SRSP Education Plan

SRSP has good experience of working both in the non-formal and formal sectors. It also has worked on district education plans, parent teachers association etc. It is implementing project of over Rs 80 million at present in this sector. It is involved in helping the District Government with District Education Plan in Dir and in establishing over seventy community schools.

Community Based Schools

In 1996, under SAP I, SRSP established 30 community-based schools in Kohat and Mansehra Region. In these schools, primary level education is imparted to both boys and girls. The schools are established in the areas where there are no functional government schools within the vicinity of 1 ½ Km. The objective was to demonstrate a model based on the concept of Community Based School (CBS) for further replication through out the province. Also to improve upon the functioning of primary schools in the province by addressing the prevalent shortcomings and inadequacies faced by the state run school system.

Objectives of Community Based Schools

• To demonstrate replicable models for further adoption by provincial government.
• To ensure the community participation/ownership.
• To enable and motivate the children toward learning.

After a period of 2 years further funding materialized in the shape of Learning for Life, a UK based NGO. The reason for additional funding was that the impact of education could not be gauged in such a limited time period. The other objective was to make the schools financially viable. About 15 schools were provided funds on a recurrent cost basis by SRSP while the rest were provided a seed fund called the “One Time Grant”(OTG)[1]. Accordingly each of the schools were provided a fund of Rs. 160,000 to which they had to raise a matching grant of Rs. 40, 000 over a period of 2 years. This total amount was deposited in the National Savings Center from where a regular monthly income is provided to selected schools. SRSP is investing this fund in collaboration with the communities. Interest earned on the fund is contributing to the running of the Schools i.e. mainly to teachers’ salaries. By the end of the project period the schools funds will be transferred to the additional funds raised by the community to add to the OTG. The OTG would be managed by the communities and generate enough income to support and sustain their schools. Through their contributions, the rural communities have shown a growing commitment towards education. They have also demonstrated good financial management skills through independent management of the OTGs.

Managing Community Based Schools

SRSP works through community organizations and establishes committees for each school. In order to have the equal participation of men and women in the promotion of education, a six member Village Education Committee (VEC) comprising 3 women and 3 men manages each school. VEC roles and responsibilities includes selecting site for the schools, advising on administrative matters, determining fee structure and operating school funds, determining teachers salaries, checking maintenance of buildings, equipment and school supplies assist the teachers and monitor functioning of the schools. Under this project communities are assisted in managing the schooling of their children themselves with the support and guidance from the SRSP. This process ensures ownership of the school by the community and puts control in the hands of those who have the greatest stake in it.

Expanding the education base from Non Formal to Formal Education

The new education strategy devotes considerable effort to clarify the outcomes that SRSP supports to achieve education aims. The new strategy sets out few priority areas: continuous efforts to improve the teaching & learning processes and including the excluded through its CBS programme, filling in the planning/organizational and implementation gaps through formation of CCBs and facilitation in district level education development planning through development & implementation of District Education Plans.

SRSP education strategy underscores the growing realization that the entities involved in education have a wide range of comparative advantages and strengths such as: strong presence on ground, good local knowledge and cultural understanding, special expertise, the political power to bring about the change and the capacity to mobilize the resources including finance. The implications for SRSP are two fold. First, it is continuing its CBS programme by understanding, nurturing and applying its own areas of comparative advantage carefully. Second and more importantly, SRSP education work/programme has started devoting even more attention, time and weight to partnerships with District Education Departments and international organizations like UNICEF, than it did during its initial phase. It has recognized that government coordinated efforts are most likely to deliver sustainable reform.

Esra Program USAID

ESRA Programme, USAID

The Education Sector Reform Assistance(ESRA) programme is a $60 million initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of the Government of Pakistan's Education Sector Reform (ESR) effort. The main focus of the programme include; policy and planning, professional development, literacy, public-community partnerships, public-private partnerships, information and communication technologies

ESRA was designed around the government of Pakistan's Devolution Plan, which seeks to increase accountability and devolve authority to local governments. In particular, ESRA calls for decentralization of the education sector, with provincial and district-level governance structures and nongovernmental organization (NGO) and private sector entities doing much of what the central government has done for years. It also calls for establishment of public-private and public-community partnerships.

District Education Plan

• The project activities were initially started in three union councils initially named Chukiatan, Dir and Qulandi. The union councils were identified jointly by District Government and Education Department.
• Extensive meetings have been carried out with all major stakeholders in this religiously charged district to clarify the main objectives of the project.
• The project was expanded to five more union councils i.e. Dislawar, Kotkai, Wari, Bibiawar and Ganori. SRSP, in these union councils, has selected Primary schools (boys & girls).
• Social Mobilization is the centerpiece of the project strategy.
• The communities and the Parents Teachers Associations (men and women) and forum (EFA) have been mobilized.
• SRSP through the communities/PTAs have carried out situation analysis in selected schools.
• School development plans covering the qualitative and quantitative aspects have also been developed with active participation of community members/PTAs and teachers. Up-gradation/rehabilitation of basic facilities along with provision of WES facilities have been identified as one of the major needs as a result of these surveys.
• Through the EFA forums, SRSP has been able to develop an effective channel with in and outside education department for monitoring & follow up support.
• A number of training events have been arranged for District Education Department personnel, primary school teachers and master trainers, which have a visible impact on learning.
• The Adult literacy Centers have been established in the districts with an objective of imparting basic literacy and skills. SRSP on pilot basis has established 10 ALCs. The teachers hired for these centers have been identified with UC Nazims and trained. So far the skills enhancement training has not been initiated, nonetheless, the response has been good as the local shopkeepers, masons etc. are actively participating in these centers.
• Steps have been taken to upgrade the Local Teachers Resource Centers (LTRCs). These LTRCs provide in service trainings to local teachers through master trainers.