Article #3: Schools survey of SSRP implementation

Our readers know that for 2 years we have been critical of the content of the School Sector Reform Plan with it's over-emphasis on outputs and measurement, especially having taken a "rights based approach" to quality education. What this means essentially is that the policies focus on the rights of children to having an education and therefore increasing the means of access to every child. This is fine, we have never said otherwise, BUT what is missing is specific direction about what happens to those children once they begin attending school. By all means measure enrolment rates but the real measure is one of completion rates (the children who STAY in school to the end of each year) and ensuring that teaching practices and the environment are designed to enhance completion rates.

In our opinion, it is the lack of guidance and training for teachers on child centred methodologies that is most contributing to a reduction in completion rates, but we have recently been intrigued by claims from a variety of sources about the positive implementation of the SSRP and the provision of teacher training. So, since we are currently providing teacher training to 50 schools in the Kathmandu valley we decided to conduct a very simple survey amongst the Heads/Principals with questions that could be answered either "Yes or No". The questions and answers are shown below:

1. Have you heard of the SSRP? (4% NO)

2. Do you have a copy of the SSRP? (76% NO)

3. Have you had a briefing on it? (80% NO)

4. Have you had any management training in past 2 years? (72% NO)

5. Have your teachers had any official training in past 2 years? (4% NO)

6. Has your school been given any funding to purchase teacher training? (100% NO)

7. Has your school been given any funding to purchase classroom materials? (100% NO)

Now, these are very simple and direct questions and relate to some obvious issues. 

First, you cannot implement the requirements of the SSRP unless you have heard of it, have a copy, have had some briefing/training in it. Only 20 % meet this essential requirement.

Second, the SSRP clearly promises management training for Principals with many of the SSRP processes being dependent on managerial activities and skills. Only 28% meet this requirement.

Third, the SSRP stipulated that funding would be available for schools to purchase "on demand" teacher training and essential classroom materials. Precisely 0% have received any!

Remember, this is Kathmandu, the capital city, with a sample of 50 schools close to the nations resources and policy makers. These schools were not in the remote region of Humla to the West or Jhapa to the East!

I have just run out of things to write, form your own judgement in the light of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent so far on "implementing" this ..... document. Did I say "implementing"?