IDG Highlight: Improving Low Performing Schools

IDG, June 2010 - Many development agencies argue that improving pro-poor public services in developing countries generally requires a considerable increase in the financial resources that are made available for service delivery. However, despite a considerable increase in official development assistance over the past ten years, only limited progress is being made in most countries in attaining improved public services and other development objectives, such as those specified in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Much less attention is typically paid to the effectiveness with which public resources are used. In many countries, financial resources intended for pro-poor service delivery are 'captured' at the central level, and few resources actually trickle down to the schools, clinics, and other service delivery units that serve the needs of the people. Promoting decentralization and strengthening local governments brings government closer to the people and can make society more democratic. In addition, strengthening local governance can make the public sector more accountable and improve the delivery of pro-poor public services. This is even true in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, which is considered one of the most remote and among the most hard-to-govern places in the world.

Under the USAID-funded Districts That Work (DTW) project, the Urban Institute worked at different government levels to improve the provision of primary education in North West Frontier Province. Provincial and district stakeholders used data from the existing Education Management Information System (EMIS) to establish baselines for school performance. This allowed provincial and district officials to distinguish well-performing schools from low performing school, and enabled officials to develop specific performance indicators and establish performance targets.

Subsequently, District That Work teams activated Parent Teacher Councils (PTCs) at 261 low performing schools across ten districts in North West Frontier Province to address key education challenges such as high repetition rates; lack of a school buildings, electricity, water, and boundary walls. PTCs form an important mechanism to involve the community in education issues. These councils promote social accountability and ensure that finaicial resources at the school-level are put to use for their intended purpose.

In addition, district and school action plans were developed and implemented to guide service improvements using a basic performance management approach. While the EMIS data was previously available, in the past the data were primarily compiled and sent to the provincial government without much analysis and use for evidence-based decision making at the local level.

After a single year of implementation, the district and school action plans resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of schools that were designated as ‘low performing’ from 261 to 29, an 89 percent improvement. Parent-Teacher Councils were effectively activated in 92 percent of low performing schools, and the realization of 70 percent of the district action plans was achieved. In particular, school infrastructure was improved in a short time period, with 66 percent of low performing schools now having electricity; 72 percent getting water; and 67 percent having a boundary wall.

The success of the performance management approach in NWFP has also led districts in Sindh and Punjab provinces to implement this program. Said the Executive District Officer for Education in Charsada: “this exercise has opened our eyes for effectively using the EMIS system and we will utilize the same process in future for evaluation of schools”.