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University Students and Professors: Multiple Opportunities for Informal Payments During University Studies Could Substitute for Lost Income

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University Students and Professors: Multiple Opportunities for Informal Payments During University Studies Could Substitute for Lost Income Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Moderate Expectations: Barriers to Access and Complete Public Disclosure Authorized Higher Education in Tajikistan Listening to Stakeholders’ Voices During the University Entrance Exam Reform Public Disclosure Authorized June 2015 Report No: AUS7057 . Moderate Expectations: Barriers to Access and Complete Higher Education in Tajikistan Listening to Stakeholders’ Voices During the University Entrance Exam Reform . GED03 EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA . Standard Disclaimer: This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Copyright Statement: The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions of the work promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, http://www.copyright.com/. All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, e- mail [email protected]. Table of Contents Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................................... i Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................ ii Overview .................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Persistent Barriers to Higher Education .......................................................................................................... 2 High Hopes for Improved Access to University with the UEE Reform ................................................... 3 Risks and Blind Spots: Why Barriers May Persist After the UEE Reform ................................................ 4 Policy Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Short-term recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 5 Medium-term recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 7 Long-term recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 7 Monitoring of the UEE and Other Education Reforms ............................................................................... 8 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1. Context ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.2. Objectives and Methodology .................................................................................................................... 11 1.3. Structure of the Report .............................................................................................................................. 12 2. Capturing Aspirations and Constraints: Qualitative Data Collection in Communities and Universities .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 3. Significant Barriers to Accessing and Completing Higher Education ...................................................... 17 3.1. Increased Barriers beyond Basic Education ........................................................................................... 17 3.2. Gender Barriers .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Agency and gender norms ................................................................................................................................... 19 Lower returns in the labor market for women’s education .................................................................................... 21 Parents’ expectations of lower returns for their daughters’ education ..................................................................... 22 Value of education beyond the labor market ....................................................................................................... 22 Concerns for reputation and safety with women’s mobility .................................................................................... 22 Financial barriers to girls’ education ................................................................................................................... 23 3.3. Financial Barriers, Transparency, and Fairness ..................................................................................... 24 Transparency in the allocation of financial aid..................................................................................................... 24 Transparency in Olympiads ................................................................................................................................ 27 Informal payments and connections to get into university ...................................................................................... 28 Perceptions of university students and faculty ....................................................................................................... 29 3.4. Quality of Secondary and Tertiary Education ....................................................................................... 30 Readiness for university ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Skills development and quality of education in university ..................................................................................... 31 3.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 34 4. Changes in Education Barriers after the UEE: Stakeholders’ Expectations, Tutoring and University Studies ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 4.1. Initial stakeholder response to and knowledge of UEE reform ......................................................... 35 4.2. Implications of the UEE Reform for Efficiency .................................................................................. 36 High expectations that more qualified students will go to university ..................................................................... 36 Improved preparation for entering university ........................................................................................................ 37 A step toward a better signaling value of education .............................................................................................. 38 4.3. Implication of the UEE Reform for Equity in Access to University ................................................ 38 Thriving tutoring industry ................................................................................................................................... 38 Expected changes in informal payments to access university ................................................................................. 39 4.4. Implications of the UEE Reform for Transparency and Equity during University Studies .......... 42 High school students: Cautiously optimistic about better selected students leading to better behavior in university . 43 University students: Less optimistic about the UEE reform bringing change to the status quo during university studies ................................................................................................................................................................ 43 University students and professors: Multiple opportunities for informal payments during university studies could substitute for lost income ..................................................................................................................................... 44 University professors: Divergent views about continuation of informal payments
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