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Adapting to Change
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While broadly similar when viewed from afar, up close Asia's education needs present as much diversity and rapid change as do its many cultures and economies. To remain an effective leader in the education sector, ADB must be flexible and responsive, adapting to the changing needs of its developing member countries.
ADB's support for the education sector in the Mekong region demonstrates this well by addressing the specific and shifting problems of each country. It is adapting to changing economies while also accounting for the needs of regions where ethnic diversity, remoteness, or intractable poverty may call for special solutions.
In Viet Nam, for instance, where universal primary education is within grasp, ADB has been shifting assistance toward the secondary education system to ensure it meets the needs of a booming economy. Conversely, the poorer Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) still needs help in primary education, where it has made progress but still looks likely to fall short of global goals calling for universal primary education. Somewhere in between, Cambodia has not yet won the battle for universal primary education, but is putting greater focus on secondary education, with support from ADB.
"Rapid economic growth and increasing regional cooperation in the Greater Mekong subregion (GMS) require ADB to be flexible and adaptive in meeting the challenges in the education sector. This is reflected in how ADB's program is evolving in Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR," says Sukhdeep Brar, an ADB senior education specialist.
The education target has clearly shifted in Viet Nam. Primary education enrollment reached about 95% in 2004, making simple access a less urgent issue, and calling for greater focus on the quality of programs and access at the secondary levels.
At the same time, economic growth has held well above 7% in this decade and steady reforms are aligning the country more closely with the global economy, calling for new, modern skills from graduates of the country's schools.
These issues form the central pillar of Viet Nam's education policy, which is to develop human resources to help meet the demands of a growing market and to ensure equality and quality.
"Rapid economic growth and increasing regional cooperation in the GMS require ADB to be flexible and adaptive in meeting the challenges in the education sector"
Sukhdeep Brar
ADB Senior Education Specialist
The government now aims to raise lower secondary education enrollment to 100% by 2010 under a phased expansion of upper secondary education. Gross secondary education enrollment rose to 90.4% in 2005/2006, from just 32% in 1992.
Working in concert with the Ministry of Education and Training, and closely supporting the government's objectives as defined by the Socio—Economic Development Plan for 2006–2010, ADB is a leading partner in those efforts.
It has provided three loan projects (and is in the process of approving another) and eight technical assistance grants since the Millennium Development Goals were set in 2000. These include measures for training teachers, redesigning curricula, providing textbooks and teaching materials, organizing capacity development training for the Ministry of Education and Training, constructing and rehabilitating schools, and piloting a modern assessment system.
The technical assistance for Strategic Secondary Education Planning and Cooperation, in particular, puts ADB at the forefront of international efforts to improve Viet Nam's education sector. Approved in June 2005 and put together at the behest of the government, the technical assistance has helped update the country's secondary education sector master plan (SESMP) covering 2006–2010, which will serve as the baseline policy and investment program for all aid agencies active in secondary education.
Among its other main activities, it included establishing an aid—coordination matrix and common investment program to harmonize the donor community's efforts. It also reviewed the education sector's performance under SESMP (2001–2010), and is being used to evaluate the impact of ADB's ongoing interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, proposing ways to overcome obstacles to universal lower secondary education.
The disparities in access to secondary education by gender, ethnicity, and region have been addressed as one of the most critical challenges for achieving government commitment and the MDGs.
Specific programs to improve lower and upper secondary education included two projects, each totaling $55 million in loans. They are diversifying curricula, improving learning materials, developing high—quality school facilities, and training teachers.
The first, focused on the upper levels and approved in 2002, has promoted access, equity, and participation in upper secondary education in disadvantaged provinces through better school facilities; and support programs for the poor, ethnic minorities, and girls. The project also strengthens the education ministry's institutional capacity.
The second lower secondary education development project, approved in 2004, has similar goals. Lower secondary levels have improved markedly this decade but still face challenges of access—quality, equality, efficiency, and sustainability— particularly for disadvantaged groups.
The project is constructing and upgrading school facilities in poor and disadvantaged areas. It is also improving student assessment, facilities, and equipment in provincial schools and district ethnic minority boarding schools; enhancing foreign language teaching and use of information and communication technology; supporting vocational and continuing education; and improving teaching content and methods.
In Cambodia, primary school enrollment was about 92% in 2003. However, enrollment in 2003 in lower secondary education was just 20%, much lower than in Viet Nam. Cambodia's burgeoning young population promises a surge in the number of students seeking schooling beyond the primary level. Projections put the number of grade 6 students at around 560,000 by 2006–2007, more than double the levels in 2002–2003.
Only about 75% of Cambodia's workforce has had primary education, and less than 3% has upper secondary, diploma, or graduate qualifications. To address this, in November 2004 ADB approved the second Education Sector Development Program, building on the first approved in 2001, with the aim to establish a market—responsive education and training system that will help increase the level of education attainment in the workforce and, consequently, boost household incomes.
With a combined total of $45 million in project loans, the project supports the implementation of the government's Education Strategic Plan (2004–2008) and the Education Sector Support Program (2004–2008). The project's loan will help increase equitable access to education and training services; improve the standards, quality, and internal efficiency of the education sector; and increase the sector's capacity for greater education decentralization.
It aims to redistribute education resources from the government and development agencies to the poorest 40% of communities.
The project loan will build and equip 400 lower secondary schools in selected unserved and high—demand communities. It will also construct a model upper secondary school building with science and computer laboratories in each province and municipality, among other things.
The Lao PDR has also made impressive strides in basic education, helped by a heavy donor community focus on expanding access and quality in primary schools.
Net enrollment in primary educat ion had increased to about 79% by 2005, from 63% in 1990. Gross enrollment for lower secondary had increased to 51% by 2005, from 30% in 1990. Upper secondary rose to 31% in 2005, from 26.3% in 1990.
The government's draft Sixth Socio—Economic Development Plan (2006–2010) identifies education as one of the four pillars of its poverty reduction strategy, and education for all is a key plank in its strategy.
However, despite rapid growth of enrollment, universal access at the primary level is still some way off, and national enrollment statistics hide the disparities that exist in access by geographical region, socio—economic status, and ethnicity.
Luangnamtha province, for example, had enrollment for boys at 48.6% and girls at 43% in 2005, compared with Vientiane's 95% for girls and 92% for boys. About 15% of villages still have no primary school within a commutable distance, and about 70% of the schools in the poorest districts are incomplete, offering classes up to second and third grades only.
Quality is also a problem, with only about half of primary school graduates able to demonstrate basic literacy.
ADB began support for the Lao PDR education in 1992. Its Second Education Quality Improvement Project of 2001 includes elements to improve in—service teacher training, build schools, provide funds for school operation and maintenance, and purchase books and learning materials.
It is helping improve the quality of teaching and learning, strengthen management capacity in six provinces, and improve access to schools in four provinces.
A basic education design program is being created with ADB support and in collaboration with its development partners to address issues of access, equality, and quality at the primary level. It aims for a gradual shift of support toward lower secondary education to meet growing demand.
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