2012年-世界发展银行全球_Human_Capital_for_a_Modern_Society___General_Education_in_the_Maldives_94页_3mb

Summary of General Education in the Maldives: An Evolving Seascape

Core Content

This report, published by the World Bank's Human Development Unit in the South Asia Region, examines the state of general education in the Maldives and outlines strategic options for improving its quality, accessibility, and relevance to economic and social development. The Maldives, a small island nation with a population of about 374,000, is one of the most advanced economies in South Asia, with a GNI per capita of $5,790 in 2010. Despite its economic progress, the country faces significant challenges in its education system, particularly in the areas of quality, access, and alignment with labor market needs.

Main Challenges in General Education

1. Access and Participation

• Primary and Lower Secondary Education: The Maldives performs well in primary and lower secondary education enrollment, with net enrollment rates of 84% for lower secondary (81% for boys, 87% for girls).
• Higher Secondary Education: There is a sharp decline in enrollment from lower to higher secondary education, with a gross enrollment rate of only 21% in higher secondary. This is due to the limited number of schools offering grades 11-12 (only 38 schools out of 225), which has historically focused on primary and lower secondary expansion.
• Regional Disparities: The majority of expatriate teachers are employed in atolls, indicating a lack of local teacher capacity in secondary education.

2. Quality of Education

• Learning Outcomes: National assessments show poor learning levels, with English and mathematics scores at grade 4 averaging 32% and 39%, and at grade 7 averaging 29% and 30%.
• Exam Pass Rates: Only 33% of boys and 37% of girls passed the GCE O/L examination with five or more subjects in 2010, suggesting a systemic issue in educational quality.
• Teacher Competency: Approximately 23% of primary school teachers are untrained, and over 60% of lower secondary and 67% of higher secondary teachers are expatriates.

Strategic Options for Improvement

1. Expanding Higher Secondary Education

• Private Sector Involvement: Encourage private investment in higher secondary education through scholarships and loans.
• State School Expansion: Allow state schools with sufficient class sizes but low potential for private investment to offer higher secondary classes, especially in outer atolls.

2. Enhancing Teacher Quality and Performance

• Pre-Service Teacher Education: Expand pre-service teacher training programs to produce a fully trained cadre of teachers.
• School-Based Teacher Development: Implement school-based teacher training and support programs involving principals, teachers, and local officials. Activities may include mentoring, peer learning, and classroom visits.
• ICT-Based Professional Development: Use information and communications technology (ICT) to support teacher development, especially in dispersed island communities. This can include access to online resources, distance learning, and regional teacher resource centers.

3. Quality Assurance Framework

• CFBS Model: The Child-Friendly Baraabaru Schools (CFBS) model provides a framework for evaluating school performance through both internal and external assessments.
• Implementation Needs: The CFBS framework requires effective implementation, including developing internal review mechanisms and building the capacity of local stakeholders and atoll-level units to conduct external assessments.
• Decentralization: A decentralized approach is needed to improve cost-effectiveness and ensure local responsiveness. Online tools should be developed to support this process.

Economic and Social Benefits of Education

• Economic Impact: Education significantly contributes to economic well-being. Higher education levels correlate with increased wealth, as shown in econometric analysis.
• Labor Market Relevance: The report emphasizes the need to align education with labor market demands to enhance economic benefits.
• Social Impact: Education plays a key role in developing civic values and ethical behavior, contributing to the development of good citizens.
• Gender Differences: Education has a stronger impact on wealth for women than for men, due to self-selection effects and greater participation of women in the labor market.

Key Recommendations

• Develop a comprehensive quality assurance system with both internal and external reviews.
• Expand pre-service teacher education and reduce reliance on expatriate teachers.
• Implement school-based teacher development programs to improve local teacher performance.
• Encourage private investment and expand higher secondary education in underrepresented areas.
• Use ICT to support teacher training and improve access to learning resources in remote islands.
• Align education with labor market needs to enhance economic returns.
• Strengthen the role of local communities in education quality assurance.

Conclusion

The Maldives has made progress in achieving universal access to basic education but must now focus on improving the quality of education and ensuring equitable access to higher secondary education. Strategic investments in teacher development, quality assurance frameworks, and alignment with labor market needs are essential to build human capital and promote long-term economic and social development.