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June 30, 2002
REVIEWS: Keeping an eye on education
The success of an educational system lies in how effectively it is monitored and evaluated. The book Education: evaluation and monitoring, concepts and techniques presents in a logical and coherent fashion ideas and concepts pertaining to this area of education. The writer, Prof Sarfraz Khawaja, who is an educationist and teacher himself, emphasizes that quality control in the educational field is of great consequence and has a long-lasting impact on its working. Quality control cannot be enforced without an efficient evaluation and monitoring system which enables the authorities to determine the performance of every individual as well as a system.
This book therefore focuses on these two subjects. At the end of the book is a list of authentic references from where the information has been extracted and written. Thorough research is revealed in the areas of monitoring and evaluation in the field of education.
Evaluation is a complex procedure. All criteria to measure an educational system are complicated by the fact that almost all measurements are indirect and based on subjective judgments. Evaluation might be based on inaccurate and unreliable information. Unlike the examination which is designed to measure the knowledge, skills, feelings, intelligence, or aptitude of a student, evaluation is not focussed on the student. It seeks to assess the programme — its administration, teaching and support strategies.
The writer suggests five stages in a project cycle, namely, planning, formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. All of these are important steps and negligence in even one of them can result in the failure of the entire project.
The process of evaluation considers the educational situation in the framework of social, economic and cultural development. That is, it measures changes occurring in education in the light of the objectives of the country’s overall development. It establishes mechanisms for participation of different authorities in the educational system, to reinforce the evaluation process. To be effective, the evaluation process in a plan should have elements of relevance, credibility, timeliness and efficiency.
Evaluation can be seen as a part of an on-going development and implementation cycle, which involves people who are part of the overall plan. These people are more likely to reach valid conclusions than the evaluation conducted by someone from an external position.
The latter part of the book focuses on the importance of monitoring the progress in education. Without monitoring there can be no efficient and effective implementation of a programme. It also helps harmonize the programme with the socio-economic environment. The writer spells out the several techniques used to monitor a programme which should be of help to those who are serious about monitoring a project.
This book is a comprehensive and valuable resource for evaluating and monitoring the education system. However, concepts and techniques given in theory are of importance only if they are implemented practically. It is difficult to conclude how useful the book can prove to be in monitoring and evaluating the education system in Pakistan. Its application might be constrained by the fact that its language and terminology is too technical for the comprehension of a person who might wish to evaluate and monitor a system on the grassroots level. Were the methods and techniques described in a simplified form they could have been adopted by any one in the field of education.
Concepts should relate to the existing system and should enhance its efficiency and performance if evaluated and monitored effectively. Nevertheless, the book is a useful resource for reference purposes.
Education: evaluation and monitoring, concepts and techniques
By Sarfraz Khawaja
Mr Books,Super Market, Islamabad
ISBN 969-8121-05-6
134pp. Rs300
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