RESTRICTED - Not for citation or distribution without permission of the Mongolia Ministry of Science and Education and the Asian Development Bank MONGOLIA HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION REFORM PROJECT SECTOR REVIEW 21 December 1993 Prepared for the Government of Mongolia by The Ministry of Science and Education The Academy for Educational Development The School of Education, University of Pittsburgh DanEduc Consulting Support for this activity was provided by the Asian Development Bank with financial support from the Japan Special Fund The views expressed in this document are those of the working teams of the Human Resource and Education Reform Project and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Government of Mongolia, the Asian Development Bank, or of any other participating organization. Prepared by: For the Government of Mongolia: Dr. B. Enkhetuvshin, Director General, SciencE and Technology department, Ministry of Scienc and Education (MOSE) - PROJECT DIRECTOR Ms. Ts. Undrakh, Division of External Relations and Cooperation, MOSE - PROJECT COORDINATOR Mr. R. Bat-Erdene, Deputy Director, Postsecondary Education Department, MOSE - CHAIR, EDUCATION PLANNING AND POLICY TEAM Mr. J. Sukhbaatar, Principal, College of Business and Commerce - CHAIR, ECONOMICS AND FINANCE TEAM Dr. N. Begz, Director, Institute for Educational Development, MOSE - CHAIR, EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM Dr. B. Jadamba, Vice Rector, Pedagogical University - CHAIR, BASIC AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TEAM Dr. S. Davaa, Vice Rector, National University of Mongolia - CHAIR, HIGHER EDUCATION TEAM Mr. J. Yura, Officer, Postsecondary Education Department, MOSE - CHAIR, VOCATIONAL - TECHNICAL AND NONFORMAL EDUCATION Team Members: Mr. R. Bandii, Deputy Director, Institute for Educational Development, MOSE Mr. A. Batjargal, Officer, Economics and Social Welfare Department, MOSE Mr. P. Batrinchin, Officer, Postsecondary Education Department, MOSE Mr. Ch. Buyanjargal, Officer, Economics and Social Welfare Department, MOSE Mr. P. Dorj, Deputy Director, Preschool and Secondary Education Department, MOSE Mr. Ts. Gelegjamts, Deputy Director, Administration Department, MOSE Mr. S. Pseepil, Methodologist, Research Center, Pedagogical University Mr. J. Tseveendorj, Officer, Economics and Social Welfare Department, MOSE Mr. D. Vanchigsuren, Senior Researcher, Institute for Educational Development, MOSE For the Academy for Education Development: Dr. D. M. Windham, Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New York at Albany (TEAM LEADER) Dr. M. Bray, Head, Department of Education, University of Hong Kong Dr. L. J. Kenneke, Professor of Professional Technical Education, Oregon State University Dr. W. A. Stuart, Dean Emeritus, Rutgers University For DanEduc Consulting: Dr. S. Spaulding, Professor of Administrative and Policy Studies and of International and Development Education, University of Pittsburgh For the School of Education, University of Pittsburgh: Dr. J. C. Weidman, Professor of Higher Education and of Sociology, University of Pittsburgh Project Staff: Ms. B. Oyumaa, Coordinator of Interpreters Ms. D. Enkhtsetseg, Secretary and Interpreter Ms. N. Aligirmaa, Interpreter Ms. B. Mandirguya, Interpreter U MONGOLIA EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE SECTOR REVIEW EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The nation of Mongolia is in the process of a difficult and often frustrating transition to a democratic and free market society. The structural adjustments that are a necessary part of this transition can have disproportionate impacts on the education and human resource (EHR) sector if the sector’s key role in the transition is not carefully articulated. Serious damage to the present education and training systems could even cause a decline in the public acceptance of the structural adjustment process itself. Both EHR reform and aggregate economic adjustment are necessary; the challenge is to find a means to harmonize their processes and their effects. 2. There currently is great debate, both within government and among international donors, concerning the relative importance of the EHR sector in Mongolia’s development strategy. Some feel that there was a relative overinvestment in the social sectors, including education and training, during the socialist period, and that the major requirements of the transition for macroeconomic reform and infrastructure development imply a reduced priority for the EHR sector. Others assert that the past investments in education and training are largely irrelevant for the emerging needs of a democratic society and a free market economy and that new investments in training, retraining, and the development of high level manpower (including managers and administrators) are mandatory. This sector review is an attempt to assure that the judgments made about the appropriate role of the sector in the development effort are reasoned conclusions based upon the best available information, not assumptions based upon unsupported opinion or errors of fact. 3. This EHR Sector Review is also the foundation for a master planning exercise that took place between October and December, 1993. The full Sector Review draft was translated into Mongolian and widely disseminated among decision makers in the EHR sector and throughout the government. The descriptive and analytical sections of the review will be assessed for factual accuracy and the appropriateness of the conclusions. Also, the full range of options were considered and priority options selected. The Ministry of Science and Education (MOSE) project staff assimilated these responses to the draft review and prepared a synthesis of responses by early October. The next step was to identify, for each priority option, the appropriate implementing agency, the sequence of implementation, the costs and other implications of the option, and the evaluation process to be used in monitoring the implementation of the option. 4. This master planning process then integrated the set of priority Options to identify where conflicts or complementarities may exist. The full Master Plan was reviewed again by senior decision makers along with a clear operational framework for the EHR sector and a portfolio of prototype projects. Many of these projects are solely for government finance and implementation while some may require suitable forms of external assistance. It is the government’s intention that any significant external financial intervention in the sector will be based on this Master Plan to assure the best fit between external interests and Mongolia’s own identified priorities The major goal of the Master Plan exercise was to promote a program of EHR reform, defined in terms of Mongolia’s priorities, rather than an uncoordinated set of subsector interventions that may not reflect the priorities and interests of the government and people of Mongolia. To assure full collaboration with the external assistance community, all concerned external agencies were invited to contribute to the assessment of options and the selection of priorities. 5. The Mongolian EHR structure includes a kindergarten for children from age 3-8 followed by a 6-2-2 structure of primary, middle, and general secondary education. Primary and middle education together are referred to as basic education and the grades 1-8 are “compulsory” but may be satisfied through a combination of formal and nonformal means. Vocational-technical education occurs primarily following grades 8, 9, and 10 but exists at earlier and later levels. Higher education includes the eight university-level institutions, two colleges authorized to award baccalaureate degrees, and a set of postsecondary colleges, most of which are being brought under the management of individual universities. 6. For 1991-92, the number of students (and institutions) at the kindergarten and the primary to general secondary levels were 85,671 (806) and 369,100 (679) respectively. For the same year, the number of students in public higher education totaled 13,400 in seven universities (excluding the Military University) and two colleges. Total baccalaureate enrollment in all higher education was 16,917. Vocational- technical education enrollments at the secondary education level equalled 11,685 in 28 institutions and 8,703 in 14 institutions at the postsecondary level. 7. The following text provides the key issues and options organized by the sector review’s three contextual topics of policy and planning, economics and finance, and educational management, and of the three EHR subsectors defined for the sector review: (1) kindergarten, primary, middle (basic) and general secondary education; (2) higher education; and (3) vocational-technical and nonformal education. KEY ISSUES AND OPTIONS POLICY AND PLANNING - Government decision makers need to recognize that priorities must be established and difficult decisions made. It is not possible to maintain all of the present EHR system. Explicit choices are necessary regarding which levels and forms of the EHR system to preserve and at what standards of access and quality. - The need for EHR reform is not solely or even primarily financial in origin but the current financial crisis emphasizes the need for reform. Mongolia’s EHR system has basic structural, curricular, personnel, and managerial problems that must be dealt with to prepare the nation for a democratic society and a free market economy. - Planning activities must focus more on strategic objectives (with specifics as to control, participation, and funding - how much and from whom?) and