Title: Education reform in the Education Guarantee Scheme in Madhya Pradesh, India, and the Fundescola Program in Brazil
Abstract: According to the World Development Report 2004, three dimensions are now seen as critical for improving schools and guaranteeing universal primary education. The first dimension is the setting in place of a policy environment that would enable and facilitate interventions to improve school quality. Here, the policy maker develops the set of rules and related institutional reform that will govern the provision of services in order to achieve the intended outcomes. The second dimension is the implementation of policy represented in the targeted, effective and timely provision of facilities and services. In this case, the provider would ensure that the services are made available and functioning adequately. A third important dimension is the beneficiary constituting the citizen who demands proper service and also shares in and is committed to the vision of good quality primary education. and is responsible for monitoring the service provided to some extent. This three-fold schema is appropriate for examining educational reform programs as it captures the main dimensions of the effective delivery of educational services critical to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals for education. Two relatively successful education programs that have been introduced recently in two countries--namely India and Brazil--will be examined, keeping in mind the threefold framework described above. The two programs are the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) in Madhya Pradesh in India and the Fundescola program in Brazil. The aims of the EGS are to improve participation and school quality in the state. The EGS scheme allows communities living in remote areas and difficult to reach students (such as migrant students, working children etc) without a school close by to demand a primary school. The community contributes the physical facilities of the school while the Government is required to provide the remuneration for the teacher chosen by the community. The Panchayat or local governing body appoints teachers in this program and the Village Education Committee (VEC) is involved with school administration. The Fundescola program in Brazil is a federal program working mainly through the state and municipal mechanisms with the objective of improving school quality. The central pillar of Fundescola is the provision of technical assistance and ensuring that service work. The focus of the most recent phase includes three components: First it raises schools to minimum operational standards by providing infrastructure, extra reading materials, and facilitating efficient use of space. Second, it establishes a process of school development planning that is strategic focusing on improving teaching and learning. Third, the project includes the institutional development of education secretariats, promotes school autonomy, and sets in place a system of monitoring and research.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
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