  SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS
A selection of my photographs can be viewed at http://www.redbubble.com/search/Martina20Nicolls SELECTED PUBLICATIONS The following selected publications are available online: IRAQ: (1) A Second Chance: Accelerated Learning, Creative Associates International, Inc., Washington DC, July 2004 http://www.caii.com/CAIIStaff/Dashboard_GIROAdminCAIIStaff/Dashboard_CAIIAdminDatabase/publications/ALIRAQ.pdf (2) Article: Out-of-School Students Get a Second Chance, Creative Times (Newsletter), Creative Associates International, Inc., Winter 2004, Vol2, No1 http://www.caii.com/CAIIStaff/Dashboard_GIROAdminCAIIStaff/Dashboard_CAIIAdminDatabase/publications/ETIMESWINTER0304.pdf (3) Slide Show: Accelerated Learning http://www.caii.com/CAIIStaff/Dashboard_GIROAdminCAIIStaff/Dashboard_CAIIAdminDatabase/images/slide_show/slide6.htm AFGHANISTAN: (1) USAID/OTI Afghanistan Program: Final Evaluation, USAID, Washington DC, August 15, 2005 http://pdf.dec.org/pdf_docs/PDACF383.pdf LIBERIA: (1) MID TERM EVALUATION OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAMME IN LIBERIA, European Commission, 9 February 2007 http://www.dellbr.cec.eu.int OTHERS: (1) Canaries in coal mines: corals on reefs, CRC Reef Research Centre, Queensland, Australia, 1996 http://www.reef.crc.org.au/publications/explore/feat26.html (2) State Training Profiles: rural vocational education and training statistics and funding issues, Journal of Institutional Research, May 1998 http://www.aair.org.au/jir/May98/Nicolls.pdf Education SWAP – Bangladeshs Lessons on a Sector-Wide Approach Martina Nicolls: 23 May 2009 After initial delays and teething problems, the Second Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-II) in Bangladesh, in its fifth year of implementation, is demonstrating the advantages of a sector-wide approach. Practical progress has been made to the benefit of Bangladeshs children. Background Since Independence in March 1971, there have been many much-appreciated donor-funded projects supporting Bangladeshs primary education sub-sector. The initial Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-I) covering 1997-2003 was, in reality, an uncoordinated assortment of twenty-seven projects. Recognizing that fragmented, project-based approaches of this kind were unhelpful in terms of long-term institutional development and sustainability, the Development Partners (DPs), comprising eleven donor organizations, and the Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh (GOB) jointly agreed to adopt a program approach to primary education. The Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) program aims to ensure that external funding supports a single sector policy and expenditure program, under government leadership and adopting common approaches to planning and implementation. Out of a GOB-led participatory program planning and design exercise under the National Plan of Action, a long, frustrating process stretching more than three years, PEDP-II emerged. It is the largest donor-funded primary education program in the world, and the first genuine sector-wide approach in the history of the Bangladesh education sector. Although PEDP-II was formally launched in September 2004, it did not actualize until 2005, and is scheduled for completion mid-2010. Progress Progress to end-2008 against key performance indicators, targets, and primary school level standards documented in the revised Development Project Proforma, generally referred to as the Framework, indicate some successes and a range of on-going challenges. While it cannot be recorded that remarkable progress has been made, given the complexity of PEDP-II with many diverse components and activities, it can be stated that the program is moving in a gradual positive trajectory toward greater access to quality teaching and learning for the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) and, more importantly, the children of Bangladesh. Data for 2008 indicate that the gross enrolment rate (GER) has increased from 93.7 in 2005 to an overall rate of 97.9 and the net enrolment rate (NER) has increased from 87.2 in 2005 to 90 Although class sizes are still large, the student-teacher ratio has decreased from 54:1 in the 2005 baseline study to 50:1 in 2008 and edging closer to a target of 48:1. The draft 2008 National Student Assessment Survey indicates a Grade 5 literacy rate of 69, an increase from 66 in 2006, and a numeracy rate of 63, an increase from 44 in 2006. On-going challenges The gross enrolment rate, while increasing overall, lags behind for boys, at 92.8 compared with 102.9 for girls. Similarly, the net enrolment rate also lags behind for boys, at 87.8 compared with 94.0 for girls. There is also considerable variation between districts, with urban areas increasing at a greater rate than rural areas. The repetition rates show insignificant improvement from 2005 to 2008, the dropout rates show no improvement after four years, and the student completion rates to Grade 5 indicate a slightly negative trend. Despite figures for boys lagging behind those for girls, and despite geographical variations and some concern regarding the reliability of the basic demographic information, it appears that both the GER and the NER indicators will be achieved. The planned percentages of students achieving acceptable level of literacy and numeracy in Grade 5 appears likely to be achieved, although such data should be handled with care. The student completion rate to Grade 5 in PEDP-II schools is likely to be well below the indicator. Repetition rates have yet to improve significantly and, despite stipends and quality enhancement, the coefficient of efficiency target is unlikely to be achieved. Similarly, the dropout rates are far higher than those targeted. The aim of reducing the average class size to 48 by 2009 was unrealistically optimistic. Filling of staff, non-teacher vacancies at all levels has proved much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated and this remains a serious challenge. The experiences of both PEDP-I and PEDP-II provide bitter experiences with regard to capacity development with the training and curriculum agencies. Almost all the professional personnel are seconded on temporary arrangements from other departments who stay for uncertain and often short periods. Lessons learned Due to the complexity of administrative, procurement and other procedures, there was a considerable gestation period until funds become available before commencing PEDP-II implementation. The initial program design was ambitious in terms of DPEs capacity to implement the abundance of diverse activities. The initial lack of an educational management information system (EMIS) and monitoring capacities created problems in reporting program information to Development Partners and the wider Government. However, the sectoral program is now fully under way, well understood by those involved, and producing increasingly positive and sustainable outcomes. Several real and practical advantages over the previous project approach are becoming evident and it is clear that the SWAP is increasingly producing:
Into the future Most of the development activities of the primary education sub-sector are being undertaken through PEDP-II and, after this program concludes, there will be an unquestionable on-going need to continue the development activities and, accordingly, a follow-up programme is considered essential. The Government of Bangladesh is committed to achieving the Education for All goals by 2015. To achieve Universal Primary Education it is necessary to sustain, consolidate and improve further the progress and achievements of PEDP-II. Moreover, the Government intends to pursue a holistic framework incorporating the activities of both the formal and non-formal systems. The Government of Bangladesh is fully committed to the enrolment of all primary age-group children by 2011, their retention up to the completion of the primary cycle and the eradication of illiteracy from the country by 2014. The GOB indicate that future primary programming will be developed and implemented following SWAP, the Sector-wide Approach, building upon PEDP-II experiences and embodying development partner harmonization in accordance with the Paris Declaration. Therefore, the considerable investment in time and money made by GOB in learning how to manage a SWAP must not be discarded. Decentralized systems, school-level improvements, activity-based learning, community participation, increased student contact hours in the classroom, smaller class sizes, information-based and research-guided policy-making, and a national curriculum are all challenges for the future. However it is considered that, in practice, the structure of future programming should be more flexible than that of PEDP-II. Inevitably, as a major program unfolds, new challenges emerge. Procedures that allow for participative, reality-based program modifications should be built into the future management and financial administrative arrangements of any future program. Dr Martina Nicolls is an independent consultant for the European Commission in Bangladesh. Information in this article was adapted from the Directorate of Educations PROG3 Concept Paper, 7 May 2009. |
