South Asia EFA Mid-Term Policy Review Conference Reaching the Unreached and the Under-served Vision, Policy and Strategy for Achieving EFA Ko-Chih R. Tung, Ph.D. Asia-Pacific Regional Advisor Assessment, Information System, Monitoring and Statistics (AIMS) UIS-UNESCO Bangkok You’ve seen the past. Now, let’s look into the future. Better yet, let’s steer the future. South Asia EFA Mid-Term Policy Review Conference 16-19 June 2008 Kathmandu, Nepal

EFA HLG Task Force, UNESCO 2002 Institutionalizing Dakar follow-up strategy 11 for systematic monitoring of EFA progress EFA HLG Task Force, UNESCO 2002 Strategy 11: systematically monitor progress towards EFA goals and strategies at the national, regional and international levels. The regular and systematic monitoring of EFA progress constitutes a central strategy for achieving Education for All by 2015

Monitoring at the global, regional and national levels International: EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) Regional bureaux with regionally-based partners and countries on sub-regional and regional issues National monitoring and assessment of national and sub-national issues for setting priorities, resource allocation, accountability between EFA partners; Build capacity in statistics, data-based policy analysis, monitoring, evaluation, and assessment of impact on all learners and targeted segments of the society.

Global EFA Working Group EFA Global Action and RASEP 18 July 2006

UN EFA Global Action Plan (GAP) EFA Conveners: UNESCO UNICEF The World Bank UNDP UNFPA

EFA convening agencies: broad areas of support to EFA UNESCO: coordinating, convening, monitoring, developing capacity, policy input

“UNESCO will support these directions in the following ways:” Capacity development at the regional and national levels: in-country capacity to plan, to manage, and to conduct research and evaluation programmes on the effect of education at all levels its own role and capacity to provide policy advice based on rigorous analysis Monitoring and evaluation: “as part of the 2008 Review and Stocktaking of EFA Progress (RASEP) and a longer-term cycle of national and regional reviews, [develop] a framework and network for the monitoring and evaluation of EFA” National planning: strengthen national educational planning, by improving the basis for national educational needs assessment using UNESS in line with national priorities and as input into CCA/UNDAF processes. The UNESCO Education Portal: clearinghouse, sharing knowledge, dissemination, exchange and learning among EFA partners, UNESCO’s strategic objectives Accountability to and partnership with Member States: regular monitoring and evaluation of the impact of UNESCO’s interventions will be carried out in conjunction with Ministers of Education.

Regional and sub-regional reports based on the national MDAs, countries’ agendas and targets, tailored to the countries’ contexts and particular needs. highlight issues, analysis of successes and failures, good practices and remaining obstacles, taking into consideration national disparities, local concerns, and specific policy implications.

Regional TWG on EFA Members UNESCO UNICEF FAO ILO UNHCR UNEP UNIFEM UNFPA UNDP/Thailand Resident Coordinators’ Office World Bank World Food Programme ASPBAE-Global Campaign for Education Action Aid Thailand Baha’i International CBM/International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment International Movement ATD Fourth World Plan International Asia Rehabilitation International SEAMEO SIL International World Vision Foundation of Thailand

Within UNESCO AP Region: UNESCO AP Regional Bureau for Education EFA coordination & capacity building network Within UNESCO AP Region: UIS Assessment, Information, Monitoring & Statistics (AIMS) AP Education for All (APEAL) Education Policy Research (EPR) AP Educational Innovation and Development (APEID) Cluster and Field Offices Ministries and national organizations, stakeholder groups Regional and Sub-Regional WGs of EFA Supporting Agencies Regional EFA TWG, Co-Chairs UNESCO and UNICEF UNESCO UIS, EFA Global Monitoring Group and EFA Division Regional/ Sub-Regional EFA coordinators, planners and statisticians

Theme: Reaching the Un-reached Disparities in Access to Quality Education to identify problems, issues, policies and strategies of education reform to ensure that education will reach the un-reached groups. To inform the mid-term review of national education policy against the findings of the national assessment report to better formulate appropriate policies for attaining EFA by the year 2015.

EFA Mid-Decade Assessment Framework Framework for the Assessment: Inclusive Education in a Lifelong Perspective a focus on the diversity of learning needs of sub-populations (e.g., the disabled, linguistic and ethnic minorities, girls and women, disadvantaged groups) provision of quality education for all learners The MDA aims to answer: Which children are not in school/learning centres? What inhibits their full participation? Who should be targeted as a priority? How can we improve quality and equality? How do we cost, budget and finance EFA? Countries are encouraged to tap alternative sources of data on un-reached groups

Analysis of Implementation of EFA Policy and EFA Goals Policy Cycle/ indicators ECCE UPE UBE Skills Literacy Gender Quality Governance, policy, agencies coordination Resource mobilization and allocation Courses, programs, facilities Quality & equity outcomes Impact assessment

EFA Mid-Decade Assessment Objectives Build national capacity to undertake M&E, MDA & Mid-Term Policy Reviews Assess progress and gaps in the achievement of the national and global targets of EFA Identify and locate the remaining gaps in terms of quality and equity sub-nationally, with a focus on disadvantaged and excluded populations Review, identify and locate problems, issues, policies, strategies, actions and critical factors of success/failure Use results of the assessment to sharpen the focus and update policies and strategies for attaining the EFA goals and the MDGs by 2015

Organization at the Country Level +Statistics, Analysis & Report Writing

Timeline and Milestones for national and regional assessment Preparation Assessment Policy Review 2003-5 2006 2007 2008 With the objective of identifying the unattained targets and un-reached target groups for each of the Six EFA Goals, the participants discussed many aspects of the process. Among them, the following are the current plans with regard to the points raised in the concept paper for the Global EFA Review 2006-2007: • In addition to the usual school-based statistics, they will use mostly the existing data collection, such as the population and housing census, various household surveys, labour force surveys, household income and expenditure surveys, etc. • National IE policies on minorities, disabled, the extremely poor, etc. • As the source of UIS data is the national statistics, the national assessment exercise will motivate and accelerate national data collection and reporting • The exercise will generate materials that may be of use to the GMR • Case studies have been conducted and more will be undertaken, especially in areas where standard statistics are not available and inadequate. • The structure and process of implementation will be examined carefully to identify how the policies were differently implemented with regard to the different target groups • Because of the composition of the participants, the discussions did not focus much on the financing aspects of the Six EFA Goals. • Timeline: end of 2006, initial outline with raw data; 2007 analytical and politically anchored reports; 2008 regional policy review Module development, case studies initial outline with raw data analytical and politically-anchored reports Sub-/Regional MTR policy reviews

Asia-Pacific MDA Process The “Bangkok” or “Asian” model” Development of national capacity in: statistics, indicators and policy analysis monitoring and evaluation of implementation assessment of impact in attaining the EFA goals, with regard to all learners and specifically targeted populations Country-led MDA and policy reviews Problem-solving approach: analysing sub-national disparities in implementation and outcomes identifying critical factors and obstacles to achieving the EFA goals locating the under-served and “unreached” target groups Supported by: training and production workshops Technical Support Groups organised by a regional Thematic Working Group on EFA the collaboration of UNESCO and UNICEF.

MDA Reports in South Asia National MDA reports Congratulations for the completion of their reports: Completed: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka Government “officially” endorsed: Bangladesh and Pakistan Published: Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal Still finalizing: Maldives and India South Asia Sub-Regional Synthesis Report almost finalized, by James Jennings after this conference Thanks to national MDA writers, commentators and partners for their comments.

Mid-Term Policy Review Objectives Using results of the national and sub-regional EFA MDA and the 2008 Global Monitoring Reports, with regard to the reached and the under-served target groups, Review and make an inventory of existing policies and practices and identify gaps in policy and programmes, Propose specific targeted policy and strategy recommendations and action plans With the support of TWG on EFA Members, NGO and civil society representatives and EFA partners. Share national EFA MDA reports and an opportunity to incorporate and strengthen policy recommendations identified in the national reports for countries that have yet to finalize their reports. Enhance capacities in M&E and policy analysis, particularly in the analysis of disparities in education in relation to the EFA goals and to prepare policy actions for the remaining period toward the 2015 targets.

The cross-cutting issues in Lifelong Perspective inclusive education and access, opening school to diversity and expanding early childhood education and secondary education participation and learning among the under-represented gender, castes, classes, races and ethno-linguistic minorities improving adult literacy (and student performance?) in multi-lingual areas through mother-tongue as medium of instruction improving quality of education, especially teacher training and learning achievement financing EFA for reaching the poor, including governance, decentralization and accountability

EFA MDA and Policy Review Results of national and sub-regional EFA MDA and the 2008 Global Monitoring Report used for policy reviews Recommendations for adjustments in terms of: Target-setting, with specific references to priority target groups Strategies for attaining the unattained and reaching the un- reached A schedule of milestones to be attained over the remaining period Sub-Regional EFA Mid-Term Policy Reviews to be conducted in Asia-Pacific (the first held in Southeast Asia in February)

Policy and Strategy Recommendations: South Asia EFA Policy Review would have Identified specific target groups; in particular, unreached and disadvantaged populations Defined “Inclusive Education” and “Quality” of education in regional and national context Identified critical issues / major challenges using a lifelong learning approach Recommended policies and strategies on how to address these issues Identified good practices and innovative ideas Participants from SEAMEO Member countries, except Timor Leste, were represented at the Conference held from 18-21 February in Jomtien, Thailand Working Groups on: Inclusive Education and Access Gender and social equity Quality of Education Literacy, mother tongue and language policies EFA Monitoring and Evaluation Financing and Governance Youth’s role in achieving EFA (the youth both as a target group but also as playing a key role in achieving EFA)

Expected outputs Policy and strategy recommendations to address the challenges of meeting the unreached in education Targeted projects, activities at the national and sub-regional level to address the challenges of meeting the unreached in education in relation to the policy and strategy recommendations Feedback from the countries on the 2008 EFA Global Monitoring Report findings

Agenda timetable and procedure Review Group Work Plenary Action Plans Day1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 With the objective of identifying the unattained targets and un-reached target groups for each of the Six EFA Goals, the participants discussed many aspects of the process. Among them, the following are the current plans with regard to the points raised in the concept paper for the Global EFA Review 2006-2007: • In addition to the usual school-based statistics, they will use mostly the existing data collection, such as the population and housing census, various household surveys, labour force surveys, household income and expenditure surveys, etc. • National IE policies on minorities, disabled, the extremely poor, etc. • As the source of UIS data is the national statistics, the national assessment exercise will motivate and accelerate national data collection and reporting • The exercise will generate materials that may be of use to the GMR • Case studies have been conducted and more will be undertaken, especially in areas where standard statistics are not available and inadequate. • The structure and process of implementation will be examined carefully to identify how the policies were differently implemented with regard to the different target groups • Because of the composition of the participants, the discussions did not focus much on the financing aspects of the Six EFA Goals. • Timeline: end of 2006, initial outline with raw data; 2007 analytical and politically anchored reports; 2008 regional policy review Review MDA Reports on remaining disparities Stocktaking disparity issues, policies & strategies Recommend good-practices policies and strategies Country & regional action plans