Comments on: Universal access to primary education and basic healthcare in the Pacific http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2008/09/05/universal-access-to-primary-education-and-basic-healthcare-in-the-pacific/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:23:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Risti Permanihttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2008/09/05/universal-access-to-primary-education-and-basic-healthcare-in-the-pacific/comment-page-1/#comment-649 Risti Permani Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:04:19 +0000 http://eastasiaforum.wordpress.com/?p=1006#comment-649 It's an interesting proposal, Dr. Chand. I strongly agree with the idea of increasing local-ownership of aid-funded institutions and giving bigger incentives to schools/students as fund-recipients to improve their academic outcomes. But, I have two concerns about your proposal. First, I was wondering what the term "individual suppliers" specifically means. Does it refer to individual students or schools? If it refers to individual students, I am wondering whether your proposal can also reduce gender disparity in addition to increasing school enrolment having said that less than one-third of enrolled female students are able to complete the primary education. I think we should also analyse why this happens. At times, this gender issue is not merely about financial problem but it often requires cultural understanding. You might already have information about this. If the delivery of the fund is assessed based on final exam scores of the graduates, this will widen the gender disparity in education. Hence, I think there should be a mechanism to reduce girl's drop out rates prior completion. There is a study by my colleague at the University of Adelaide, Dr. Pataporn Sukontamarn, suggesting that the entry of NGO schools increases girl's enrolment rates in Bangladesh (link to the article:http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/pataporn.sukontamarn?dsn=directory.file;field=data;id=2322;m=view). I'm not sure how applicable this conclusion to the educational sector in PNG, but it probably can be considered for further works. My second concern is about assessment based on national examination scores. Although the exam is nationally administered, but there might be a posssibility of educational inequality across provinces in PNG. Based on my study on education in Indonesia, the schooling quality is better in provinces with higher income per capita. If the same thing happens in PNG, the proposal should probably take into account this issue. Otherwise, it will lead to a larger regional income disparity in PNG if we see education as an important input for economic development. Risti Permani - University of Adelaide It’s an interesting proposal, Dr. Chand. I strongly agree with the idea of increasing local-ownership of aid-funded institutions and giving bigger incentives to schools/students as fund-recipients to improve their academic outcomes.

But, I have two concerns about your proposal.

First, I was wondering what the term “individual suppliers” specifically means. Does it refer to individual students or schools? If it refers to individual students, I am wondering whether your proposal can also reduce gender disparity in addition to increasing school enrolment having said that less than one-third of enrolled female students are able to complete the primary education. I think we should also analyse why this happens. At times, this gender issue is not merely about financial problem but it often requires cultural understanding. You might already have information about this. If the delivery of the fund is assessed based on final exam scores of the graduates, this will widen the gender disparity in education. Hence, I think there should be a mechanism to reduce girl’s drop out rates prior completion.

There is a study by my colleague at the University of Adelaide, Dr. Pataporn Sukontamarn, suggesting that the entry of NGO schools increases girl’s enrolment rates in Bangladesh (link to the article:http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/pataporn.sukontamarn?dsn=directory.file;field=data;id=2322;m=view).
I’m not sure how applicable this conclusion to the educational sector in PNG, but it probably can be considered for further works.

My second concern is about assessment based on national examination scores. Although the exam is nationally administered, but there might be a posssibility of educational inequality across provinces in PNG. Based on my study on education in Indonesia, the schooling quality is better in provinces with higher income per capita. If the same thing happens in PNG, the proposal should probably take into account this issue. Otherwise, it will lead to a larger regional income disparity in PNG if we see education as an important input for economic development.

Risti Permani – University of Adelaide

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