ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has submitted a project proposal to the World Bank (WB), seeking a loan of $300 million to support achievement of the province’s 2018 education goals under its growth strategy.

The government plans to accelerate progress in the sector through the ‘Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab’ scheme, building on the system strengthening having taken place under the second phase of the Punjab Education Reform Programme, which will close in June this year, and acknowledging the challenges that remain.

The project is aimed at improving school participation, completion and teaching-learning practices, with a particular focus on low-performing districts.

According to a WB document, the government is cognisant of the vast challenges remaining and is committed to continuing reforms as well as implementing new initiatives such as early childhood education (ECE) and stipends for out-of-school children which may bring about transformative change like Malaysia.

The goals are grouped in four areas: ensure high quality teaching and learning in the classroom; improve leadership and accountability at all levels; enable a conducive learning environment for students; and high quality school infrastructure.

The investment project financing lending instrument will be implemented over 2017-21 for improved access, quality and education system management; and capacity building, project management and evaluation.

The project will be implemented across the province, and it does not involve any physical, civil or rehabilitation work.

Despite over a decade of focused support to large-scale education programmes and ‘cutting edge’ reforms, enrolment rates and learning outcomes in the province are only marginally better than those in the rest of the country.

Gains made over the past decade have stagnated despite increased sector financing by the provincial government and support by the World Bank and other development partners.

The key challenges include low levels of school participation and high numbers of out-of-school children, especially pronounced for the poor, and poor girls in particular; uneven access to schools, especially at the secondary level; low student transition and retention; limited investment in ECE programmes.

Low quality of education due to poor infrastructure, poorly trained teachers, lack of school management and leadership strengthening, governance and accountability, and a high prevalence of multi-grade teaching; and low capacity and accountability of administrative staff along with low prevalence of evidence-based decision making are also among the challenges.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016