Village Education Development Committees in Lao PDR: Their Functionality and Impact

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Village Education Development Committees in Lao PDR: Their Functionality and Impact Village Education Development Committees in Lao PDR: Their functionality and impact by Amanda Seel, Nic I’Anson and Soukkasem Lomathmanyvong March 2015 Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations......................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ v 1. Background, Rationale and Approach ......................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and Rationale .............................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Purpose and Objectives ................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Research Approach .......................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Core Research Questions (CRQs) ..................................................................................................... 4 2. Methodology ..........................................................................................................6 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Sampling Frame ............................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Relevant Informant Groups ............................................................................................................. 7 2.4 Tool Development............................................................................................................................ 8 2.5 Data Collection/ Field Work Method ............................................................................................... 8 2.6 Selection and Training of Research Teams ...................................................................................... 8 2.7 Analytical Framework ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.8 Limitations and Mitigations............................................................................................................. 9 3. VEDC Functionality ................................................................................................ 11 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2. Establishment of VEDCs ................................................................................................................ 11 3.3 Membership, Composition and Role Delineation .......................................................................... 12 3.4 Inclusiveness of VEDCs ................................................................................................................... 13 3.5 Meetings and Internal Communications ...................................................................................... 15 3.6 Selection and Turnover of VEDC Members .................................................................................... 16 3.7 Horizontal Linkages of VEDCs to other Village-Level Bodies ......................................................... 17 3.8 Vertical Linkages of VEDCs to DESBs and DEDCs ........................................................................... 17 3.9 Effects of the 3-Build Policy on VEDCs ........................................................................................... 18 3.10 Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 19 4. VEDCs’ Roles in School and Village Educational Development ................................ 20 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 20 4.2 The Establishment of SDP in Schools and Districts ........................................................................ 20 4.3. The Involvement of VEDCs in the SDP Cycle ................................................................................. 21 4.4 Wider Community Participation in School Development ............................................................... 23 4.5 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................................... 24 5. VEDCs’ Support to Equitable Access and Inclusion ................................................. 26 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 26 5.2 VEDC Impact on Access and Inclusion ........................................................................................... 26 5.3 Data Collection on Children and Households ................................................................................. 27 5.4 Strategies to Support Access and Inclusion ................................................................................... 28 5.5 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................................... 29 6. VEDCs’ Support to Teaching/ Quality ..................................................................... 30 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 30 6.2 VEDC Impact on the Quality of Teaching and Learning ................................................................. 30 6.3. Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning .............................................................................. 31 6.4 Monitoring of and Support to Teachers ........................................................................................ 31 6.5 Support to Linking Home and School Cultures ............................................................................... 32 6.6 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................................... 33 7. VEDC Capacity Development ................................................................................. 33 7.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 33 7.2 Constraint and Priorities ................................................................................................................ 34 7.3. VEDC Training ............................................................................................................................... 34 7.4 DESB Support Visits to VEDCs ........................................................................................................ 37 7.5 Self-learning and Support Materials and Other Capacity Development Approaches .................... 39 7.6 Finance and Incentives .................................................................................................................. 40 7.7 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................................... 40 8. Conclusion and Lessons Learned ............................................................................ 41 9. Recommendations ................................................................................................ 44 9.1 Functionality .................................................................................................................................. 44 9.2 VEDC Support Access, Quality and Management .......................................................................... 46 9.3 VEDC Capacity Development ......................................................................................................... 47 9.4 DESBs (and PESS) as Trainers, Supporters and Planners ............................................................... 48 9.5 An Enabling Policy, Institutional and Resource Environment for VEDCs ....................................... 49 List of References ........................................................................................................... I ii Acronyms and Abbreviations 3-B 3-Build Policy BEQUAL Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR CIED (1&2) Community Initiatives for Educational Development (Japan) CRQ Core Research Question DEDC District Education Development Committee DESB District Education and Sports Bureau DNFE Department of Non-formal Education DOF Department of Finance (of MoES) DOI Department of Inspection DOP Department of Planning DPPE Department of Pre-and Primary Education DPs Development Partners ECE Early Childhood Education EFA Education For All EFA-FTI Education For All- Fast Track Initiative (now GPE) EMIS Education Management Information System EQS Education Quality Standard(s) ESDF Education Sector Development Framework ESDP Education Sector Development Plan ESQAC Education Standards and Quality Assurance Centre ESRC Education and Sports Research Centre ESWG Education Sector Working Group EU European Union FTI See EFA-FTI GER Gross Enrolment Rate GoL
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