GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN

PRIME MINISTERS SECRETARIAT

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR GOVT. REFORMS
*****
Following recommendations of the Commission given in the Working
Paper on Government Reforms in Education Sector! at para"# from a to l alongwith
certain amendments have $een approved $% the Steering Committee &S'C( in its meeting
held on )
th
*ugust! +,,-'
AGENDA ITEM NO.1
GOVERNANCE REFORMS IN EDUCATION SECTOR
DISTRICT EDUCATION BOARDS
a' .he Commission proposes the esta$lishment of /istrict Education 0oards
to $e headed $% a person of repute and integrit% having demonstrated
understanding and knowledge of education related issues'
$' .he main functions of the 0oard will $e1
i(' /eveloping criteria and standards for esta$lishing primar% and
secondar% schools in the district and ensuring that these criteria are
met in practice'
ii(' Ensuring that the selection of teachers is made in a transparent
manner and their training is rigorousl% carried out $% developing
and enforcing recruitment and promotion criteria! contracting
procedures! teachers deplo%ment and pre"service and in"service
training'
iii(' Esta$lishing institutional arrangements and empowering Education
2fficers to inspect schools and receiving inspection reports for
initiating actions against teachers a$senteeism! la3it% of standards
and other lapses in the smooth functioning of schools'
iv(' /eveloping criteria and standards and acting as the accredition4
registration $od% for private schools in the district'
v(' Working with communities and civil societ% organi5ations such as
CC0s! RSPs! 6C7/! PP*F etc in enrolment of out of school
children'
Contd84+'
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SEPARATION OF TEACHING AND MANAGEMENT CADRES
c' .he Commission recommended organi5ation of separate teaching and
management cadres' *n% teacher having ac9uired # %ears e3perience
either in schools or college having aptitude for management should $e
a$le to appl% for selection to the management cadres in schools and
college streams' .he% would $e tested for aptitude! suita$ilit% and skills
and those selected would assume the position of 7ead teachers and
Principals rising to other management positions in the /istricts and
Provinces' *fter their selection the% should $e given rigorous training at
educational management academies! including soft skills and those found
fit should $e inducted into the management cadres'
d' .he management and supervisor% personnel will have to $e appropriatel%
empowered administrativel% to hold service providers and teachers
accounta$le for service deliver%'
INCREASING FEMALE ENROLMENT RATIOS
e' :n order to raise the female enrolment ratio in the rural and $ackward areas
of the countr%! female teachers ma% $e emplo%ed at primar% school level
wherever possi$le'
SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES/ PARENT TEACHER
ASSOCIATIONS
f' S;Cs4P.*s should $e empowered through greater administrative
autonom% &with the ma<orit% of mem$ers and Chairperson from among
parents( and financial powers' *lso! more financial resources should $e
placed at their command &as is $eing done in the Pun<a$( to recruit
teachers to fill temporar% vacancies! monitor teacher a$senteeism and
utili5e allocated funds to improve the schooling environment'
Contd8P"='
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ROLE OF PROVINCIAL/ DISTRICT GOVERNMENTS
g' Powers of recruitment! postings and transfers of teachers for primar%!
secondar% and high schools should $e delegated to /istrict Governments'
*s pointed out a$ove the /istrict Education 0oards will carr% out the
selection and recruitment of teachers on $ehalf of the /istrict
Governments'
FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND TEACHERS
h' .o address the lack of $asic ph%sical infrastructure in schools the Federal
and the Provincial Governments particularl% in Pun<a$ have undertaken
pro<ects for providing additional funds on school completion $asis to
/istrict Governments in the form of conditional grants' :t is recommended
that other Provincial Governments should also provide such conditional
grants to /istrict Governments for e3peditious completion of missing
facilities'
TESTING AND EXAMINATION SYSTEM
i' .he reforms underwa% to improve the testing and e3amination s%stems
aimed at enhancing critical thinking and anal%tical skills should $e taken
to their logical culmination' Provinces should adopt a uniform s%stem so
that the variations in the standards do not put the students of an% province
at a relative disadvantage' Proliferation of e3amination $oards should $e
discouraged and ultimatel% a 6ational .esting Service should $e entrusted
the task of designing the e3aminations while the $oards $ecome
responsi$le for administration of these e3aminations and certification'
PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
<' >eeping in view the role $eing pla%ed $% the private schools there is a
need for greater pu$lic private partnerships through *dopt"a"School
programmes! allowing the private sector to use government school
$uildings for evening classes4schools'
Contd''P")
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MERIT BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
k' Private schools of 9ualit% can either $e provided per capita grants or
su$sidies for teachers $% the Government' :n return these schools will
provide admission to deserving and talented students from poor families'
*n alternative proposal is to esta$lish an Endowment Fund for merit $ased
scholarships for the deserving students from poor families'
DATA AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
l' .here is a need to support the institution of G:S s%stems to help locate
schools! check duplication of facilities and rationali5ation of staff in
different localities' .he Federal ;inistr% of Education has developed
6ational ;anagement :nformation S%stem which should $e linked with
the Provincial S%stems' .he Provincial ;anagement :nformation S%stem!
in turn! should $e $ased on the /istrict S%stem' Such an integrated s%stem
which is updated in real time and has on line access to managers will help
a great deal in decision"making and remedial action'
2. The a!"e #e$!%%e&'a()!&* +e#e a,,#!"e' - (he S(ee#)&.
C!%%)((ee +)(h (he /!00!+)&. a%e&'%e&(*.
i' /istrict Education 0oards to $e headed $% the nominee of the ?ila
6a5im selected through a process of Search Committee'
ii' Powers to recruit and transfer teachers in all the schools upto
matric should $e transferred from the provinces to the districts'
iii' @oucher Scheme and aid to private school schemes for poor and
deserving students $eing followed in Pun<a$ to $e followed $% all
the other three provinces'
iv' Provincial Governments should set up Endowment funds out of
$udget and other donations to provide merit $ased scholarships to
deserving students and need% position holders who are admitted to
reputa$le institutions on merit'
Cont8'P4#'
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=' .he President of Pakistan also o$served that &6ational Reconstruction
0ureau &6R0( had done a lot of work in the education sector and developed vast district
data$ase' .he President! therefore! advised the provinces to $enefit from 6R0As data$ase
s%stem' :t was also desired that 6R0 should keep the Provincial Governments informed
of its efforts in different sectors of local governance'