Ministry of Education Royal Government of Bhutan

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Ministry of Education Royal Government of Bhutan MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION EDUCATION SECTOR PROGRAM IMPLMENTATION GRANT (GPE/ESPIG) PROPOSAL FOR 2018-2021 1 2 Contents List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................ 5 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 7 2. National Context ................................................................................................................................... 7 Human Development Indicators ............................................................................................................... 7 Literacy rate by Dzongkhags (Districts) .................................................................................................... 9 Socio-Economic Context ........................................................................................................................... 9 3. Education Sector Context ................................................................................................................... 12 Education Sector Guiding Documents .................................................................................................... 12 Education Situation Analysis ................................................................................................................... 15 Education Financing and Funding Gap .................................................................................................... 19 Education Administration ....................................................................................................................... 22 4. Major Challenges in Education ........................................................................................................... 23 Access and Equity .................................................................................................................................... 23 Quality and Learning Outcomes ............................................................................................................. 24 Efficiency ................................................................................................................................................. 24 5. Focus Areas and Rationale for GPE/ESPIG Support ............................................................................ 25 Early Childhood Care and Development ................................................................................................. 26 Learning Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 28 6. GPE/ESPIG Programme Design ........................................................................................................... 30 Component 1: Improve access to and quality of ECCD........................................................................... 30 Sub Component 1: Enhance access and equity to ECCD for children aged 3-5 (36-71 months) years31 Sub Component 2: Enhance quality of ECCD programme .................................................................. 34 Component 2: Enhance national assessment system to improve learning outcomes ........................... 38 3 7. Sustainability, Risks and Mitigation Strategies ................................................................................... 42 Sustainability ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Risks and Mitigation Strategies ............................................................................................................... 43 8. Programme Implementation and Management ................................................................................. 44 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 44 Ministry of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan ............................................................................. 45 Programme Implementation .................................................................................................................. 47 Programme Review Committee .............................................................................................................. 47 The Grant Agent (GA) .............................................................................................................................. 48 The Coordinating Agency (CA) ................................................................................................................ 50 Education Sector Coordination Meeting (ESCM) .................................................................................... 50 9. Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy ................................................................................................... 50 10. Budget and Workplan ..................................................................................................................... 54 Annexes ....................................................................................................................................................... 55 Annex 1: Resolutions of the Sherig (Education) Conference 2017 ......................................................... 55 Annex 2: Component 1 Results Framework ........................................................................................... 59 Annex 3: Component 2 Results Framework ........................................................................................... 60 Annex 4: GPE/ESPIG Program M&E Framework ..................................................................................... 61 Annex 5: Detailed Budget ....................................................................................................................... 63 Annex 6: Detailed Budget for GA Cost .................................................................................................... 65 Annex 7: Detailed workplan .................................................................................................................... 69 4 List of Acronyms A4L Assessment for Learning MoLHR Ministry of Labor and Human Resources ADB Asian Development Bank NEA National Education Assessment AKRA Agency Key Result Area NEAF National Education Assessment Framework APA Annual Performance Agreement NER Net Enrolment Rate BCSE Bhutan Civil Service Examinations NFE Non-formal education BCSEA Bhutan Council for School NKRA National Key Result Area Examinations and Assessment BEBP Bhutan Education Blueprint NSB National Statistical Bureau BHSEC Bhutan Higher Secondary Examination PCE Paro College of Education Certificate BLSS Bhutan Living Standard Survey PCU Programme Coordination Unit CA Continuous Assessment PD Professional Development DEO Dzongkhag (district) Education Officer PEMS Public Expenditure Management System ECCD Early Childhood Care and Development PISA Program for International Student Assessment ECR Extended classroom PISA-D PISA for Development EMD Education Monitoring Division, MoE PPD Policy and Planning Division, MoE EMO Education Monitoring Officer RCSC Royal Civil Service Commission ESCM Education Sector Coordination REC Royal Education Council Meeting ESPIG Education Sector Program RGoB Royal Government of Bhutan Implementation Grant GER Gross Enrolment Rate RIM Royal Institute of Management GNH Gross National Happiness RUB Royal University of Bhutan GNHC Gross National Happiness Commission SCI Save the Children International GPE Global Partnership for Education SDGs Sustainable Development Goals ICT Information and communication SEN Special Education Needs Technology 5 ITA International Technical Assistance TEI Tertiary Education Institutes KGUMSB Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical TEO Thrmode (city) Education Officer Sciences of Bhutan KPI Key Performance Indicator TRE Teacher Recruitment Exercise LEG Local Education Group TVET Technical and Vocational Education andTraining M&E Monitoring and Evaluation UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization MoE Ministry of Education UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund MoF Ministry of Finance WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 6 1. Introduction This proposal was prepared as part of the application package for a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Education Sector Program Implementation Grant (ESPIG) to support the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB). For the first time since Bhutan joined GPE in 2009, Bhutan became eligible for ESPIG in 2017, with an indicative Maximum Country Allocation (MCA) of USD 1.8 million consisting solely of a fixed part (Ex-Ante approach). The Local Education Group (LEG) agreed that UNICEF plays the role of the Coordinating Agency while Save the Children will be the Grant Agent. This proposal was developed in full alignment to the Bhutan Education Blueprint (2014-2024) as well as the draft 12th Five Year Plan (12FYP). 2. National Context Human Development Indicators Total Population: 790,215 (Projected population 2018, NSB) GDP per capita: USD 2,879.07 (World Bank 2016) GDP growth rate: 7.99 (NSB) Population 0-14 years (%): 30.4% (NSB) Life expectancy at birth: 69.9 (2016) Adult literacy rate 59.7% (BLSS 2017, NSB) Maternal Mortality Ratio: 121 (per 100000 live birth)
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