Data informs wise decisions

 

In today's data-driven world, organizations rely on evidence to inform their decisions. Sufficient and relevant data enables authorities to make timely and informed decisions.

The School Education Department (SED) in Balochistan has made significant strides with its Education Management and Information System (EMIS), which collects and descriptively analyzes data from government schools against specific indicators, including school, child, and teacher metrics. EMIS serves as a vital resource for provincial educational authorities, providing easily accessible and regularly updated data through an annual census.  However, despite EMIS's capabilities, the current data falls short of providing a comprehensive picture of the education sector. To address this, incorporating additional data into the system is crucial for informed decision-making and enhanced management. By expanding EMIS's scope, educators and policymakers can make data-driven decisions, ultimately improving educational outcomes in Balochistan.

Pakistan faces a significant challenge with Out-of-School Children (OOSC), with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school, representing 44% of the total population in this age group. The Balochistan province faces the critical challenge, with a staggering number of over three million children currently out of school. The School Education Department's lack of a mechanism for collecting data on OOSC makes it reliant on federal government organizations like Pakistan Social and Living Measurement Survey (PSLM) and private sector entities like UNICEF. However, differences exist in the data provided by these organizations. To address this issue, strengthening the Education Management and Information System (EMIS) is crucial for gathering data from madrassas and private schools and tracking OOSC. By doing this, EMIS can offer actionable insights into the education sector, enabling policymakers to make data-driven decisions regarding OOSC.

Transfer posting remains a perennial issue within the department, specifically for officers of grade 17 and above. Currently, no transparent mechanism governs transfer postings, rather, nepotism, political influence, and favoritism appearing to be the dominant factors. The lack of a standardized process and reliance on outdated record-keeping practices hinder accountability and efficiency. The department can address the issue by digitizing the transfer posting data and integrating this data with the existing EMIS. By adopting a digital solution, the department can modernize its transfer posting process and ensure fairness and efficiency.

Balochistan Textbook Board(BTBB) is responsible for developing and reviewing textbooks for provincial schools and maintaining records of developed and distributed materials. However, its review and feedback mechanism relies on traditional methods.  Despite soliciting feedback from teachers, parents, and educators on textbooks, the board's existing process inadvertently hinders educators from sharing their input. To genuinely value teacher and expert feedback, the board must replace outdated methods with a user-friendly online feedback system. In addition, the BTBB should link its data to EMIS. It is a usual practice that despite the BTBB’s efforts to provide sufficient textbooks to schools, complaints from school administrators about inadequate book provision persist. To address this issue, the BTBB and the Directorate of Education should make the book distribution records publicly accessible through the EMIS.

The School Education Department (SED) is responsible for ensuring quality education across the province through its diverse management unit. Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission (BAEC) plays a critical role in evaluating education quality through diagnostic assessments. It's encouraging to note that BAEC leverages government teachers and other personnel for tool development and data collection. Additionally, the commission prepares and presents diagnostic assessment reports at various educational forums. However, there's still room for improvement The Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP 2020-2025) reasonably recommends integrating provincial diagnostic scores into the Education Management Information System (EMIS). Thus, the department should translate the proposal into practice. The linkage process may necessitate additional human and material resources, but it will ultimately prove crucial for measuring the quality of education and providing feedback for improvement of the education in the province.

Departmental actions driven by intuition and guesswork may yield short-term gains, but ultimately fail to deliver sustainable, long-term progress. Effective plans, policies, and decisions require robust data. Hence, digitizing departmental data and expanding the scope of the EMIS is imperative. This enhancement will enable authorities to make informed, data-driven decisions, ultimately leading to improved governance and management within the School Education Department.