and their teams to
deliver effectively, and establish a culture of more professional management across the
Department.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Agree level
of support
with funders
and service
providers
Completed
and work
begun.
NA NA NA NA
Assemble
well qualified
team to
work at
district level
Completed
and work
begun.
Review
requirement
.
Review
requirement
.
Review
requirement
.
Review
requirement
.
Continuous
improvemen
t on Annual
School
Census
returns
80% of
ASC
returns
completed
on time.
100% of
ASC returns
completed
on time.
X% uplift in
quality of
data
provided.
X% uplift in
quality of
data
provided.
X% uplift in
quality of
data
provided.
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Continuous
improvemen
t on District
Budgets
80% of
budgets
completed
on time.
100% of
budgets
completed
on time.
X% uplift in
quality of
budget
provided.
X% uplift in
quality of
budget
provided.
X% uplift in
quality of
budget
provided.
Continuous
improvemen
t on use of
IMU data
All districts
understan
d how to
use IMU
data on
key issues.
X% uplift on
teacher
attendance.
X% uplift on
student
attendance.
X% uplift on
teacher
attendance.
X% uplift on
student
attendance.
X% uplift on
teacher
attendance.
X% uplift on
student
attendance.
X% uplift on
teacher
attendance.
X% uplift on
student
attendance.
Table 30
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 31 summarises the specific ways in which the five activities included in this policy
will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. Policy 9, along with Policies 8 and 10 should be
viewed as an essential underpinning activity to help the Department improve service
delivery in all aspects of the school system, and for all students, including girls and
others most at risk of educational deprivation.
For…
Learners More opportunities to go to
school and learn, given work
on requirements for places,
and improving teacher
presence.
Better learning environments,
given improved budgeting and
information about work
required to repair schools.
Teachers Improved focus on teaching,
given increased capacity of
district administrators to
manage effectively.
Better working environments,
given improved budgeting and
information about work
required to repair schools.
PTC/Community More opportunities for children
to enrol and learn in the
community given better
information and planning.
More of children remaining in
school given better teacher
presence and better targeted
resourcing at district level.
ESED Improved information and
evidence for decision making,
planning and policy making at
provincial level.
Improved management of the
school system at district level,
through skills building among
key officials.
Partners Better value for money for
financial investment, given
Improved information and
evidence for return on
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82
improved capacity of officials
to manage the school system.
investment, including financial
management and results.
Table 31
What are the principal barriers to delivery of this policy?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Funding partners
are unwilling to
channel technical
assistance into
district level
management.
Low/High Conduct early discussions with partners to
assess willingness, and explain why this is an
important priority.
Seek assistance from alternative partners in
the event that current funders are not willing
to work with the Department in this area.
Communicate regularly on gains made and
their impact on the functioning of the whole
system.
Security issues
prevent technical
assistance from
accessing some
districts to work.
Med/High Select qualified team members who have
existing connections with districts wherever
possible.
If required, conduct capacity building work
for some districts in accessible centres in the
province.
Combine in-district working with individual
managers and their teams with periodic
sessions bringing together all DEOs.
Table 32
Table 32 summarises the two principal barriers to delivery of Policy 9, characterises the
associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and mitigate
them.
10. Peg education budget to inflation
What will the Department do?
Price inflation in Pakistan has averaged 6% over the last three years according to IMF
data, with a similar forecast for 2015. High and unpredictable inflation rates greatly
affect the Department’s ability to provide services in education, among other things
eroding the purchasing power of financial commitments made by international partners.
Historically, the salary component of the annual provincial education budget has
exceeded inflation year on year, while allocations for non-salary components have
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83
remained static, and therefore decreased in real terms. As a result, it has not always
been possible to maintain buildings effectively, nor to provide teachers and students
with the consumables they need to teach and learn. This puts unacceptable pressure
on schools, and risks devaluing the investment made in salaries if teachers do not have
work environments that are fit for purpose, and students do not attend schools because
they are in a state of poor repair. The ESED will therefore:
Conduct a study to compare growth rates in salary and non-salary components
of the education budget over the past five years. This will also look at trends in
the actual purchasing power over the period for major non-salary components
such as civil works, purchase of text books, and other important consumables.
Conduct a qualitative study that will sample teachers from across Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa to explore their views on how limited resources for non-salary
elements of the budget impact on teaching and learning in practice.
Prepare a range of scenarios on the purchasing power of the education budget
for fiscal year 2016/17 that (i) hold allocations for non-salary components at
2014/15 rates; (ii) increase allocations for the same components at 50% of
projected annual inflation; and (iii) increase allocations for the same components
at 100% of projected annual inflation. Scenarios will include an overview of issues
compared against projected demand, including (i) the number of additional
classrooms that could be built; (ii) the number of school buildings that could be
repaired; and (iii) the amount of classroom consumables that could be purchased.
Work with Finance Department and other parts of government to achieve a
settlement on this issue for fiscal years 2016/17 onwards, including agreement
on the inflation projection to be used.
Specifically, the Department will deliver the results set out in Table 33 over the next
five years. The ESED considers this policy to be essential if it is to deliver on other areas
of ESP 2015 effectively, particularly in the areas of better schools and facilities, and
equity focused initiatives such as cash transfers and work with the private sector.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Conduct
comparative
study on trends
in salary and
non-salary
components
Study
completed
and
findings
adopted.
NA NA NA NA
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84
Conduct study
on impact of non
-salary
components on
teachers
Study
completed
and
findings
adopted.
NA NA NA NA
Develop
purchasing
power scenarios
for discussion on
budget
NA Scenarios
completed
and used in
discussions.
NA NA NA
Agree inflation
rate and policy
on pegging
budget with
Finance
NA Agreement
reached.
2016/17
budget
protected.
2017/18
budget
protected.
2018/19
budget
protected.
2019/20
budget
protected.
Table 33
How will this contribute to the strategic goals of ESP 2015?
Table 34 summarises the specific ways in which the four activities included in this policy
will contribute to the improvement of the schools sector and outcomes for its
stakeholders in the next five years. Policy 10, along with Policies 8 and 9 should be
viewed as an essential underpinning activity to help the Department improve service
delivery in all aspects of the school system, and for all students, including girls and
others most at risk of educational deprivation.
For…
Learners More opportunities to enrol in
school given protected budget
for school buildings and equity
focused policies.
More opportunities to learn
effectively, given appropriate
environments and materials
and teachers present.
Teachers Better maintained working
environments and more
predictable availability of
essential classroom
consumables.
Improved ability to focus on
teaching children, given more
predictability in the availability
of materials.
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PTC/Community More children likely to go to
school, given better
environments and their effect
on teachers and students
alike.
More predictable purchasing
power at school level, enabling
PTCs to plan and execute
minor works and
improvements.
ESED Sufficient fiscal space to
deliver on buildings, support
teachers, and ensure
marginalised children have
access.
Better value for money
achieved on investment in
teacher salaries including
improved outcomes for
children.
Partners Improved evidence for
additionality of investment in
financial support for the
education sector in the
province.
Better value for money
achieved on financial support
to the Department including
improved outcomes for
children.
Table 34
What are the principal barriers to delivery of this policy?
Barrier Risk/Impact Mitigation Strategies
Finance
Department and
other parts of
government do
not agree to this
policy.
High/High Use the SDPF as the starting forum to
discuss this issue and seek a cross-
departmental solution.
Develop an evidence based argument
including assessment of the impact of low
non salary spend on the value for money
obtained from salaries in Education.
Seek the active support of development
partners working in a range of service
delivery sectors in the province.
Focus on the primacy of service delivery in
the current administration’s ambitions for the
period.
Table 35
Table 35 summarises the principal barrier to delivery of Policy 10, characterises the
associated risks, and outlines the strategies the ESED will use to manage and mitigate
it.
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Modelling the Provincial School System
Section Scope
The question of data quality and its impact on planning, forecasting, and budgeting is a
central and recurring theme throughout ESP 2015. In this section the ESED sets out a
draft approach for preparing a fresh statistical model for the Department in 2016/17
once improved population projections are available (as a result of Policy 8), and the
quality of returns to the Annual School Census have been improved (as a result of Policy
9). This is illustrated by a series of examples taken from recent attempts to produce a
workable model using existing data.
In the short term, the Department will therefore use the work done during the
preparation of the 2014/15 budget to produce an updated and more robust version of
the statistical model developed for ESP 2010. This work also produced revised estimates
of likely requirements for fiscal years 2015/16 and 2016/17. While not perfect, the ESED
believes the resulting model is adequate for the short term while the pressing issue of
data quality is addressed, and will avoid the possibility of nugatory work on a grand
scale as the Department attempts to reconcile contradictory datasets.
Exploratory work on developing a fresh statistical model raised a range of fundamental
issues connected to the quality of data available to the Department for planning
purposes. These are explained below along with actions taken to correct them where
possible.
1. Population Estimates
The ESED assumed that (i) base year data were an accurate reflection of the distribution
of population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1998; and (ii) district growth rates calculated
by the provincial Bureau of Statistics were an accurate reflection of the direction of
travel.
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Figure 4
1.1 The team looked at projections to 2029/30 provided by the Bureau and found
growth rates had been applied to every year group, not just to the cohort
of new babies. Figure 4 summarises the correction made to deal with this issue.
Correcting this error produces significant reductions in the projected population
of 5-16 year olds for the ESP 2015 period, illustrated in Figure 5 at provincial
level and for selected districts.
Figure 5
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1.2 Second, the team considered the fact that Bureau of Statistics’ growth rates at
district level continue in a straight line indefinitely. This seems unlikely to
reflect reality, notwithstanding arguments about large family sizes in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa compared with other parts of Pakistan. However, it is unclear on
what basis growth rates should be discounted over time, especially since birth
rates are likely to remain higher for longer in some districts than in others.
Therefore no attempt was made to adjust estimates for this factor.
1.3 Third, the team attempted to adjust population estimates for the under-five
mortality rate, which has been static in Pakistan according to official data at
100/1000 for more than two decades. Differential rates are not available through
the Health Department’s management information system by district, and
applying 100/1000 to the under-fives produces another dramatic reduction in the
basic 5-16 year old population as Figure 6 summarises.
Given the extreme difference this produces, with the Year 1 school population
before adjusting for under-five mortality equivalent to the Year 5 population after
doing so, the team decided to ignore this factor.
Figure 6
1.4 Fourth, the team noted that projections do not take into account migration,
either within the province (especially from rural to urban areas), or into and out
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a result of natural disasters, security or economic
factors.
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1.5 Application of Step 1.1 alone produced a raw starting provincial school age
population of 7.2 million, rising to 8.1 million by 2019/20. This population is
based on counting all 4 to 17 year olds, given the Department’s 2013 notification
that the starting age for Kachi is 4 years, producing a finishing age of 17 years
in Grade 12.
The team produced population estimates for Tor Ghar by extracting the
relevant tehsil from Mansehra district in the base year (15% of district
population) and projecting it forward at the same growth rate. Table 36
summarises estimated total raw school age populations by district.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Abbottaba
d
323,842 329,738 335,742 341,856 348,081
Bannu 298,267 306,646 315,260 324,116 333,221
Battagram 100,536 102,949 105,420 107,951 110,542
Buner 227,065 235,829 244,930 254,383 264,201
Charsadda 385,967 397,090 408,534 420,308 432,421
Chitral 179,041 183,550 188,172 192,911 197,769
DI Khan 375,250 387,481 400,111 413,152 426,618
Dir Lower 351,270 363,290 375,721 388,577 401,874
Dir Upper 243,831 250,562 257,478 264,585 271,888
Hangu 146,571 151,335 156,255 161,335 166,579
Haripur 260,714 266,424 272,259 278,222 284,316
Karak 230,792 238,317 246,087 254,110 262,395
Kohat 255,596 263,904 272,481 281,337 290,482
Kohistan 144,582 144,708 144,833 144,959 145,085
Lakki Marwat
250,973 258,906 267,090 275,532 284,241
Malakand 205,412 212,306 219,431 226,796 234,407
Mansehra 365,916 374,700 383,696 392,907 402,339
Mardan 385,967 397,090 408,534 420,308 432,421
Nowshera 347,730 357,810 368,182 378,855 389,837
Peshawar 895,075 926,935 959,930 994,098 1,029,484
Shangla 154,321 159,368 164,580 169,962 175,520
Swabi 427,086 439,735 452,759 466,168 479,974
Swat 504,647 521,655 539,237 557,412 576,198
Tank 91,324 94,188 97,141 100,186 103,327
Tor Ghar 64,573 66,124 67,711 69,336 71,001 7,216,350 7,430,640 7,651,573 7,879,361 8,114,220
Table 36
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Recommendations for development of new model:
Use results of the 2015/16 household survey to project basic district populations for 0
to 17 year olds for fiscal years 2016/17 onwards.
Compare results of household survey with Bureau of Statistics projections and use to
(i) test and improve estimates of district growth rates; and (ii) identify appropriate
discount rates for growth at district level, assuming these include factors such as
migration and infant mortality, as well as lower birth rates.
2. Theoretical Demand for School Places
2.1 As a first step in modelling demand, the team used population estimates as above
and applied the following conditions:
100% gross enrolment (all children between 4 and 17 are enrolled in school
and attend);
100% enrolment in government schools (all children between 4 and 17 are
enrolled in government schools rather than elsewhere);
100% progression rates (all children proceed annually from Kachi to Grade
12, completing a full course of education);
100% net enrolment (all children are enrolled in the grade deemed
appropriate for their age).
This produces a total possible demand for school places of 7 million in 2015/16,
rising to 7.8 million by 2019/20, as Table 37 summarises by grade. In theory,
the total possible demand at primary level rises from 3.6 million to 4 million,
while demand for post primary places rises from 3.4 million to 3.9 million.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Primary
Kachi 75% 4 year olds +
25% 3 year olds
639,614 658,801 678,586 698,988 720,027
Grade 1 75% 5 year olds +
25% 4 year olds
621,006 639,614 658,801 678,586 698,988
Grade 2 75% 6 year olds +
25% 5 year olds
602,960 621,006 639,614 658,801 678,586
Grade 3 75% 7 year olds +
25% 6 year olds
585,458 602,960 621,006 639,614 658,801
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Grade 4 75% 8 year olds +
25% 7 year olds
568,484 585,458 602,960 621,006 639,614
Grade 5 75% 9 year olds +
25% 8 year olds
552,022 568,484 585,458 602,960 621,006
Children eligible for
primary school places
3,569,544 3,676,323 3,786,426 3,899,956 4,017,022
Middle
Grade 6 75% 10 year olds
+ 25% 9 year olds
536,055 552,022 568,484 585,458 602,960
Grade 7 75% 11 year olds
+ 25% 10 year
olds
520,568 536,055 552,022 568,484 585,458
Grade 8 75% 12 year olds
+ 25% 11 year
olds
505,548 520,568 536,055 552,022 568,484
Children eligible for
middle school places
1,562,171 1,608,645 1,656,560 1,705,964 1,756,902
Secondary
Grade 9 75% 13 year olds
+ 25% 12 year
olds
490,979 505,548 520,568 536,055 552,022
Grade
10
75% 14 year olds
+ 25% 13 year
olds
476,848 490,979 505,548 520,568 536,055
Children eligible for
secondary school places
967,827 996,527 1,026,116 1,056,623 1,088,076
Higher Secondary
Grade
11
75% 15 year olds
+ 25% 14 year
olds
463,141 476,848 490,979 505,548 520,568
Grade
12
75% 16 year olds
+ 25% 15 year
olds
449,846 463,141 476,848 490,979 505,548
Total children eligible for
HS school places
912,987 939,989 967,827 996,527 1,026,116
Total children eligible for
school places
7,012,528 7,221,484 7,436,929 7,659,070 7,888,117
Table 37
2.2 Second, the team adjusted this estimate by applying Department estimates from
2012/13 for the share of education provided outside the government sector by
private schools and deeni madaris at district level. Table 38 summarises adjusted
theoretical demand by grade and school level as a result of this exercise.
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
Primary
Kachi 459,991 473,691 487,816 502,379 517,396
Grade 1 446,704 459,991 473,691 487,816 502,379
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Grade 2 433,817 446,704 459,991 473,691 487,816
Grade 3 421,317 433,817 446,704 459,991 473,691
Grade 4 409,193 421,317 433,817 446,704 459,991
Grade 5 397,434 409,193 421,317 433,817 446,704
Adjusted demand
2,568,457 2,644,714 2,723,336 2,804,398 2,887,977
Middle
Grade 6 386,027 397,434 409,193 421,317 433,817
Grade 7 374,962 386,027 397,434 409,193 421,317
Grade 8 364,230 374,962 386,027 397,434 409,193
Adjusted demand
1,125,219 1,158,423 1,192,654 1,227,944 1,264,328
Secondary
Grade 9 353,819 364,230 374,962 386,027 397,434
Grade 10 343,719 353,819 364,230 374,962 386,027
Adjusted
demand
697,538 718,048 739,192 760,989 783,460
Higher Secondary
Grade 11 333,922 343,719 353,819 364,230 374,962
Grade 12 324,419 333,922 343,719 353,819 364,230
Adjusted demand
658,341 677,642 697,538 718,048 739,192
Total adjusted
demand
5,049,554 5,198,826 5,352,719 5,511,380 5,674,957
Table 38
2.3 Third, the team compared these results with the Annual School Census for
2013/14. This exercise highlighted the fragility of both population and EMIS data.
In 2013/14, district officials reported a total of 3.01 million children enrolled in
government primary schools compared with projected demand for 2015/16 of
2.57 million. There is a range of possible explanations for this sizeable
discrepancy.
The 4-17 year old population in the province is higher than currently
available projections indicate;
The Department’s estimates for the penetration of non-government
schools in the province are over stated;
Returns to the Annual School Census over state enrolment at primary
level (and possibly elsewhere in the system);
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Net enrolment for the province at primary level is lower than the 70%
quoted in the Annual School Census report for 2013/14.
It is not feasible at present to determine the extent to which any of these
explanations is the reason for this difference. This highlights the urgency not only
of testing and updating population data, but also the focus on strengthening
capacity at district level, including the collection and reporting of EMIS data.
Recommendations for development of new model:
Apply Steps 2.1 and 2.2 to improved population data to model total theoretical demand
for school places at each grade for fiscal years 2016/17.
Use GER and NER figures from the latest available Annual School Census, where
collection will also have been improved in Year 1 of ESP 2015, to adjust for likely
increased demand for primary school places and decreased demand at post primary
levels, given the current situation.
Model for a range of possible improvements in NER over the period to refine
estimates.
Future Work
The development of a full revised model will require technical assistance from an
economist with a strong background in demographics. The Department will work with
its funding partners and their implementing agencies to secure the services of a qualified
consultant, who will also provide assistance on the scoping of the household survey.
Once the significant issues raised here on the quality of population estimates in
particular have been resolved, the Department will develop a fresh model with the
following characteristics:
Characterisation of districts. Acknowledgment of diversity across the province in
terms of human development indicators, as well as geographical and social factors
affecting education. Divide province into x ‘types’ of district to strengthen quality of
modelling and provide list of assumptions (e.g. birth rates, status of school buildings,
availability of teachers, etc). Present subsequent sections modelled on these types,
aggregated to province level.
Summary of costing assumptions. To include assumption/scenarios on how inflation
will move over the period and its impact on base costs for (i) salaries; (ii) buildings;
(iii) repairs; plus other core costs. Present subsequent sections modelled on one or
more scenarios.
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Subsection 1: Population growth and implications for provision requirements over the
next five years. Include school age population trajectory with population scenarios for
(i) holding enrolment rates constant (low case, based on EMIS evidence); (ii) enrolment
increase of x% (medium case); and (iii) enrolment increase of y% (high case). Establish
basic demand side for the ESP period.
Subsection 2.1: Theoretical availability of teachers and pay scales. Include assessment
of workforce currently available (EMIS data) and status of posting across the province
(EMIS data). Include costed scenarios for (i) holding workforce and posting constant
(low case); (ii) improving posting efficiency (with potential implications for increased
workforce) based on Subsection 1 by x% (medium case); and (iii) improving posting
efficiency (with potential implications for increased workforce) based on Subsection 1
by y% (high case).
Subsection 2.2: Availability and status of school buildings. Include assessment of stock
currently available (EMIS data) and state of repair (EMIS and IMU data), with costed
scenarios for (i) holding stock constant (low case); (ii) stock increase of x% (medium
case); (iii) stock increase of y% (high case); (iv) holding state of repair constant; (v)
repair improvement of x% (medium case); and (vi) repair improvement of y% (high
case).
These three subsections provide the basis for the most critical issues on the supply side
as it relates to improving the quality of population data, and availability and status of
teachers and schools buildings.
Comparison of Subsections 1 and 2: Use scenarios above to develop realistic (and
stretching) targets for improving access and enrolment over the life of the ESP.
Accompany these with estimates on costs involved.
Subsection 3.1: Availability of funds for CPD activity. Include costed scenarios for (tbc
depending on decisions taken on CPD framework) (i) holding current level of training
provision constant (low case, dependent on partners); (ii) reforming PITE and/or DCTE
and providing training and mentoring in house (medium case, partially dependent on
partners); and (iii) outsourcing training and mentoring, using DCTE and/or PITE as
commissioners and quality controllers (high case, not dependent on partners in the
same way).
Subsection 3.2: Availability of funds for textbooks. Include costed scenarios for (tbc
depending on department view on reforming textbooks) (i) holding current practice of
annual printing constant (low case); (ii) improving quality sufficiently to ensure
textbooks last 3 years (medium case); and (iii) improving quality sufficiently to ensure
textbooks last 5 years (high case).
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Subsection 3.3: Availability of discretionary funds for PTCs and schools for
consumables and minor repairs. Include costed scenarios for (i) holding current
allowance constant (low case); (ii) pegging allowance to inflation (medium case); and
(iii) introducing annual increments above inflation to increase schools’ discretionary
spend (high case).
These three subsections provide the basis for the most critical issues on the supply side
as it relates to improving the quality of teaching, learning and environments.
Subsection 4: ESP 2015 specific initiatives. This section will look at likely financial
requirements of four policies for this plan that lie outside the standard work of the
department. This sub section will be informed by the development of detailed work
plans created by the Department’s delivery teams with specific responsibility for each
policy (see M&E Section on page 73 for details on these teams).
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Monitoring & Evaluation
1 Responsibilities and work planning
Successful delivery of the policies set out in ESP 2015 will depend heavily on the early
assignment of clear lines of responsibility both within the ESED and the technical
assistance teams provided through donor funding. During the third quarter of fiscal year
2014/15 (January to March 2015), the Department will therefore assign responsibilities
to named teams of officials, pairing them with specific members of the appropriate
technical assistance provision to support them.
These teams will be held accountable for delivery of each of the 10 policies over the
lifetime of ESP 2015. This work will be the main way in which the Department will build
the capacity of officials at provincial level over the next five years, using the technical
support made available to it by partners in a focused and strategic manner.
The first task for each of the delivery teams will be to create Year 1 work plans that set
out in detail the way in which they will achieve the milestones indicated in the previous
sections, and consolidated in the Joint Review Framework on page 77. This work will
take place during the final quarter of fiscal year 2014/15 (April to June 2015), to enable
the Department to begin delivery of ESP 2015 from the start of fiscal year 2015/16 in
July 2015. Work plans will contain monthly milestones, against which progress will be
monitored and evaluated throughout the year.
2 Approach to monitoring
The ESED will monitor and evaluate its progress on delivering the 10 policies set out in
ESP 2015 at three levels:
Monthly Stock Takes
Each month, the Department will hold an internal stock take to monitor progress against
each of the 10 priority policies for ESP 2015, building on current practice. Chaired by
Secretary Elementary & Secondary Education, these meetings will use the annual work
plans developed by delivery teams as the basis for a discussion on progress, roadblocks,
and strategies for overcoming them. Officials responsible for each policy will present
their work, with support from technical assistance consultants.
Minutes of each stock take, including follow up actions and recommendations for
tackling delays and other roadblocks, will be shared with development partners
providing financial aid to the Department no later than one week after the event. The
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same development partners will have a standing invitation to send a representative to
observe these meetings, which will usually take place in the Department in Peshawar.
Quarterly Monitoring Meetings
At the end of the first three quarters of each fiscal year, the Department will invite
development partners and implementing organisations to take part in a formal
monitoring meeting. Jointly chaired by Secretary Elementary & Secondary Education
and a representative of the government’s international partners to be nominated by this
group, these meetings will review progress for the preceding quarter, based on the
milestones set out in each of the policy work plans. Officials responsible for each policy
will present their work with support from technical assistance consultants, and partners
will have the opportunity to discuss progress, roadblocks, and plans for the remainder
of the year.
Papers for each monitoring meeting will be circulated two weeks in advance of the
discussion. Each development partner and implementing agency will be able to
nominate up to two representatives to take part. It will be the responsibility of
international partners to ensure papers are circulated as required, and to come to
meetings ready to represent a clear organisational view on progress, and actions
required to strengthen this.
Meetings will take place in Islamabad in view of current security restrictions on travel
to Peshawar for international staff. Minutes will be shared with all invited organisations
no later than one week after the event, and will be agreed formally at the subsequent
meeting.
Joint Annual Reviews
At the end of each fiscal year, the Department will conduct an annual review of progress
jointly with its development partners and other parts of the provincial government. Joint
Annual Reviews will review progress over the previous year. So, the first review of ESP
2015 will take place in June 2016, considering work carried out during fiscal year
2015/16 (Year 1 of the plan period).
Joint Annual Reviews will be conducted by examining the agreed evidence for progress
against each of the 10 policies included in ESP 2015. The Department anticipates donors
will align their decisions about the release of financial assistance to this process. To
expedite this process, ESED has developed a draft Joint Review Framework that
summarises expected progress in each policy area on an annual basis for the lifetime
of the plan. The current draft is available in Table 40 and now requires discussion and
negotiation with development partners providing financial aid to the government before
it is finalised.
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Formal evidence of the government’s progress against the requirements of the Joint
Review Framework will be provided to partners no less than two weeks in advance of
the discussions. Each development partner will be able to nominate up to four
representatives to take part, and implementing agencies up to two.8 It will be the
responsibility of international partners to ensure papers are circulated as required, and
to come to meetings ready to represent a clear organisational view on progress, and
recommendations on the actions required to strengthen this.
As part of each Joint Annual Review, the Department and its partners will identify areas
where progress has been made faster than anticipated, or where it has not been possible
to achieve what was planned for the year. Each Review will include a process of
adjusting Joint Review Framework indicators for the remaining years of ESP 2015.
Wherever security permits, Joint Annual Reviews will incorporate field visits to enable
partners to see progress in schools. It is however anticipated that the majority of
meetings will take place in Islamabad in view of current security restrictions on travel
to Peshawar for international staff.
3 Annual schedule of monitoring meetings
Month Meeting 1 Meeting 2
July
Monthly departmental
stock take (internal with
observer status for
governments providing
financial aid)
August
September Q1 review (all donors and
implementing agencies)
October
November
December Q2 review (all donors and
implementing agencies)
January
February
March Q3 review (all donors and
implementing agencies)
April
May
June Annual Review (all partners providing
financial aid)
8 This number is informed by the multiplicity of partners working in education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the need to ensure the Joint Annual Review process remains manageable and meaningful. Partners may choose to deploy specialists in meetings on different topics, but total numbers should not exceed the guidelines laid out.
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Table 39
4 Approach to evidence based evaluation and decision making
In addition to the schedule of monitoring meetings outlined above, ESED has committed
to commissioning a range of evaluation focused studies related to ESP 2015 policies
over the next five years. These are summarised in Table 40. It is possible that funding
partners may wish to conduct other evaluations and studies. In the event this is the
case, the Department will work with partners to facilitate this work.
Policy Study Purpose Frequency
1 Review of
available teacher
training
qualifications for
new entrants.
Facilitate evidence based decision
making on which qualifications
should be treated as preferred by
provincial government when
recruiting teachers.
Year 1.
Refresh in Year
4.
2 Review of existing
teacher education
organisations in
the Department.
Facilitate evidence based decision
making on assignment of
responsibility for managing teacher
education appropriately.
Year 1.
One time
study.
3 Review of existing
teacher T&Cs and
their impact on
education delivery.
Facilitate evidence based decision
making on reshaping teacher T&Cs to
improve focus on core business of
educating children.
Year 1.
One time
study.
5 Fundamental
review of cash
transfer
approaches in
education across
the province.
Facilitate evidence based decision
making on developing a single
programme to deliver cash transfers
to children at risk of educational
deprivation.
Year 1.
One time
study.
5 Annual reviews of
performance of
cash transfer
programme.
Examine the evidence for links
between cash transfers and
increased enrolment and retention,
and better learning outcomes. A
major contribution to global evidence
in this area.
Years 2-5.
Longitudinal
study.
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6 Review of
performance of
voucher based
partnership with
private sector.
Examine the evidence for links
between use of vouchers and
increased enrolment and retention,
and better learning outcomes. A
major contribution to global evidence
in this area.
Year 3.
One time
study.
7 Reviews of
Departmental
emergency
management
procedures.
Examine the quality of specific
emergency responses and make
recommendations to strengthen
future practice.
Annually,
depending on
incidence of
emergencies.
Table 40
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5 Joint Review Framework
#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
Policy Area 1: More Effective Teachers
1 Redevelop approach to training and
selecting new teachers
Baseline on shortage and surplus teacher
supply as per policy will be
established for each district at start of roll out.
This data is available through
IMU. The Department is also working on
improving the quality of teacher
recruitment tests and plans to come up with two tests
(one for primary and one other this
year.
(1.1) Surplus teachers redeployed to
schools (primary) with
teacher shortages and baselines and
targets established
(1.2) Improved teacher recruitment
policy developed and
agreed by government
(1.1) Surplus teachers redeployed to
schools (primary) with
teacher shortages (1.2)
Implementation and Review of
teacher recruitment process
completed and findings used to
further improve the recruitment process/policy
(1.1) 70% of primary schools achieving
optimal student to teacher ratio
(1.2) Better qualified teachers
recruited through the
new policy
(1.1) 75% of primary schools achieving
optimal student to teacher ratio
(1.2) Better qualified teachers
recruited through the
new policy
(1.1) 80% of primary schools achieving
optimal student to teacher ratio
(1.2) Better qualified teachers
recruited through the
new policy
Evidence: EMIS and/or IMU data; Evaluation; Baseline on teacher quality, Annual surveys of teaching; surveys/studies on the quality of new teachers
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
2 Develop a
consolidated, needs based high quality
approach to CPD
The roles of DCTE
and PITE in certain areas are overlapping, and
an option paper has been
developed to examine the current roles of
the DCTE and PITE. E&SED has
developed and approved a CPD framework
advocating extension of a
school-based CPD model, currently
used in 3 districts, and plans to extend this to an
additional 5 districts.
(2.1) One
managing institution for CPD in the
province (2.2) Teacher
Management Information System (TMIS)
designed (2.3) 3 districts
implementing school based CPD in 80% of
the schools
(2.1)
Consolidated CPD plan and budget
developed, agreed and
implemented (2.2) Teacher Management
Information System (TMIS)
launched (2.3) 4 districts (cumulative)
implementing CPD in 80% of
the schools
(2.1) 5 districts
(cumulative) implementing CPD in 80% of
the schools
(2.1) 6 districts
(cumulative) implementing CPD in 80% of
the schools
(2.1) 8 districts
(cumulative) implementing CPD in 80% of
the schools
Evidence: Annual reviews of the performance of the DCTE and the PITE; TMIS; Evaluation of CPD
programme; Annual survey of teaching; TMIS data; baseline and annual student learning assessment
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
3 Redevelop
teaching cadre employment
rules
Some areas for
review will include the principle of tenure, as well as
leave rules and the deployment of
teachers for non-teaching duties.
(3.1) A study
on teacher terms and conditions
completed and recommendatio
ns shared with the Department (3.2) Donors'
TA harmonization
(Alif Ailan, Ilm Ideas etc) for the launch of a
public campaign
based on the recommendatio
ns of the study to engage with stakeholders to
create ownership
(3.1) Review of
teachers T&C’s as per recommendatio
ns of the Analysis Study.
(3.1) Proposal
for revision to teachers T&C developed.
(3.1) Proposal
for revised teacher T&C's approved.
(3.1)
implementation starts
The activity is linked to the Development partner's responsibilities indicator.
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
Policy Area 2: Better Schools and Facilities
4 Establish a sustainable approach to
provision of facilities
Number of non-functional schools, schools with
missing facilities available from the
IMU. Currently there are a number of
different approaches to
school construction and
rehabilitation in the province. Over the course of the
ESP these approaches will be
evaluated to come up with the best possible strategy
going forward.
(4.1) 50% of non- functional sanctioned
schools across the province
are re-opened (4.2) 4,500 government
schools provided funds
for missing facilities
(electricity, water, toilets, boundary walls)
(4.1) 50% of non- functional sanctioned
schools across the province
are re-opened (4.2) 13,000 government
schools provided funds
for missing facilities
(electricity, water, toilets, boundary walls)
(4.1) 85% schools in the province are
functional (4.2) All
facilities (electricity, water, toilets,
boundary walls) available in
65% of schools.
(4.1) 80% schools in the province are
functional and have adequate
facilities (electricity, water, toilets,
boundary walls)
(4.1) 80% schools in the province are
functional and have adequate
facilities (electricity, water, toilets,
boundary walls)
Evidence: IMU data, TPV, additional information, evaluations
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
Policy Area 3: Every Child’s Right to Education
5 Launch new benefits aimed at
children most at risk of
educational deprivation
Approach on cash transfers needs to be reviewed and
redesigned if a decision is taken
to continue.
(5.1) 95% of stipends disbursed in a
timely manner (5.2) Review of
cash transfer programmes completed
(5.1) 95% of stipends disbursed in a
timely manner (5.2) A clear
province wide approach to conditional
cash transfers agreed and
implemented
(5.1) Review of new approach conducted and
lessons learnt incorporated
TBD TBD
Evidence: TPV; Evaluations, IMU data
6 Scale up partnerships with the
private sector
Voucher scheme operational in urban Peshawar,
initially piloted to 1,500 out of
school children.
(6.1) Vouchers pilot scheme operational in
four districts (6.2) 90% of
the vouchers (based on annual targets)
distributed to eligible
students and 50% redeemed. (6.3) At least
80% attendance by
students
(6.1) Voucher coverage scaled up in existing
four districts (6.2) 90% of
the vouchers (based on annual targets)
distributed to eligible
students and 55% redeemed (6.3) At least
80% attendance by
students
(6.1) An effective scalable model
for school vouchers
introduced to other districts (6.2) 90% of
the vouchers (based on
annual targets) distributed to eligible
students and 60% redeemed
(6.3) At least
(6.2) 90% of the vouchers (based on
annual targets) distributed to
eligible students and 65% redeemed
(6.2) At least 80%
attendance by students receiving
vouchers
(6.2) 90% of the vouchers (based on
annual targets) distributed to
eligible students and 70% redeemed
(6.2) At least 80%
attendance by students receiving
vouchers
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
receiving vouchers
receiving vouchers
80% attendance by
students receiving
vouchers
Evidence: TPV; Evaluations
7 Launch a
draw down fund for use
in emergency situations
The department
does not currently have any plans or
budget provision for responding to
emergencies
(7.1)
Emergency Standard
Operating Procedures
(ESoPs) mapped
(7.1)
Emergency Standard
Operating Procedures
(ESoPs), developed, approved and
rolled out across the
department
(7.1)
Emergency Standard
Operating Procedures
(ESoPs) approved and rolled out
across the department
(7.1)
Evaluation completed
(7.1)
Evaluation findings
contribute to improving
management of education in emergencies
Evidence:ESoPs; Evaluation
Policy Area 4: Good Governance and Management
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
8 Testing and
updating of population and education
data
Updated
population data is currently unavailable due to
which an accurate projection of
education needs in the province is not possible.
Quality and timeliness of
education data available in the province also
varies.
(8.1) PC-1 of
household census to identify Out of
School Children approved and
census design completed and activities in
progress as per plan.
(8.2) Evaluation of quality,
timeliness and scope of EMIS
and IMU data completed and
recommendations on way forward agreed
(8.1)
Household Census findings used to project
education needs in the
province (8.2) Timely robust data
made available in an accessible
format (8.3) Recommendati
ons on improvements
to quality of education data
implemented
(8.1) Timely
robust data made available in an accessible
format (8.1) Improved
use of data for planning, budgeting and
school management
(8.1) Timely
robust data made available in an accessible
format (8.1) Improved
use of data for planning, budgeting and
school management
(8.1) Timely
robust data made available in an accessible
format (8.1) Improved
use of data for planning, budgeting and
school management
Evidence: EMIS and/or IMU data; Evaluation
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
9 Develop
district officials’ management
skills
District based
education department staff require skills to
improve data management,
planning, budgeting and school monitoring.
Baselines for teacher
attendance, student attendance, and
enrolment in selected districts
TBD. Data available through
IMU.
(9.1) District
performance targets agreed and achieved
(9.2)Evidence based district
education plans based on OBB developed,
approved and implemented in
5 districts
(9.1) District
performance targets agreed and achieved
(9.2) Evidence based district
education plans based on OBB developed,
approved and implemented in
10 districts (cumulative)
(9.1) District
performance targets agreed and achieved
(9.2) Evidence based district
education plans based on OBB developed,
approved and implemented in
15 districts (cumulative)
(9.1) District
performance targets agreed and achieved
(9.2) Evidence based district
education plans based on OBB developed,
approved and implemented in
20 districts (cumulative)
(9.1) District
performance targets agreed and achieved
(9.2) Evidence based district
education plans based on OBB developed,
approved and implemented in
25 districts (cumulative)
Evidence: IMU data, district performance indicators, action tracker, District Steering Committee meeting records
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#
ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
1
0
Protect
education budgets to ensure
education is prioritized
over the coming years
Budget
projections for the ESP period need to be finalized.
This budget will then need to be
reviewed regularly and aligned with the FY budget.
Other issues that need review are
increasing overall budgetary allocation
specifically under non-salary current
budget, better/needs
based budgeting, rate of budget execution, quality
of spend, transparency of
spend.
(10.1) ESP
costed and MTBF and OBB aligned with
ESP (10.2) Analysis
of trends in salary and non-salary
components of the education
budget and their impact on school
effectiveness completed;
(10.3) Improved
budget execution of non-salary
recurrent budget for
school operating costs
(10.1) Increase
in non-salary recurrent budget for
school operating costs
(10.2) Improved budget
execution of non-salary
recurrent budget for school
operating costs
(10.1) Increase
in non-salary recurrent budget for
school operating costs
(10.2) Improved budget
execution of non-salary
recurrent budget for school
operating costs
(10.1) Increase
in non-salary recurrent budget for
school operating costs
(10.2) Improved budget
execution of non-salary
recurrent budget for school
operating costs
(10.1) Increase
in non-salary recurrent budget for
school operating costs
(10.2) Improved budget
execution of non-salary
recurrent budget for school
operating costs
Evidence: Budgets; budget execution reports
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ESP Policies
Baseline
Milestones
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
Development Partners' Responsibilities and Obligations
Objective Baseline 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
Donor harmonization,
alignment, and aid
predictability: The ESP outlines
GoKP's plans for the next
five years. Development partners
supporting education
reform in KP should align their efforts
with this plan.
DFID, DFAT and EU are aligning SBS with the KP
Education Sector Plan ( 2015-20)
and providing TA to support this
(1) Development partners align
resources and programmes
with GoKP plans (2)
Development partners
commit predictable financing
(3) Development
partners are harmonizing through the
provision of technical
assistance, regular coordination,
and joint review missions
(1) Development partners align
resources and programmes
with GoKP plans (2)
Development partners
commit predictable financing
(3) Development
partners are harmonizing through the
provision of technical
assistance, regular coordination,
and joint review missions
(1) Development partners align
resources and programmes
with GoKP plans (2) Development
partners commit
predictable financing (3)
Development partners are
harmonizing through the provision of
technical assistance,
regular coordination, and joint review
missions
(1) Development partners align
resources and programmes
with GoKP plans (2)
Development partners
commit predictable financing
(3) Development
partners are harmonizing through the
provision of technical
assistance, regular coordination,
and joint review missions
(1) Development partners align
resources and programmes
with GoKP plans (2)
Development partners
commit predictable financing
(3) Development
partners are harmonizing through the
provision of technical
assistance, regular coordination,
and joint review missions
Table 41
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Annex: Actions for 2014/15
Table 42 summarises the range of specific preparatory work that will be required in
advance of Year 1 of the plan period. Details of these activities are included in earlier
sections on the 10 policy priorities for ESP 2015.
Policy Area Policy Activity
Every child’s right to education
7 Commission and conduct testing of children’s learning levels in schools involved in the voucher pilot.
Good governance and management
9 Discussion through the SDPF and with the Provincial
Bureau of Statistics on the case for strengthening population estimates for planning.
9 Discussion with Finance Department and partners on the approach to funding a triennial household survey for
planning purposes.
9 Development and dissemination of detailed terms of
reference for a triennial household survey for planning purposes.
10 Discussion with funders of technical assistance on the scope of technical assistance that could be devoted to
supporting district administrators over the life of ESP 2015.
10 Identification and development of a range of ‘set piece’ activities around which to design technical assistance
support for district administrators.
10 Development of a detailed district work plan for fiscal
year 2015/16, and indicative plans for outer year(s), and recruitment of suitable consultants.
Management
1-10 Assign specific delivery teams in the Department, with appropriate technical support, for each of the 10 policies.
1-10 Delivery teams to develop detailed, costed action plans for Year 1 of the ESP period.
Table 42