Citizen Report Card Study Education Sector District Okara - Punjab

Transcription

1 Citizen Report Card Study Education Sector District Okara - Punjab

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3 Goal 4 of the UN Sustainable Goals: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Providing education to all the citizens of the country is a primary responsibility of the Government. Without an educated population, no country can make progress and compete with other nations. In Pakistan, the number of out of school children is huge. As education falls in the Provincial Governments domain, it has to make a determined effort to achieve the goals of the SDGs in the education sector by the year To determine the state of the services provided by the Punjab Government in District Okara, Transparency International Pakistan undertook this research. The objective of the study is to provide the Punjab government with an external review of the services offered to the general public with recommendations to address the gaps to improve the state of the education sector in the Province. This research will be disseminated amongst the Punjab Government, civil society organizations, academia, media, public and other stakeholders. TI Pakistan is confident that the Punjab Government will utilize this report to improve the performance of the Education sector at the district level to improve the facilities provided to the general public. This research has been made possible due to a grant from Transparency International Secretariat. Saad Rashid Executive Director Transparency International Pakistan

4 Ashfaque Ahmed Saad Rashid, Executive Director Transparency International Pakistan would like to thank Ms. Saima Batool President, Sudhar Development Organization (SDO) and members of her team for collaboration in the study. Every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this report. All information was believed to be correct as of October 2017 as per sources quoted in this report. Nevertheless, Transparency International Pakistan cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of the contents beyond the sources verified for the purpose of the study. r can Transparency International Pakistan accept responsibility for the consequences of its uses for other purposes or in other contents. Contributions to this report by authors external to Transparency International Pakistan do not necessarily reflect.

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6 2 TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL PAKISTAN

7 Table of Contents 1. Introduction Background Study Objectives Duration Scope Research Methods Research Design Focus Group Discussion Sample Technique and Size Instrument of Data Collection Analysis and Results Recommendations References

8 List of Acronyms CRC DSP FGD GER GIR GoP NEP NER NFE NGO RSU SIP SMC SSP TED TI Citizen Report Card Differential Stipends Policy Focus group discussion Gross Enrolment Ratio Gross Intake Ratio Government of Punjab National Education Policy Net Enrolment Rates n-formal Education n-governmental Organization Reform Support Unit School Improvement Plan School Management Committee Standard Stipends Policy Teacher Education and Development Transparency International 6

9 List of Tables Table 1. 1 Pakistan Teacher student ratio Table 1. 2 Number of Schools in Okara Table 1. 3 Number of students and teachers in Okara Table 3. 1 Gender Table 3. 2 Tehsil Table 3. 3 Teachers attending school daily Table 3. 4 Teachers' Punctuality Table 3. 5 Teachers' individual attention Table 3. 6 Teachers' qualification Table 3. 7 Teachers performing their duties well Table 3. 8 Incidents of Corporal Punishments Table 3. 9 Condition of School Building Table Maintenance of School building Table School Building for Education Purposes Table Availability of Free Course Books Table Availability of library Table Facilities for Differently able children Table Availability of Furniture Table Cleanliness in schools Table Cleanliness around schools Table School Security Table Boundary wall Table Availability of Water Table Availability of clean toilets Table Air Ventilation Table Proper lights in Schools Table Extracurricular Activities Table Unnecessary demand of money Table Administration performing their duties Table Cooperation of school Administration Table Corruption in Schools Table Redressal of Complaints

10 List of Figures Figure 1. 1 Number of schools at Primary, Middle and Secondary level Figure 1. 2 Student Enrollment at Primary, Middle and Secondary level Figure 1. 3 Overall Enrollment at Primary, Middle & Secondary Figure 1. 4 Enrollment by Gender in Punjab Figure 1. 5 View of a public school in Okara Figure 1. 6 Infrastructure availability in public schools Figure 2. 1 Enumerators with TI Pakistan representative Figure 2. 2 Focus Group Discussion Figure 3. 1 Gender Figure 3. 2 Tehsil Figure 3. 3 Teachers attending school daily Figure 3. 4 Teachers' Punctuality Figure 3. 5 Teachers' individual attention Figure 3. 6 Teachers' qualification Figure 3. 7 Teachers performing their duties well Figure 3. 8 Corporal punishment Figure 3. 9 Condition of School Building Figure Maintenance of School Building Figure School Building for Education Purposes Figure Availability of free Course Books Figure Availability of Library Figure Facilities for Differently able children Figure Availability of Furniture Figure Cleanliness in schools Figure Cleanliness around schools Figure School Security Figure Boundary wall Figure Availability of Water Figure Availability of Clean toilets Figure Air Ventilation Figure Proper lights in School Figure Extracurricular Activities Figure Unnecessary demand of money Figure Administration performing their duties Figure Cooperation of school Administration Figure Corruption in Schools Figure Redressal of Complaints

11 1. Introduction Education is considered a necessary and basic ingredient to survive and excel in today s highly competitive world. Pakistan has to strive to improve the standard of living of its citizens and make best use of its growing population. To achieve this objective, a proper schooling system has to be in place to develop the intellectual capacity of the youth. This would give impetus to the socio-economic development of the country. Efforts need to be made to strengthen the educational system by focusing on its weak areas, address its critical gaps to develop it further. This Citizen Report Card study was conducted to evaluate the primary and secondary education services provided by the provincial government in district Okara, Punjab. The data of this quantitative study was based on a survey from the relevant sample that experienced the services and is not based on mere perception. The study explored various aspects of education services. Recommends for improvement have been provided at the end of the report. 1.1 Background The Constitution of Pakistan provides for free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 5-16 years 1. Right to education: The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to 16 years in such manner as may be determined by law. After the 18th constitutional amendment, education was transferred to federating units as a move towards provincial autonomy. Before this constitutional amendment, the federal and provincial governments were responsible for educational planning, policy making, curriculum development, syllabus, and maintaining standards of education 2. After this amendment. the citizens were expecting improvements in the education sector in general and key education indicators in particular, because the respective provincial governments were in a better position to address educational problems of its provinces. 1 Article 25(A), The Constitution of Pakistan

12 According to Pakistan Education Statistics , the educational institutions in Pakistan have been divided into following categories 3 : Pre Primary ( separate pre primary institutions in public sector for million children) Primary Middle High Higher Secondary Inter Colleges Degree Colleges Universities Technical & Vocational Institutions Teacher Training Institutions n Formal Basic Education Deeni Madaris The number of primary, middle and secondary schools in Pakistan are 4 : 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 20,256 28,818 19, ,573 16,862 12,732 Primary Middle Secondary Public Private Figure 1. 1 Number of schools at Primary, Middle and Secondary level The above statistics show that 86% of the primary schools are in the public sector. However, the number of public schools in the middle and secondary sections has dropped significantly. Only 37 percent of the middle schools and 40 percent of the secondary schools are in the public domain Pakistan Education Statistics

13 Figure 1.2 shows the distribution of students in the primary, middle and secondary schools. In all the three sections, enrollment in public schools varies between 60 to 65 percent of the total. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% million million million million million million Primary Middle Secondary Public Private Figure 1. 2 Student Enrollment at Primary, Middle and Secondary level The number of students enrolled drastically reduces from the primary to the middle and secondary level. 5 According to the figures provided by Pakistan Education Statistics , there were million students enrolled at the primary level but at the middle level the numbers dropped to million and further plunged to million at the secondary level. The comparison of data between the year and shows a decline of 10 percent in the enrollment at primary level, while an increase of 4 percent at the middle level and 11 percent at the secondary level (PES, ) 6. Decreased enrollment at primary level is alarming and if it is because of lack of opportunities, it is the responsibility of the State to provide access to education for all citizens Primary Middle Secondary Enrollment in million Figure 1. 3 Overall Enrollment Nationally at Primary, Middle & Secondary Pakistan Education Statistics

14 About 3.2 million children in Punjab did not go to school, which included 290,000 children in the 5-9 age group in Lahore district alone. 7 However, the number of out of school children in classes 1-12 from the age bracket of 5-16 years has reduced by 3pc per annum from million in to million in Punjab has outperformed other provinces by managing to reduce the number by 6pc per annum from million to 9.92 million during the same period. 8 According to the Figure 1.4, girls enrollment as compared to boys is very low. The enrollment ratio between boys and girls through primary, middle and secondary level remains almost the same. Girls face considerable restrictions and lack of educational opportunities as compared to the boys but it does not diminish their enthusiasm to exercise their right to education. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% million million million million million million Primary Middle Secondary Boys Girls Figure 1. 4 Enrollment by Gender in Punjab Another important indicator to determine the standard of education is the teacher student ratio. As the number of students per teacher gets higher, the performance of students drops. A suitable class size helps the teacher to give individual attention to students. A study was conducted in Turkey to identify if there is a correlation between number of students per teacher and students achievement. The results showed a moderate negative correlation between the number of students per teacher and the student s achievement. The study revealed that the cities with greater number of students per teacher tend to have a low achievement in Turkey's Transition to Higher Education Exam

15 Table 1. 1 Pakistan Teacher student ratio 10 Primary Middle Secondary Pakistan Punjab Sindh KPK Balochistan Teacher-student ratio vary widely among developed countries 11. In primary education, the average teacher-student ratio among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is just below 16, but ranges from 40 in Brazil to 28 in Mexico and is 11 in Hungary and Luxembourg. In 2016 the government of Punjab launched the Enrolment Emergency Campaign directing the School Education Department (SED) to ensure 95 percent enrolment of school children. However, the department failed to achieve its own targets 12. According to a report by Academy of Educational Planning and Management 2016, 15 percent schools in Punjab have a single teacher giving classes to multiple grades 13. Besides improving quality of education, low enrollment, untrained teaching staff and vacant teaching posts are the most critical issues faced by the government. 14. The Punjab government allocated Rs345 billion for education in the budget, which is per cent of the total budget. This budget has been allocated for development, schemes related to school education, development programmes of special education and literacy. 15 According to Five Years Education Reform plan, the government of Punjab is focusing on improving key critical indicators such as higher enrolment and retention, improved learning outcomes, quality of education and a better managed, monitored and administered education sector in tackling the education crisis in Punjab. However, the gains of the reforms enacted are still fragile. 16 The government of Punjab claims that Public- Private Partnerships helped the accountability and policy making processes and ensures timely solutions of education problems Pakistan Education Statistics (p.27) 11 OECD 2014, p

16 Figure 1. 5 view of a public school in Okara A substantial improvement in the school facilities or school infrastructure has taken place over the last five years. 18 The Punjab Education Department collected data on indicators like availability of boundary wall, drinking water, toilets, electricity, and condition of school buildings on the province. The Punjab Education Report 2018 published the results of the study as shown in Figure 1.5. According to the report there has been an improvement in infrastructure at primary and secondary school levels. Investment in infrastructure has a positive influence on the achievements of the students. Research conducted by Earthman, Glen. (1998) on the Impact of School Building Condition and Student Achievement, and Behavior shows improvement in students achievements; the better the environment is, the more positive the impact on students' test scores is. 19 Similar findings were concluded by Berner (1993) 20 Secondary Schools Primary Schools percentage of schools with boundary walls percentage of schools with toilets percentage of schools with drinking water percentage of schools with electricty Percentage of schools with satisfactory Figure 1. 6 Infrastructure availability in public schools 21 Citizen Report Card (CRC) is a social accountability tool in which citizens hold public bodies accountable through their feedback. The system of accountability is not new in Pakistan such as Ombudsman in the Zia-ul-Haq regime, FIA under 18 Punjab Education Report udent_achievement_and_behavior Punjab Education Report

17 Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto s leadership, Ihtisab Cell set up by Nawaz Sharif and NAB through an ordinance by President Pervaiz Musharraf. 22 In a broader perspective, social accountability tools improve government s performance and, benefit citizens. 23 CRC study, as a social accountability tool, systematically forwards user feedback (of the services provided by the government) to the government for service improvement. 24 Table 1. 2 Number of Schools in Okara Level Male Schools Female Schools H.Sec. 5 4 High Middle Primary Madressa 59 0 Total Source: School Education Department 25 The Punjab Government claims to have carried out improvements in its education system. To verify these claims, TI Pakistan conducted a citizen report card study in district Okara. 26 Okara is a district of Sahiwal division that has three tehsils: Okara, Depalpur and Renal Khurd 27. According to the School Education Department of Government of Punjab, Table 1.2 shows the number of schools in Okara. 28 Table 1. 3 Number of students and teachers in Okara Level Male Students Female Students Male Teachers Female Teachers H.Sec High Middle Primary smosque Total Source: School Education Department

18 1.2 Study Objectives TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL PAKISTAN To raise citizen s awareness and improve public service delivery mechanism, Citizen Report Card (CRC) is used as a social accountability tool. CRC has a survey-based approach that analysis user feedback to determine the quality and performance of public services. 29 The CRC in district Okara measures/evaluates the availability, functioning, and the quality of education services in the district. The main objectives of the CRC study were: 1. To evaluate the delivery of education services from the end-user perspective. 2. To identify gaps in service delivery processes and appraise the good practices. 3. To provide a quantitative feedback to all the stakeholders, particularly the education department about the service quality, pointing out weak areas for future planning and budgeting. 4. To provide a basis for future research in the same area. 1.3 Duration The estimated duration of the study was four months. It started on October 1, 2017 ended on December 31, During this period, all work of research design, data collection and analysis was carried out. 1.4 Scope The scope of the study is defined to the extent of the content that will be covered by the means of the research. It means all those things that will be covered in the study. 30 The data collected during this study was based on the sample taken from district Okara. Hence its findings can only be generalized to that district. The measurement instrument which was used in data collection process was developed after a detailed and thorough secondary research. The nature of the data is quantitative and descriptive statistics is used to formulate the results. Due to financial and time constraints, this study took data only from Okara district whereas other districts were excluded from the study

19 2. Research Methods Research method is an important aspect of research study which has four main elements; research design, sampling design, data collection and data analysis. 31 The result of a research depends significantly on the appropriateness of these elements and the manner in which they are executed. 32 If inappropriate methodology is used, or if appropriate methodology is used poorly, the results of a study could be misleading. 2.1 Research Design Research design specifies the information that needs to be collected to address the research questions, the target group and the method of obtaining the information. Research design identifies sampling frame, sample size, sampling method and the statistical techniques to analyze the collected data. 33 In Citizen Report Card study, normally a survey method is used which has structured questionnaire to get the user-response by providing possible options to the question. In this CRC, the respondents were the parents of children enrolled in public schools of Okara district. In the development of the questionnaire, an integrated approach was used by applying both deductive and inductive methods. 34&35 Through secondary research, a questionnaire was initially developed which was later validated through a focus group discussion conducted in Okara. A team of dedicated people were selected for the survey, who were given a detailed briefing on the subject, the questionnaire and the objectives of the study. Where needed, the team translated the questions into Punjabi for the respondents to understand it. The survey was conducted in all the three tehsils of district Okara. The experienced enumerators also included females. After collecting the data, it was Figure 2. 1 Enumerators with TI Pakistan representative analyzed on IBM SPSS software. The results were compiled with graphical representation for easy understanding Marina Cardoso de Oliveira Lucy Leal Melo-Silva Maria do Céu Taveira Randolph C. Grace, (2016),"Measuring university-to-work success: development of a new scale", Career Development International, Vol. 21 Iss 1 pp

20 2.2 Focus Group Discussion The Focus Group Discussion is an important aspect of CRC as it provides qualitative input into the research. 36 On 18 th October 2017, a focus group discussion, conducted in district Okara, helped to validate the questionnaire and modify it before finalization. Teachers, parents and members from civil society organizations participated in the discussion. Initially the questionnaire was developed through secondary sources based mainly on previous researches, newspaper articles and information given on relevant websites. In the focus group, each Figure 2. 2 Focus Group Discussion question was discussed in detail exploring multiple facets of services provided and their implications on users. The participants also gave valuable input and shared their experiences making it more holistic. Several aspects of education services were discussed including teachers behavior, their punctuality, extra-curriculum activities, learning output, availability of drinking water, toilets, boundary walls and communication of parents with school management. The session was moderated by the Project Coordinator of TI Pakistan. In the end, 32 questions were finalized. 2.3 Sample Technique and Size This CRC study adopted a non-probabilistic convenience sampling approach. The selection of this approach is based on previous studies, available time and financial constraints. However, sample was taken from all three tehsils of district Okara from diversified groups of people including minorities. This approach is not new as majority of the survey researches follow the same sampling technique. The total sample size was 200 which is a suitable to address the research questions and to draw a generalization about the district. 2.4 Instrument of Data Collection Choosing an instrument for data collection is an important part of the research as it directly influences the results. The instrument of data collection for this CRC is a questionnaire containing 32 items. Each item has few options based on the type of the required data. The questions asked in this CRC were about teachers, school management, quality of education, school infrastructure, and facilities available at school

21 3. Analysis and Results A total of 27 questions were analyzed in the report. The response of each question is presented separately. Out of 200 respondents, 59 percent were females while 41 percent were males. Table 3. 1 Gender Male Female Female 59% Male 41% Among the 200 respondents, 45 percent were from Okara,25 percent from Depalpur and 30 percent from Renala Khurd. Respondents were selected to represent each tehsil. Figure 3. 1 Gender Table 3. 2 Tehsil Frequency Percent Depalpur Renala Khurd Okara Total Q.1. Do the teachers attend school daily? The objective of this question was to determine punctuality from user point of view. Okara 45% 2% Depalpur 25% Renala Khurd 30% Figure 3. 2 Tehsil Table 3. 3 Teachers' attending school daily Total According to our findings, 98 percent responded while only 4 percent responded. With the introduction of biometric attendance in schools, punctuality of students, staff and teachers has been improved. 37 The biometric system would be more beneficial if the attendance of students and teachers of each school are checked on tablets in real time. 98% Figure 3. 3 Teachers' attending school daily

22 Q2. Are the teachers punctual? In the school system, punctuality is one indicator which determines teachers commitment with their profession. Particularly in villages where students cover a long distance to reach school, it is a great loss for them to wait for their teachers to take classes. According to our survey, 97 percent responded that teachers are punctual and they come to school on time. 3% Table 3. 4 Teachers' Punctuality Q.3 Do the teachers give individual attention to their students? A number of researches support the argument that teachers individual attention is beneficial for students. 38 A research in British Journal of Educational Psychology points out two important characteristics of a good teacher. One of them is their ability to engage students individually in learning activities % Figure 3. 4 Teachers' Punctuality Table 3. 5 Teachers' individual attention To some extent According to this CRC, 92 percent responded that teachers pay individual attention, while 6 percent responded to some extent. 2% To some extent 6% 92% Figure 3. 5 Teachers' individual attention Q.4 Are you satisfied with the qualification and abilities of the teachers? Many researches have been carried out on teacher qualifications and teacher education programmes and their effect on the quality of teaching. In the Journal of Education for Teaching, the research findings show that teachers exposure to British Journal of Educational Psychology (2001), 71,

23 new knowledge and perspectives has an impact on their classroom practice and their influence on school-wide practices percent respondents were satisfied, while 25 percent were satisfied to some extent Table 3. 6 Teachers' qualification To some extent % To some extent 25% 72% Q.5 Are the teachers performing their duties well? Figure 3. 6 Teachers' qualification In response to this question, the analysis shows that 79 percent responded, while 19 percent responded To some extent and 2 percent responded Table 3. 7 Teachers performing their duties well To some extent % To some extent 19% 79% Q.6 Are there any incidents of corporal punishment in schools? Figure 3. 7 Teachers performing their duties well There is a complete ban on corporal punishment in the Punjab s schools. 41 Table 3. 8 Incidents of Corporal Punishments To some extent 29% 11% To some extent % Figure 3. 8 Corporal punishment 40 Ruth Williams (2011) The contribution of gaining an academic qualification to teachers professional learning, Journal of Education for Teaching: International research and pedagogy, 37:1,

24 However, according to this survey, 11 percent responded that the practice is still continuing in public schools of Okara. While 60 percent responded, and 29 percent responded that the practice is continuing to some extent. Q.7 Are the school buildings in good condition? According to Punjab Education Statistics , out of 52,314 schools 17,041 buildings need repair while 6,323 are in poor condition and 150 schools do not have any buildings at all. Table 3. 9 Condition of School Building 8% Poor Good According to this CRC report of Okara, 8 percent responded Poor that the buildings are not in good condition and need repairing while 92 percent respondents were satisfied with the condition of the school buildings in district Okara. 92% Figure 3. 9 Condition of School Building Q.8 Is the school building maintained properly by the school administration? If the school building is in good condition, does the administration frequently repair it? 94 percent responded and agreed that the school administration repaired the building regularly while only 6 percent responded. 6% Table Maintenance of School building % Figure Maintenance of School building Q.9 Is the school building used only for education purposes only? School is a place where education is imparted to the students, and the place and its resources should only be used to serve this purpose. Table School Building for Education Purposes % 91% Figure School Building for Education Purposes 22

25 According to this survey, 91 percent responded that the school buildings are only used for education purposes, while 9 percent of them responded that the building is used for other purposes too. Q.10 Are free course books provided by the government easily available? The government of Punjab has taken measures to provide free text books to all students till matriculation. Some of the digital material is also available on the website with audio and video support. 42 Table Availability of Free Course Books Given Incomplete course books When the respondents were asked whether free text books are available, 53 percent responded while 44 percent respondents informed that they got some of the books. Q.11 Is there a library in your school? Given Incomple te Course Book 44% School libraries provide young minds food for thought. They have a significant impact on the achievements of students 43. Libraries not only provide knowledge on various subject but also increases the appetite for students to learn something new. Students demonstrate high achievements in schools where there is an established library. 44 For the promotion of education, the Punjab government established e-libraries in 20 districts of the province. 45 About the question whether schools have libraries, 54 percent responded while 46 responded. 53% Figure 3. 3% 12 Availability of free Course Table Availability of library % 46% Figure Availability of Library American Library Association

26 Q.12 Are there any facilities for differently-abled children in the school? During the FGD, participants pointed out this issue which needed to be asked from the respondents. To the question, 99 percent responded that extra facilities are not available for differently-abled children. They also demanded new schools with trained staff to educate such students. 1% Table Facilities for Differently able children Q.13 Is the essential furniture available at your child s school? 99% Figure Facilities for Differently able children People have different interpretation about essential furniture. During our survey lots of people mentioned benches, tables, cupboards as essential furniture that are required in schools. In our survey, 93 percent responded yes that schools have the essential furniture, only 6 percent gave a negative response Table Availability of Furniture Frequency Percent To some extent 1.5 In Pakistan while the government is providing essential furniture in all schools, in developed countries, researchers are discussing the impact of furniture design on students learning. It was found that children showed a modest but significant improvement in on- behaviour and a marked change in sitting positions following the 4% introduction of the newly-designed furniture 46 Q.14 Is cleanliness satisfactory in the school? To some extent 1% 6% task 93% Figure Availability of Furniture A recent survey shows an impact of cleanliness on students performance and their retention rate in school. 44 percent students draw a direct link between their performance and cleanliness around them % Figure Cleanliness in schools 46 Knight, G., & yes, J. (1999). Children s behaviour and the design of school furniture. Ergonomics, 42(5),

27 Table Cleanliness in schools According to our CRC findings, 96 percent responded that schools are clean while only 4 percent responded in the negative. Q.15 Is the surrounding of the school clean? Majority of the survey participants responded positively about the cleanliness of schools. However, it was equally important for a school s administration to keep the school s surrounding clean as well. According to the findings of CRC, 97 percent of the respondents found schools surroundings clean. 3% Table Cleanliness around schools % Figure Cleanliness around schools Q.16 Is there reasonable arrangement of security in the school? After the Peshawar school attack, school security has been a serious concern of all parents. In the whole country, schools have been categorized according to the perceived threat assessment. Standard operating procedures are also issued which include raising boundary walls, hiring security guards and installing closed-circuit camera systems. 48 Table School Security % 68% According to this CRC, 68 percent responded that there is reasonable arrangement of security in the schools, while 32 percent are not satisfied. Figure School Security

28 Q.17 Do the schools have boundary walls? Another question related to the security of schools is the presence of boundary wall. In case of female educational institutes, it is one of the most essential requirement. According to the results, 98 percent responded that schools have boundary walls. The results are consistent with Pakistan Education Statistics Table Boundary wall 2% % Figure Boundary wall Q.18 Is drinking water available in your school? Water helps in digestion, blood circulation and makes up more than half of children s body weight and is needed to keep all parts of the body to function properly. 50 UNICEF pointed out that lack of safe water and sanitation on educational institutions affect children s learning. 51 Considering its importance, a question was asked in the survey about the availability of drinking water in schools. According to the findings 33 present of the respondents reported that drinking water is not available in the schools of Okara while 67 percent responded that it is available. Table Availability of Water % 67% Access to tap water is very low in rural areas - 13 per cent - as compared to 43 per cent in urban areas of Punjab. The quality of this drinking water is questionable as the major source of the water is through the use of hand pumps. 52 Figure Availability of Water 49 Pakistan Education Statistics , p

29 Q.19 Are clean toilets available in schools? According to a study water, sanitation and hygiene in schools contribute to better health and educational outcomes among school-aged children. 53 It is surprising to mention that many schools in our country are deprived of this basic facility. 54 The situation in Punjab, however, is much better. 55 According to this CRC, 97 percent responded that clean toilets are available in the public schools of Okara. 3% 97% Figure Availability of Clean toilets Table Availability of clean toilets Q.20 Do the schools have a proper ventilation system? School is the place where young people spend most part of their day. A proper ventilation system helps maintain good indoor air quality. There are other elements as well which maintain temperature at a comfort level; like heating and air-conditioning. The right of children to have good air quality at school is recognized worldwide and many efforts are made to ensure it. 56 According to this CRC, 98 percent of respondents said that the schools are properly ventilated to provide fresh air to students during hot season. Table Air Ventilation 2% % Figure Air Ventilation Pakistan Education Statistics , p Pakistan Education Statistics , p

30 Q.21 Are the schools well lit? Comparing to the International Standards where a certain level of light is maintained for proper visibility, it could not be ascertained that such standards are being followed in government run schools. According to British and European Standard (Lighting of Indoor Work Places), the recommended lux 57 levels applicable to schools listed by the application are 58 Corridors: 100 lux Foyers, entrance halls, canteens: 200 lux Libraries, sports halls, gymnasiums, lecture theatres, classrooms, computer rooms: 300 lux Laboratories, kitchens: 500 lux Technical drawing room: 750 lux 3% Table Proper lights in Schools % Figure Proper lights in School According to the survey, 97 percent responded that the schools were well lit while only 3 percent responded they were not. Q.22 Are extra-curricular activities organized in school? Research indicates that participation in extracurricular activities affects students academic performance but the effect depends on the specific activities in which the students are involved. 59 According to the CRC in Okara, 50 percent responded that extra-curricular activities are organized, while the other 50 percent gave a negative response. Table Extracurricular Activities % 50% Figure Extracurricular Activities 57 The lux (symbol: lx) is the SI derived unit of illuminance and luminous emittance

31 Q.23 Do schools administration make unnecessary demands for money from students? There are many complaints regarding private schools charging/taking unnecessary money from the students. Whether this practice exists in public schools in Okara, the survey included a question about it. Table Unnecessary demand of money The result showed that 90 percent of the respondents said that no such demand was made from them, while 10 percent responded. 90% 10% Figure Unnecessary demand of money Q.24 Is the school administration performing their duties? In another question, respondents were asked whether the school administration performed its duties. Among the three given options, 67 percent responded 30 percent responded to some extent and 3 percent responded. Table Administration performing their duties To some extent % To some extent 30% 67% Figure Administration performing their duties Q.25 Does the school administration cooperate with parents? Cooperation between school and parents makes the educational process effective. In response to this question whether school administration cooperates with parents, 98 percent responded that school s administration cooperate with parents in district Okara Table Cooperation of school Administration 2% % Figure Cooperation of school Administration 29

32 Q.26 Is the school administration involved in any corruption? Gross irregularities and charges of corruption have been reported in the news in which NAB took action. 60 In order to get the feedback from the citizens, this question was asked from them. 95 percent responded. However, 5 percent responded. 5% Table Corruption in Schools % Figure Corruption in Schools Q.27 Does the school administration respond to your complaints? According to this survey, 97 percent respondent reported that their complaints are addressed by the school administration. Most of these complaints are informal. The headmasters/teachers listen to such complaints and address them accordingly. 3% Table Redressal of Complaints % Figure Redressal of Complaints

33 4. Recommendations Out of 27 questions analyzed, the results show that the situation is satisfactory in the Education sector in district Okara. However, certain areas need further improvement. Our recommendations with respect to these areas are listed below: 1. Although teachers give individual attention to the students, it should be improved by taking it to a higher level. This may include strategic seating, effective grouping, use of technology or project base learning. 2. More emphasis should be given to effective implementation of the training system and evaluation of the teachers. They should be equipped with modern teaching methodologies and assessment tools which will help them to teach better. 3. Although corporal punishment is prohibited in the province, it is still practiced in some parts of the district. The government should ensure the implementation of the policy. Teachers should be provided training of using alternative ways to motivate students towards desired behaviors. 4. The government should ensure that safe drinking water is available in the public schools as the ground water, the main source of drinking water in the province, is polluted. 5. Extra-curricular activities enhance learning experience. Keeping in view the security reasons, extra-curricular activities should be carried out within the premises of schools along with co-curricular activities. Arts, literature, science clubs should be established. Sports facilities should be arranged for the school children. The idea of academic competitive teams is also very useful for students development. 6. Free text books for all subjects and uniforms should be made available for each student in a transparent manner. 7. To strengthen security in schools, security drills should be made part of school learning. Parents should also be informed about the security measures taken by the school administration. 8. The school library and the science laboratory is integral to the teaching and learning process. All students should have access to a library preferably within the school premises. 9. Facilities for students with disabilities should be made available so that they are able to attend regular school. The government should address the challenges that may be faced by the school administration to set up these facilities. 10. It should be made sure that all school buildings should be used only for educational purposes only. 31

34 5. References 1. Article 25(A), The Constitution of Pakistan Academy of Educational Planning and Management; 3. Pakistan Education Statistics The Impact of Number of Students per Teacher on Student Achievement 5. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD 2014, Report p Academy of Educational Planning and Management; 7. Alif Ailaan ; 8. Punjab Education Report The Impact of School Building Condition and Student Achievement, and Behavior dition_and_student_achievement_and_behavior 10. Importance of Citizen Report Card is Vital to Ensure Social Accountability Social Accountability and Healthcare Delivery; Pakistan Bureau of Statistics ; 13. USC Libraries: Research Guides Tools for Preparing Literature Review ; 15. Marina Cardoso de Oliveira Lucy Leal Melo-Silva Maria do Céu Taveira Randolph C. Grace, (2016),"Measuring university-to-work success: development of a new scale", Career Development International, Vol. 21 Iss 1 pp Research tools: Focus group discussion How to Give Students Individual Attention In A Busy Classroom-Techthough British Journal of Educational Psychology (2001), 71, Ruth Williams (2011) The contribution of gaining an academic qualification to teachers professional learning, Journal of Education for Teaching: International research and pedagogy, 37:1, Knight, G., & yes, J. (1999). Children s behaviour and the design of school furniture. Ergonomics, 42(5), Visually: Why Water Is Important for Children Pediasure Lack of safe water and sanitation in schools affects children s learning and their lives UNICEF ; 24. Mitchell R.B & Weiler Susan (2011), Developing next-generation climate change scholars, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Volume 1, Number 1 / Ventilation systems and IAQ in school buildings; https// 26. The Effects of Extracurricular Activities on the Academic Performance of Junior High Students 32

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