08.09.2013 Educational challenges
Different schemes to improve education standards need continuous monitoring
By Afsheen Naz
The education sector in Punjab is experiencing a number of positive interventions by the government of Punjab. Universal Primary Education survey and Universal Secondary Education survey are amongst the educational schemes which are aimed to enhance admission rate and ensure enrolment of all school going age children.
With remarkable achievements in the education sector, these schemes have certain bad effects on female teachers as well. This task (of survey) ended up with increased burden on teachers which is other than their basic duty of teaching. Teachers have to work extra hours and out of track. Thus, efficiency and focus of the teachers to teach is disturbed. The government should appoint volunteers or local persons of the community to conduct surveys.
Another step of the Punjab government to increase the quality and quantity in education is “monitoring and evaluation system”. This system has resulted in enhancing quality of education in all tiers of the school education. However, with all its positive aspects over education sector, pressure on teachers has also been increased. Since, M&E officers require a number of evidentiary documents to be produced and certain requirement to be completed, teachers use some improper ways to complete the M&E files which actually do not bear fruits.
Despite efficient steps by the Punjab government in the field of education, rural urban gap is still prevailing in service delivery, access and quality. There is a need to concentrate more on the schools in rural areas to attain a balanced literacy rate in terms of access, quality and quantity. Proper implementation of rationalisation policy can prove to be a good cure for the problem.
Gender gap in education also contributes to rural urban gap. The phenomenon is present in both rural and urban areas, however, it is more intense in rural areas. To cope with the issue, certain schemes are being implemented. Female stipend programme is one of these schemes and is subject to female student’s 80 per cent attendance. However, socio-economic conditions of the masses are hurdles in any government step to improver female literacy rate.
All the above information is based on research conducted by SDPI in Ilm-ideas project. Thus, to conclude, situation of education sector has somewhat improved. The government has taken some rigorous steps to improve the quality of education and literacy rate. However, continuous monitoring, with proper check and balance, of such steps is needed.
The writer is Research Associate at SDPI and can be reached at afsheen@sdpi.org