BEYOND GROUPS: THE DYNAMICS OF DIVERSITY South Asia EFA Mid-Term Policy Review Conference 16-19 June 2008 Susan Durston, Senior Education Advisor, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia

BEYOND GROUPS: THE DYNAMICS OF DIVERSITY 1. The difficulty of choice 2. Depth of disparity 3. The Longitudinal aspect –avoiding cumulative deprivation 4. Political empowerment and participation 5. Social stigma and identities

1. THE DIFFICULTY OF CHOICE Primary school net attendance rate Source: Household surveys (DHS, MICS), 2000-2006

The poorest quintile, rural, girls, low castes and tribal/linguistic groups are lagging behind in enrolment What does this mean for policy choices? a stipend for all poor children? A stipend for all rural children? A stipend for girls?

One country in the region showed an NAR of 23.5% of working children What does this mean for policy choices? A stipend for working children? Schooling that teaches skills/meets the needs of working children? Raising the minimum wage for adults?

In more than one country the dropout rate from primary education is increasing, especially for boys A recent study from one country shows that poor boys do not see the value of education to jobs they might do such as driving or rickshaw pulling, so they would rather go to work Some boys (even those in richer quintiles) are truanting/dropping out from school and idling because teachers do not turn up to teach them and school is not interesting.

What does this mean for policy choices? A stipend for boys? Increased pay for teachers Sanctions for teachers who are absent? Making school more interesting?

One DHS showed the NAR for a group of Dalits at 37.5%. What is the policy response? Stipends? Quotas? Sanctions for teachers who refuse to teach them? Compulsory education?

2. Depth of disparity-how do we measure it? Why is closing the gap important? Every child has a right to education-rich and poor, rural and urban, girl and boy, low and high caste, every language and type of ability. The Education Parity index Simple index: Similar to Gender Parity Index, but for each group, divide lowest value by highest value. Composite index: Primary NAR, secondary NAR, primary completion

Example: average of three disparities: gender, area of residence, household wealth. Pakistan: no wealth data: average of 2 indices. Disparity linked to household wealth is greatest.

Composite: Primary NAR, secondary NAR, primary completion

3. The Longitudinal aspect Once a child is disadvantaged it is likely to remain so. The child will experience cumulative deprivation Importance of reaching children at a very young age Early intervention has benefits for future realization of education outcomes, and benefits the disadvantaged most Addressing the needs of children at other points in the life cycle, and through various sectors

4. Political empowerment and participation- Local management Ability/structures to make representation, including children Meaningful consultation Community dynamics and context.

5. Social stigma, discrimination and identities Intentional Relational aspect of exclusion (Sen) Classification of people in order to get benefits

A possible hierarchy of options Universal policies which will benefit everyone Targeted policies that benefit a broad constituency such as poorest quintiles And special measures which are needed for groups within groups.

Policies-Universal Some examples: Fee free education Adequate school places/facilities Higher financial investment in the sector School meals for all (Mother tongue/bi-lingual language policy)

Policies-targeted Targeted policies that benefit a broad constituency such as poorest quintiles-some examples: Conditional cash transfers to families Unconditional cash transfers to families scholarships directed through the education system/schools Targeted financial allocations to schools/districts

Special Measures needed for when other measures will not address the issues, for example: Quotas for disadvantaged social groups Extra help in the classroom for differing abilities Special language lessons for children with differing mother tongues

Some tensions Universal measures versus targeting Targeting and labelling Greatest benefit for the greatest number , the greatest number for the least cost, and individual rights Vocational versus general education

And finally…… EVERY CHILD COUNTS! Inclusion is often about political will, at all levels, including the classroom COUNT EVERY CHILD AND EVERY CHILD COUNTS!