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Student Learning in South Asia : Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Priorities

Author

Listed:
  • Halil Dundar
  • Tara Beteille
  • Michelle Riboud
  • Anil Deolalikar

Abstract

For the past decade, South Asian governments have been investing heavily to achieve the education millennium development goals (MDGs). The region has also made great progress in enrolling girls in both primary and secondary school. The rapid gains in enrollment have not been accompanied by commensurate improvements in learning levels, with the average level of skill acquisition in South Asia being low by both national and international standards. A major reason for this is that throughout the 2000s, most South Asian countries focused on: (a) achieving universal access to primary education, and (b) sustained investment in better-quality school inputs to improve the quality of primary and secondary education. This report covers education from primary through upper secondary school. Given its importance for school readiness, this report also reviews early childhood development even though that is outside formal education systems in the region. To examine what types of policies hold promise for improving student learning, it reviews data from large-scale national learning assessments and the findings of a small but increasing number of impact evaluations being conducted in the region. Finally, based on evidence from South Asia and other regions, it identifies strategic options and priorities to improve learning outcomes in South Asia. The findings make it clear that to be successful, policies to ensure lasting improvements in student learning outcomes need to be integrated into a larger agenda of inclusive economic growth and governance reform. This report makes an important contribution to ones understanding of the performance of education systems in South Asia and the causes and correlates of student learning outcomes. Further, drawing on successful initiatives both in the region and elsewhere in the world, it offers an insightful approach to setting priorities for enhancing the quality of school education despite growing competition for public resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Halil Dundar & Tara Beteille & Michelle Riboud & Anil Deolalikar, 2014. "Student Learning in South Asia : Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Priorities," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 18407, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:18407
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Marine de Talance, 2017. "Quality Perceptions and School Choice in Rural Pakistan," Working Papers hal-01663029, HAL.
    2. Marine de Talancé, 2016. "Quality perceptions and school choice in rural Pakistan," Working Papers DT/2016/15, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    3. Asim,Salman & Chase,Robert S. & Dar,Amit & Schmillen,Achim Daniel, 2015. "Improving education outcomes in South Asia : findings from a decade of impact evaluations," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7362, The World Bank.
    4. Muhammad Qahraman Kakar, 2021. "Ethnic Disparities, Women Education and Empowerment in South Asia," Erudite Ph.D Dissertations, Erudite, number ph21-01 edited by Manon Domingues Dos Santos, December.
    5. Shabnam Sinha & Rukmini Banerji & Wilima Wadhwa, 2016. "Teacher Performance in Bihar, India," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 23637, December.
    6. Angrej Singh Gill, 2017. "State, Market and Social Inequalities: A Study of Primary Education in the Indian Punjab," Millennial Asia, , vol. 8(2), pages 194-216, October.
    7. Lenkei, Balint & Mustafa, Ghulam & Vecchi, Michela, 2018. "Growth in emerging economies: Is there a role for education?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 240-253.
    8. Faruk, Avinno, 2017. "What matters for the quality of education in South Asia: An empirical examination with a QEI," MPRA Paper 91982, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Salma Malik & Shabana Fayyaz, 2019. "Energy Security- A Threat Assessment for Pakistan," Global Economics Review, Humanity Only, vol. 4(4), pages 45-59, December.
    10. Dhushyanth Raju, 2017. "Public School Teacher Management in Sri Lanka," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 18(1), pages 39-63, March.
    11. Hafiz Mohammad Ather Khan & Muhammad Tahir Khan Farooqi & Shahid Mehmood, 2018. "Curriculum of Mathematics in Pakistan and International Standards: A Comparative Study," Global Social Sciences Review, Humanity Only, vol. 3(2), pages 275-302, June.
    12. Duică Anişoara & Florea Nicoleta Valentina & Duică Mircea Constantin & Iancu Dorin, 2016. "Using Simulation and Six Sigma to Analyze and Improve Motivation Process of Teachers from Undergraduate Institutions," Valahian Journal of Economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 7(2), pages 7-16, December.
    13. Chen, Shuang, 2018. "Education and transition to work: Evidence from Vietnam, Cambodia and Nepal," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 92-105.

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