Basic Education And National Development

Assesses the status of education in Asia; identifies major trends and issues; and examines policies and practices that have successfully promoted equity and access, strengthened management and efficiency, improved quality, and enhanced the education resource base. Begins with an examination of demographic and economic trends that affect education, then analyzes the relationship between education and economic and social development. After reviewing the main issues in education development, looks at some persistent issues and trends by subsector. Finally, examines policies and strategies that could be used to address some prevalent challenges facing education in developing Asian countries.

Contents: Introduction, Historical Background, The Development, The Expansion, Scope and Sphere, The Objectives, Commissions and Politics, Ethics and Identity, Scientific Attitude, Teacher Training, Teaching Strategies, Skills for Teaching, Observation Techniques, Curriculum Development, Reconstruction of curriculum, Evaluation Techniques, School System, In House Cooperation, Inter-relationship, Managing Resources.

Inequity is the central challenge facing basic education in Ghana and undercuts the potential contribution of basic education to Ghanas national development goals. Persistent disparities in education service delivery and inequitable allocation of resources in Ghana lead to highly inequitable educational outcomes. These inequities negatively affect system quality, efficiency and accountability and ultimately undermine broader national development. Wide-spread inequity in education service delivery significantly depresses system learning outcomes. This report describes a missing middle in terms of learning outcomes: While a small number of children perform well, the majority of pupils (more than 60%) pass through primary school without becoming proficient in numeracy and literacy. Specifically, children from Ghanas northern regions and deprived districts, poor and rural households and ethnic and linguistic minorities students who require the most support to meet learning outcomes receive, on average, disproportionately fewer resources from the government than their peers. Systemic inequities create this missing middle and drag down system performance. Following a decade of rapid change, as of 2013, more children are attending basic and senior high schools than at any time in the history of Ghana. In the past decade, Ghana has realized great growth, progress and change. Population growth, urbanization and significant GDP growth have changed the economic, political and social landscape of Ghana. In the past decade, incidence of extreme poverty has been cut in half. Introduction of Free, Compulsory, Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) and kindergarten has supported a near doubling of basic education enrollment in the past 15 years. Delivering basic education and ensuring equity has become more challenging. Compared to a decade ago, more stakeholders are involved in allocating and managing core education inputs and accountability systems remain unclear and weak. Addressing the deeply embedded inequities (e.g. allocation of trained teachers, support to deprived districts and populations) is further complicated by a complex and fragmented policy, management and financing environment. The persistence of inequity reflects the persistence of conflicting sector interests and poses genuine policy dilemmas. However, recent experience shows that accelerating progress toward equity and quality basic education for all is possible. Several recent initiatives in Ghana point to the possibility of improving equitable resource allocation, strengthening social protection and providing additional support to improve learning outcomes. For example, children with below-average learning outcomes in poorly resourced environments are likely to show measurable gains when provided additional support (e.g. instructional support, learning resources, management support, demand-side incentives).

This booklet focuses on the broad role of education in national development in Asia. It emphasizes trends, issues, and envisaged problems within education systems in the relations between education and the environment. The foremost concerns are the implications for policy making and planning.

Ghana is on a strong trajectory toward solidifying its middle income status. Today, more children than at any time in the history of Ghana have access to basic and secondary education. Over the past decade, incidence of extreme poverty has been cut in half amid strong economic growth. Ghana's recent achievements point to the possibility of more fully realizing the human potential of all individuals and of the country. Basic Education beyond the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana argues that realizing this potential requires a redoubling of efforts to reach the poorest half of Ghanaian children with quality basic education. At present, system-wide disparities in education service delivery and highly inequitable allocation of resources has led to unfair educational outcomes. These disparities create a "missing middle" in terms of learning outcomes: although a small number of children perform well on numeracy and literacy assessments, more than 60% of 6th graders do not attain profi ciency levels. Several recent initiatives point to the possibility of accelerating Ghana's progress toward quality basic education for all: they improve equitable resource allocation, strengthen social protection, and provide additional academic support to improve learning outcomes. By outlining key challenges and promising practices, Basic Education beyond the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana seeks to stimulate a lively and productive debate on the future of basic education in Ghana.

Studies of the retention of literacy and numeracy by adults who have only obtained primary schooling have given little encouragement to the belief that the cognitive effects of schooling are enduring for many school leavers. How these findings can be reconciled with the claims made for the importance of schooling as an instrument of social and economic change is the subject ofinvestigation in this volume. The cognitive outcomes of literacy acqusition and secular schools in coastal Kenya are the focus of this ethnographic study, which stresses the relevance of an international understanding of the particular problems and dilemmas that face the educational systems of individual countries.

Expansion of basic education in Ghana was unprecedented and brought the country to the forefront in education in Africa. The report provides analysis, lessons and policy options to developing a post-MDG strategic agenda for basic education.