Experts baffled by paradox of private schools growing but children not learning fast enough

Private primary schools have grown faster in South Asia than in any other region in the world with the highest involvement of non-government actors, but children are not learning as fast as they should be, says a recent UNESCO report.

According to the findings of a UNESCO and Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report titled ‘Non-State Actors in Education: Who Chooses? Who Loses?’ launched by the Idara-i-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) private education institutions doubled in primary education in 20 years both worldwide (from 10 per cent in 2000 to 19 per cent in 2020) and in South Asia (from 19 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2020).

The share of private institutions in secondary education is 27 per cent globally and 50 per cent in South Asia.But despite fast growing access to education in South Asia than in any other region of the world, the children are not learning as fast as they should be. Rather they are one-third below the global average and growing more slowly than in the rest of the world.

The critical question this report asks at this point is how governments can establish a just and effective oversight of the multiple actors. Whether a school is run by the state, by a religious organisation or by the community, the report reminds ministries that it should contribute to the common objective of delivering a quality, equitable education.

Education systems are dynamic entities, with capacity to absorb innovations, integrate new actors, respond to labour market trends and community demands over time. Countries such as India and Pakistan have responded to this change, creating regulatory environments that are more flexible and less restrictive, and allow for innovation to prosper. But, as with any fast-paced developments, there is a risk that change may overtake capacity for control.

The report says that regulations lay the ground rules reflecting the core values of the objectives in our 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When designed and enforced effectively, they keep all actors in check.

The report, Who chooses? Who loses? draws on the experience of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, and its six partners from the region: BRAC (Bangladesh); the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (Nepal); the Institute of Policy Studies (Sri Lanka); Idara-E-Taleem-o-Aagahi (Pakistan); the Center for Policy Research (India); and the Central Square Foundation (India). Combining also experiences from Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Maldives, it looks at the occasions where equity issues have come under pressure with the growing advent of private education, and where positive practices have successfully created cohesion across all actors involved.