What leads to success in non-formal education?

By YesPakistan.com Staff Writer

Across Pakistan, non-formal schools have cropped up to fill in the gap where the country's government schools have overlooked thousands of children, especially the poor and those in rural areas.

A non-formal school is different from a government school in a number of ways. These include the fact that teachers are selected from the local community; the non-formal school is located closer to the children; the school's curriculum is practical and related to issues children face in their daily lives; there is parental and community participation in all of the different levels of the students' education, and particular emphasis is placed on educating girls and underprivileged groups.

While non-formal school takes Pakistan by storm, not all such initiatives will succeed. Although every non-formal schooling project differs, there are certain key elements which indicate success for such a school.

First, there is a sense of community ownership of the project. Although this is a general feature of non-formal schools, it is exercised in different degrees amongst these institutions. The more involvement, the higher chances of success. It is important to mention that involvement does not mean simply community members sending their children to school. It actually indicates community members, especially parents, designing, running, promoting and monitoring local schools. They are also responsible for donating land and school buildings for the schools.

Second is flexible timings that take into account students' needs especially. In rural areas, this is crucial because children are often needed to work in the fields during some parts of the year. For girls in particular, who usually shoulder the burden of housework, this flexibility makes it possible for them to attend school without negatively affecting their domestic duties.

A third factor in a non-formal school's success is choosing the right teachers and giving them the right training. In non-formal schools, teachers are often chosen from within the community. The advantage of this is that teacher absenteeism is greatly reduced, most probably due to the heightened sense of accountability to the community. Teachers are also properly trained not only in the subject matter but in teaching methods as well. This can help reverse negative teaching trends that are often found in government schools (i.e. physical punishment of students) which in turn reduces students' drop out rates.

Fourth, in successful non-formal schools, there is a focus on girls and under-privileged groups. These have been females, whose literacy rate in Pakistan remains extremely low due to socio-cultural and economic factors, as well as the rural poor, who have traditionally been overlooked by the government.

Fifth, a successful non-formal school is cost-effective. It costs much less than a government school which require the construction of the building as well as teachers' salaries. In contrast, a non-formal school can be set up simply in a make-shift room in a house or building. Generally, a non-formal school costs less than two percent of the capital costs of a formal school.

Finally, a successful non-formal school project will establish a workable partnership with the government and other organizations in civil society. This not only pools needed resources to the benefit of the students who have been traditionally at a disadvantage, but it also eases fears of being the "competition" in providing education.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:44:59 PM

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