Project Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning (Project SMaLL)
SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education Program (SIREP)
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PUBLISHED BY SEAMEO INNOTECH 2016.
A PDF copy of this publication may be downloaded free of charge from http://www.seameo-innotech.org.
All photos used are courtesy of SEAMEO INNOTECH unless otherwise stated.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With sincerest thanks to the SEAMEO INNOTECH Governing Board for supporting the SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education Program (SIREP) on “reaching the unreached” small schools in SEAMEO Member Countries in line with the Ten Collaborative Projects of SEAMEO by 2015.
Likewise, special gratitude to the national and sub-national education offices (i.e., province, district levels) of the Lao PDR Ministry of Education and Sports, the Malaysia Ministry of Education and the Philippine Department of Education, together with the seven project intervention schools, namely: 1) Ban Kouay Primary School, Lao PDR 2) Hawanay Elementary (Integrated) School, Philippines 3) Mainit Elementary School, Philippines 4) Phonsinuane Primary School, Lao PDR 5) Sekolah Kebangsaan Chenderong Kelubi, Malaysia 6) Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Perah, Malaysia 7) Sikhaitha Primary School, Lao PDR for their great contributions in SEAMEO INNOTECH’s Project on Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning (SMaLL) from planning, implementation and monitoring of action plans as part of their commitment to the post-2015 Education for All agenda.
Lastly, deepest appreciation to all students, school teachers, principals, parents, local government officials and members of community-based organizations such as: the Village Education Development Committee (VEDC) of Lao PDR; Orang Asli Affairs Department (JAKOA) and Village Councils of Malaysia; and, the Barangay Councils of the Philippines, that were actively engaged by the Project for their valuable experiences, insights and recommendations to continually improve the performance of disadvantaged small schools in remote rural communities in the context of school-based management/decentralized education management.
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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 3 LIST OF ACRONYMS ...... 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 13 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...... 25 CHAPTER II. REGIONAL CONTEXT OF SMALL SCHOOLS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ...... 29 1. Definition of Small Schools ...... 30 2. The Regional Profile ...... 30 3. Characteristics of Small Schools in Southeast Asia ...... 31 Cambodia ...... 31 Indonesia ...... 32 Lao PDR ...... 32 Malaysia ...... 33 Myanmar ...... 34 Philippines ...... 35 Timor-Leste ...... 36 Thailand ...... 37 Vietnam ...... 38 4. Needs and Challenges faced by Small Schools ...... 39 5. Approaches to overcome the challenges in managing Small Schools ...... 46 CAMBODIA ...... 46 INDONESIA ...... 48 LAO PDR ...... 49 MALAYSIA ...... 51 MYANMAR ...... 55 PHILIPPINES ...... 56 THAILAND ...... 59 TIMOR-LESTE ...... 60 VIETNAM ...... 61 CHAPTER III. PROJECT BACKGROUND ...... 63 1. SEAMEO’s Collaborative Response: Reaching the Unreached ...... 64 2. SEAMEO INNOTECH’s Response: Project SMaLL (Conceptual Overview)...... 64 3. Capacity-building interventions provided: Lao PDR, Malaysia and Philippines ...... 69
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CHAPTER IV: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE ...... 71 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF PHILIPPINE SMALL SCHOOLS ...... 72 2. PHILIPPINE SMALL SCHOOL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES ...... 75 3. BACKGROUND TO THE PHILIPPINE PROJECT SMALL INTERVENTIONS ...... 82 4. THE PILOT SCHOOLS UNDER PROJECT SMALL: SCHOOL CONTEXT ...... 84 Hawanay Elementary School (Hawanay ES) ...... 84 Mainit Elementary School (Mainit ES) ...... 86 5. PROJECT SMaLL PROGRAM INTERVENTION ...... 88 6. CHALLENGES & SUCCESSES ...... 91 Hawanay Elementary School ...... 96 Mainit Elementary School (Mainit Es) ...... 101 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CASE EXPERIENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES ...... 106 CHAPTER V: THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE ...... 121 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL SCHOOLS IN MALAYSIA ...... 123 2. MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES IN ORANG ASLI SCHOOLS ...... 125 3. STATUS OF THE ORANG ASLI EDUCATION SYSTEM ...... 140 4. THE PILOT SCHOOLS UNDER PROJECT SMaLL: SCHOOL CONTEXT ...... 155 Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Chenderong Kelubi...... 156 Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sungai Perah ...... 160 5. PROJECT SMALL PROGRAM INTERVENTION ...... 165 6. CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES ...... 173 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CASE EXPERIENCE OF MALAYSIA ...... 192 CHAPTER VI: THE LAO PDR EXPERIENCE ...... 207 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF LAO SMALL SCHOOLS ...... 209 2. LAO SMALL SCHOOL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES ...... 211 3. BACKGROUND ON THE LAO EDUCATION LANDSCAPE ...... 217 4. THE PILOT SCHOOLS UNDER PROJECT SMALL: SCHOOL CONTEXT ...... 221 Ban Kuoay Primary School ...... 223 Phonsinouane Primary School ...... 230 Sikhaitha Primary School ...... 235 5. PROJECT SMaLL PROGRAM INTERVENTION ...... 240 6. CHALLENGES AND SUCCESS ...... 243 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CASE EXPERIENCE OF LAO PDR...... 270
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CHAPTER VII. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON SMALL SCHOOLS MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ...... 285 KEY FINDINGS PER PARTICIPATING COUNTRY ...... 286 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 289 Specific Conclusions ...... 289 Specific Recommendations ...... 297 CONCLUDING STATEMENT ...... 313 REFERENCES ...... 315
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Project SMaLL Objectives and Activities ...... 15 Table 2: Overview of Project SMaLL Interventions ...... 17 Table 3: Key Findings re: Action Research on Small Schools Management in Southeast Asia ...... 20 Table 4: Summary of Major Conclusions and Recommendations of the Study for Consideration of SEAMEO Member Countries ...... 22 Table 5: National Achievement Test Scores of Multigrade and Regular Schools, Philippines ...... 74 Table 6: Small Schools Enrolment in City Divisions of Talisay and Carcar ...... 83 Table 7: Drop-out & Survival Rates in Selected Multigrade Schools, Cebu, Philippines...... 84 Table 8: Drop-out and Completion Rates in Project SMaLL Intervention Schools ...... 95 Table 9: Enrolment Data of Mainit ES ...... 103 Table 10: Financial Assistance for Orang Asli Students, JAKOA ...... 128 Table 11: Orang Asli Enrolment in Basic Education from 2011 to 2014 ...... 140 Table 12: List of K9 Comprehensive Model Schools by Year (MOE Malaysia) ...... 146 Table 13: Number of Parents who have attended KEDAP (2008-2013) ...... 154 Table 14: Distribution of Orang Asli School Children in SK Chenderong Kelubi ...... 158 Table 15: Achievement Awards of SK Chenderong Kelubi ...... 158 Table 16: Enrollment in SK Chenderong Kelubi ...... 159 Table 17: Performance Indicators for SK Chenderung Kelubi ...... 159 Table 18: UPSR National Achievement Test Scores: SK Chenderung Kelubi, SY 2006-2009 ...... 159 Table 19: School Quality Indicators, SK Chenderung Kelubi ...... 160 Table 20: SK Sungai Perah Attendance Rate from 2009 to 2011 ...... 162 Table 21: Enrolment Statistics for School Year 2011, SK Sungai Perah ...... 162 Table 22: School Awards of SK Sungai Perah from 2007-2010 ...... 163 Table 23: SK Sungai Perah UPSR Results, Year 2006-2010 ...... 164 Table 24: School Improvement Plan. SK Sungai Perah, SY 2008-2012 ...... 165 Table 25: SK Sungai Perah, Monthly Activities for AY 2011 ...... 169 Table 26: UPSR Exam Results, SK Sungai Perah ...... 172 Table 27: Basic Information on Bankuay Primary School, SY 2013-2014 ...... 224 Table 28: Bankouay Primary School Net Enrolment as of SY 2013-2014 ...... 224 Table 29: Bankouay Primary School Performance Indicators as of 2013-2014 ...... 224 Table 30: Basic Information: Phonsinouane Primary School ...... 230 Table 31: Phonsinouane School Performance Indicators: Net Enrollment (2010-2014) ...... 231 Table 32: Phonsinouane Primary School Performance Indicators ...... 231 Table 33: Basic Information on Sikhaitha Primary School ...... 235 Table 34: Sikhaitha Primary School: Net Enrolment ...... 236 Table 35: Sikhaitha Primary School Performance Indicators: Other School Data ...... 236 Table 36: Teacher Assignment in Sikhaitha Multi-grade Instruction ...... 236 Table 37: Fit for School Implementation Status (2012) ...... 269
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Project SMaLL Intervention Framework ...... 19 Figure 2: Project SMaLL Conceptual Framework, SEAMEO INNOTECH, 2010 ...... 65 Figure 3: Small Schools Management Systems under Project SMaLL ...... 66 Figure 4: Project SMaLL Intervention Framework ...... 67 Figure 5: Language Assessment for Primary Grades for Philippine Multigrade Schools, 2015 ...... 75 Figure 6: Distribution of Small Schools in Malaysia (2010) ...... 124 Figure 7: Performance of SK Ba Kelalan School ...... 149 Figure 8: SK Sungai Perah Attendance Rates ...... 164
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
A&E Accreditation and Equivalency ADM Alternative Delivery Mode AI Appreciative Inquiry ALS Alternative Learning System ANISFA Anislagan Farmers Association APEX Applied Academics for Excellence ASLO Assessments of Student Learning Outcomes BEAM Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao BEE Bureau of Elementary Education BESRA Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda BM Bahasa Malaysia CBA Cost-Benefit Analysis CCA Child-Centred Approach CCT Conditional Cash Transfer CESA Chiangmai Education Service Area CFS Child-Friendly Schools CIPG Comprehension Item Program for Group COAC Center of Orang Asli Concerns CoE Clusters of Excellence COMIC Community in the Classroom CPD continuing professional development CSOs Civil Society Organizations CSS Community Support Scheme DA Department of Agriculture DEB District Education Bureaus DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources DepEd Department of Education DNFE Department of Non-Formal Education DO Department Order
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DPC Department of Planning and Cooperation ECDP Early Childhood Development Project EDMP Education Development Master Plan EFA Education for All EFA-FTI Education for All – The Fast Track Initiative ES Elemetary School ESDF Education Sector Development Framework FCS family-community-school FGD focus group discussions FTI Fast Track Initiative GAA General Appropriations Act GDP Gross Domestic Product GER Gross Enrolment Ratio GUARDO Guadalupe Upland Agricultural Resource Development Organization GURO21 Gearing Up Responsible and Outstanding Teachers in Southeast Asia for the 21st Century HEKASI Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, at Sibika HOTS higher order thinking skills IAB Institut of Aminuddin Baki IC-MG Integrated Curriculum for Multigrade Classes ICT Information Communication Technology IDRC International Development Research Center IECM information, education, communication and motivational IMPACT Instructional Management of Parents, Community & Teachers IPG Institut Pendidikan Guru IPs indigenous peoples ITE Institute of Teacher Education ITSME Improving In-Service Teacher Training for Science and Mathematics Education JaKOA Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency
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KEDAP Kelas Dewasa Asli Penan (programmes for indigenous adults to eradicate illiteracy) KRT Key Reform Thrusts LINUS Literacy and Numeracy Screening LRSP Little Red School House Project LSB Local School Board MDG Millennium Development Goal MDSP Multigrade Demonstration School Project MG Multi-grade MOEC Ministry of Education and Culture MOEM Ministry of Education Malaysia MOEs Ministries of Education MOES Ministry of Education and Sports MOET Ministry of Education and Training MPPE Multi-grade Program in Philippine Education NAT National Achievement Test NCR National Capital Region NER Net Enrolment Ratio NRIES National Research Institute for Educational Sciences OBEC Office of Basic Education Commission OTI Operational Target Increment OUM Open University Malaysia PA Pedagogical Advisers PELC Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies PES Provincial Education Services PGL peer-group learning PISMP Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Pendidikan PLA Participatory Learning in Action PLEP Pupil Learning Enhancement Program PTA Parents-Teachers Association RGP Review Game Program RIP Reading Item Program
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RIPG Reading Item Program for Groups SBG School Block Grant SBM school-based management SIP School Improvement Plan SDS Schools Division Superintendent SEDIP Secondary Education Development and Improvement Project SEF School Education Fund SIDA Swedish International Development Agency SIP Simple Item Program SIPG Simple Item Program for Groups SIREP SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education Program SK Sangguniang Kabataan SK Sekolah Kebangsaan SKM Sekolah Kurang Murid SMaLL Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning SoQ Schools of Quality SPM Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia STRIVE Strengthening the Implementation of Basic Education in the Visayas STU Sarawak Teachers’ Union TAV Teacher Aide Volunteer TEEP Third Elementary Education Project TEIs Teacher Education Institutions TIC Teacher-in-Charge TTC Teacher Training Colleges TTEST Teacher Training Enhancement and Status of Teachers TTS Teacher Training School UES under-enrolled schools UNDP United Nations Development Program UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UPSR Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah VEDC Village Education Development Council WSPG Word Sounding Program for Group
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents a framework that explains how community-based support can improve educational management of small schools. The framework draws lessons from the experience of school principals, teachers, parents and students of selected small schools in Lao PDR, Malaysia and the Philippines that may be particularly useful for the region, and identifies challenges and promising practices that impact on the effective management of small schools. It uses information from school-based data and reports, as well as from case studies that were conducted by SEAMEO INNOTECH after providing capacity building interventions to a sample of small schools in the region. The report is also informed by qualitative data gathered in the monitoring of seven small schools. The findings hope to provide inputs to policy makers in the Ministries of Education to consider the strengths, challenges and recommendations for better management of small schools as they continue to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” for the next 15 years of EFA (SDG 4 Education 2030).
SEAMEO INNOTECH Response to EFA, MDG and Universal Convention on Child’s Rights
The three major global initiatives which mainly protect the rights and welfare of children, youth and adults are: 1) Universal Convention on Child’s Rights, 2) Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and, 3) Education for All (EFA). Substantive gains have been achieved with regard to these global commitments particularly in EFA – a global movement led by UNESCO aiming to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015. Statistics have shown that there are more children participating in schools, most noticeably among girls. The number of schools and classrooms have also multiplied to accommodate the increase in school population. Flexible learning options or alternative educational programs have been organized to ensure that those who are unable to attend regular school are able to acquire the minimum learning content for their grade levels.
However, it is also clear that numerous challenges and gaps continue to challenge educators and policy makers particularly those who are concerned with learners in economically disadvantaged communities, rural remote areas and indigenous populations. A significant number of children from low income economies remain excluded from educational services and are therefore being “left behind”. Many children in remote rural areas and in indigenous communities are early school leavers, dropping out in midstream, and are unable to complete the full cycle of primary education.
With subsistence farming as the main source of livelihood in Southeast Asia, children living in rural areas are more likely to be out of school than those in cities and are therefore largely excluded from formal education. It is in this context that SEAMEO Member Countries are compelled to accelerate the achievement of EFA as a national policy for government to provide greater access to small schools of better quality.
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SEAMEO INNOTECH is committed to pursue the global thrust for EFA by 2015 through SEAMEO’s Ten Collaborative Projects to reach the unreached (RUR) in Southeast Asia. The 10 collaborative projects were the result of the regional meeting convened by the SEAMEO Secretariat in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat and UNESCO Bangkok in July 2008. The meeting was attended by representatives from the 11 SEAMEO Member Countries and 10 international non-governmental organizations and EFA partners. Consequently, the Center’s 8th Five-Year Development Plan is focused on developing solutions to improve access to quality education in communities where education for all is not within immediate reach. One of the key interventions is strengthening the capacity of small disadvantaged schools in dealing with the challenges of reaching the learners from rural communities in Southeast Asia and to promote inclusive education.
In Southeast Asia, small schools or one-teacher schools represent a large portion of the educational landscape. Small schools in the region usually have low enrolments of less than 150 students, with one teacher handling various grade levels simultaneously in a single classroom, trying to cope with meager resources. These schools are sometimes classified as oftentimes incomplete or under-enrolled schools wherein they have less than five teachers trying to manage multi-grade classes, and with limited resources. Small schools can be found in almost all countries of the region, but the underlying reasons for their existence may well vary. Several national policies in support of the EFA agenda and other factors brought about conditions that necessitated the existence of small schools.
In cognizance of the EFA goal of improving access to quality and sustainable primary education particularly for those in remote rural areas in Southeast Asia, SEAMEO INNOTECH proposed a project on Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning (SMaLL). The Project, funded under SIREP (SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education Program) was designed to be a community-based, participatory action research activity to be undertaken in three Southeast Asian countries. It was envisioned to contribute towards building the experience and knowledge based on models, strategies and approaches for localizing collaborative management and strengthening family, community and school partnerships, in marginalized and disadvantaged areas, including indigenous communities.
The proposal identified three participating SEAMEO Member Countries: Lao PDR, Malaysia and the Philippines based on the following criteria: 1) willingness and commitment to support the EFA fast track initiative to reach the unreached school communities in Southeast Asia, 2) with significant numbers of small/multi-grade schools in rural areas, and 3) with small schools that have innovative programs for indigenous communities. The project presented past and on-going initiatives of SEAMEO Member Countries in managing small schools to assist in developing policy recommendations for long-term effectiveness of small schools’ learning system and how it impacts on the lives of children from disadvantaged and indigenous communities in Southeast Asia.
Project Objectives, Research Questions and Activities
The Ministries of Education (MOEs) of the three participating countries signified their interest to join and implement Project SMaLL from 2010 to 2012. The action research was geared towards accomplishing the following objectives: 1) strengthening capacities of key
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stakeholders in pilot sites; 2) promoting and localizing best practices of family-community- school partnerships; 3) capturing and documenting effective innovations, best practices and lessons learned; and 4) recommending policy directions for enhancing small schools responsiveness and effectiveness in reaching out and mobilizing support of the community, engaging and involving parents, and building more robust family-community-school partnerships.
The research questions served as the basis for defining the specific courses of action that the three participating countries pursued to improve the quality of education services provided by small schools. Specifically, these are:
i. What critical areas of community-based support are needed by small schools? ii. How do small schools engage, manage and sustain critical areas for community support? iii. What new capacity-building interventions may be jointly pursued by schools and community members in managing small schools?
In partnership with the Ministries of Education in Lao PDR, Malaysia, and the Philippines, SEAMEO INNOTECH undertook activities (Table 1) to accomplish the project objectives and address the research questions.
Table 1: Project SMaLL Objectives and Activities Objectives/Activities Lao PDR Malaysia Philippines (1) Strengthen capacities • Multi-Level Orientation • Multi-Level Orientation • Multi-Level of key stakeholders in and Consultation and Consultation Orientation and pilot sites Meeting with key Meeting with key Consultation Meeting stakeholders from 3 stakeholders from 2 with key stakeholders pilot schools in LAO pilot schools in from 2 pilot schools in PDR. Malaysia. the Philippines. • Orientation on • Orientation on • Training on IMPACT rudiments of Multi- managing Technology grade Instruction and Comprehensive Special (Instructional School of Quality (Boarding) School for Management of framework (SoQ) Orang Asli Parents, Community & Teachers) • Training on • Training on • Training on Collaborative Collaborative Collaborative Management of Small Management of Small Management of Small Schools: Strengthening Schools: Strengthening Schools: Strengthening Family-Community- Family-Community- Family-Community- School Partnerships for School Partnerships for School Partnerships for key stakeholders key stakeholders key stakeholders (2) Promote and localize • Training on • Training on • Training on best practices of Collaborative Collaborative Collaborative family-community- Management for Small Management for Small Management for Small school partnerships Schools: Strengthening Schools: Strengthening Schools: Strengthening Family-Community- Family-Community- Family-Community- School Partnerships for School Partnerships for School Partnerships key stakeholders of 3 key stakeholders of 2 for key stakeholders of pilot schools pilot schools 2 pilot schools
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Objectives/Activities Lao PDR Malaysia Philippines (3) Capture and • Consultation Meeting • Consultation Meeting • Consultation Meeting document effective with key stakeholders with key stakeholders with key stakeholders innovations, best from 3 pilot schools from 2 pilot schools from 2 pilot schools practices and lessons • Monitoring of schools’ • Monitoring of schools’ • Monitoring of schools’ learned action plan on Project action plan on Project action plan on Project SMaLL after the training SMaLL after the training SMaLL after the training (4) Recommend policy • Engaging and • Engaging and • Engaging and directions for maximizing VEDC maximizing parental maximizing support of enhancing small (Village Education e.g., (KEDAP-adult students as peer tutors schools responsiveness Development Council) education) & village and IMPACT program and effectiveness in support to small primary support in Orang Asli teachers and parents reaching out and schools education as itinerant teachers mobilizing support of the community, engaging and involving parents and building more robust family- community-school partnerships
Further, each country manifested unique conditions that the project needed to address (see Figure 1. Project SMaLL Intervention Framework).
The final project objectives were customized, based on local conditions, actual key stakeholders involved, as well as local cultural contexts. They were focused on key dimensions essential to building and sustaining school-community partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement for small schools improvement as follows:
Clarifying and developing shared understanding of Project SMaLL: its contexts, goals, priorities and planned initiatives. Discovering pathways for stretching and deepening linkages and partnerships between schools and the communities in which they are located. Building consensus on areas for working together (collaboration, complementation, or convergence), to accelerate Project SMaLL planned initiatives. Recognizing potential challenges that could serve as barriers to successful launching and implementation of Project SMaLL in the pilot schools. Developing a platform of action (Malaysia and Philippines) and solidarity agenda (Lao PDR) for supporting, accelerating and sustaining the SMaLL schools project; and reaching agreement on the succeeding stages and future engagements for Project SMaLL.
Each major activity had its own rationale and objectives, design principles and methodologies. In the course of project implementation, the specific objectives were reformulated to clarify the emerging conditions of the participating countries. Thus, the major activities indicated in Table 2 already reflected the firmed-up objectives:
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Table 2: Overview of Project SMaLL Interventions
ACTIVITIES RATIONALE OBJECTIVES DESIGN PRINCIPLES METHODOLOGIES Multi-Level Intended to be Ensure that all key Universal principles Appreciative inquiry Orientation and project perspective stakeholders had a shared governing inclusive (AI), focused Consultation setting and understanding and education (MDG, conversations and Meeting with key grounding sessions. appreciation of what the EFA, Universal participatory learning stakeholders, from project was all about, and Convention on in action. Served as a starting seven pilot schools what it intended to do. Human Rights) were point for the Structured along two in targeted project used as introductory project. Provide key stakeholders the major areas: (1) sites, across three and preliminary take- opportunities to Feedback on the countries. off points for contextualize the project in project overview discussions among terms of past initiatives and presentation, and (2) stakeholders. accomplishments, current Focused realities and future Exchanges during conversations. challenges. FGDs anchored on Discussion sessions the assumption that Community and school level were undertaken at: “people have more discussions aimed to: national, district, confidence and are and/or school– Bring out stakeholders’ more comfortable community levels perceptions and images of with the future, when their village schools; they carry the best Separate sessions Recognize key challenges in parts of the past with were conducted with the effective functioning of them” (Sue Annis school principals and their village schools; Hammond, 1998). teachers, and with Showcase and appreciate parents and other
significant programs & best members of the practices in ensuring community to openly stakeholder engagement share their and family-community- experiences. school (FCS) partnerships; Capture change-related visions (dreams or wishes) of small schools, i.e., what they want to make better; what they want to introduce or initiate (create something new) and what they want to do differently (innovate).
Training on Envisioned to Accelerate adaptation and/or Consisted of five Co-organized & Collaborative spearhead and integration of promising modules: managed by SEAMEO Management for serve as the driver practices of community/ INNOTECH & MOEs (1) Laying the Small Schools: for subsequent village engagement and in Lao PDR Malaysia Foundation for Strengthening innovations and multi-stakeholder and the Philippines. Building Family- initiatives in the partnerships for participatory, Relationships, Community-School pilot schools. collaborative governance and Partnerships effective management of (2) Creating & small schools. Specifically, to: Sustaining a Enhance core competencies Supportive & Child- vital to creating a Friendly School supportive, safe, child- Environment, friendly and context (3) Building & sensitive learning Strengthening environment as well as
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ACTIVITIES RATIONALE OBJECTIVES DESIGN PRINCIPLES METHODOLOGIES those skills that help Family-Community- improve and strengthen School Partnerships family- community- school for Lifelong Learning, partnerships; (4) Mobilizing & Build consensus and create Working Together for a shared platform on how Change, and best to initiate, support and sustain community or (5) Coaching for village engagement and Online Networking or multi-stakeholder Knowledge Sharing. partnerships; and
Enhance existing school strategic framework (vision, mission, guiding principles and values) and school development plans to ensure alignment with overarching national education goals.
Training on Exclusive for the To respond to high drop-out Learning system is a One-day orientation Instructional Philippine setting to rates in small schools. technology-enhanced on IMPACT for Management by strengthen the alternative delivery Schools Division To provide a solution to the Parents, educational mode (ADM) for officials and school lack of teachers, textbooks Communities, and program using the primary schools principals and and other learning Teachers (IMPACT) IMPACT Learning teachers of Talisay resources in participating Learning materials technology System (for multi- and Carcar Cities in schools. were aligned with grade schools) with the basic education Cebu province. active collaboration curriculum of the Six-day training on of families and Philippine IMPACT for all communities to Department of teachers, schools provide children Education (DepEd). heads, parents and with quality Based on principles local government education at lesser of accelerated representatives using costs. instruction, a diverse mix of participatory learning participatory and in action (PLA), experiential adult appreciative inquiry learning (AI) and blended methodologies. learning. Modern media and web-based presentations (i.e., YouTube) were also integrated in the sessions. Monitoring action plans on IMPACT implementation.
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Figure 1: Project SMaLL Intervention Framework
SEAMEO INNOTECH REGIONAL EDUCATION PROJECT: Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning (SMaLL)
CONTEXT PHASE I CAPACITY PHASE II PHASE III PURPOSE EFA GOAL
LAO PDR What works What else can be How do we now? strengthen? • Declining done? enrolment
• Understaffed • Untrained PREPARING THE CAPACITY PROGRAM teachers SCHOOL- DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNITY
Study Mission Building School On-line & face-to- Advocacy and Community face coaching & peer Consultative Relationships learning Integrate
MALAYSIA Meetings with Key Teachers’ & School Monitoring and Community- Improved access Stakeholders • Under-enrolled Heads’ Training on Assessment using based to quality & (MOE/DepED, • High drop out Appropriate appreciative inquiry learning sustainable PTCA, LGUs) rate in Learning Documentation of system in primary indigenous Competency Management best practices education in Profiling small schools communities System SEA small schools remote rural • More qualified Benchmarking Small Schools network & on-line management areas by 2015 teachers Visit to model Management policy forum by end of small schools Workshop Sustainability 2011 (optional) Setting up of on-line Planning PHILIPPINES learning community Project Assessment • Low academic School-Community performance of implementation of students in educational rural remote processes areas • High turnover of teachers; unskilled
Key Findings per Participating Country Based on the research questions, Table 3 highlights the major findings for each participating country:
Table 3: Key Findings re: Action Research on Small Schools Management in Southeast Asia Research Questions Lao PDR Malaysia Philippines What critical areas of In Lao PDR, the MOES Small schools or under-enrolled In the Philippines, small community-based recommended 3 schools in schools in Malaysia were mostly schools are scattered all support are needed by Vientiane Capital because found among Orang Asli over in rural areas small schools? almost all primary level (indigenous peoples of characterized by a multi- schools fall in the category of Peninsular Malaysia) spread grade system. DepEd
small schools. throughout the rural areas of recommended two Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular project sites in Cebu The critical areas of support Malaysia. The project site Province because of a needed are: comprising two Orang Asli prior project capacity building on multi- schools was identified in Perak engagement with grade teaching in small State, West Malaysia. SEAMEO INNOTECH to schools; further strengthen the conscious effort to Upon the recommendation of public educational operationalize the Village MOE the project chose as its system using the Education Development research site the Orang Asli IMPACT Learning System Council (VEDC) as a national schools in Peninsular Malaysia policy to help schools level where innovations have Critical areas of support up within the decentralized sprouted. needed are: separation of functions education management Critical areas of support needed of teaching and framework. are committed local teachers administration for Only two thirds of the project and educated parents who can more efficiency and schools in Lao PDR had active provide Orang Asli culturally- accountability; VEDC engagement. appropriate teaching and parental and learning materials. community support; In the 3rd project school, the motivational incentives project raised the awareness and citizenship on the existence of VEDC education for teachers structure that supports small to serve and stay; and schools. timely provision and Majority of Lao PDR teachers increase in allocation & school heads have tenure of MOOE funds to of more than 11 years. small schools.
How do small schools Engaging the VEDC in Project Engaging parents, teachers and Engaging parents, engage, manage and SMaLL action plan community in Project SMaLL teachers, school and sustain critical areas for implementation in the spirit action plan implementation community leaders in community support? of decentralized education which includes adult learning, Project SMaLL action management livelihood, academic (English plan implementation in
lessons), healthy lifestyle, collaboration with physical exercise (aerobics), and school-based community visioning management (SBM) initiative of DepEd. Engaging students on remedial classes on vocabulary, reading, writing and calculating, and improving study habits
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Research Questions Lao PDR Malaysia Philippines What new capacity- Training on collaborative Training on collaborative Training on collaborative building interventions management of small schools management of small schools management of small may be jointly pursued schools Orientation on the rudiments Orientation on K9 by schools and of multi-grade education Comprehensive Model Training on IMPACT community members in School/Special Program in technology managing small preparation for graduating schools? primary learners to enter secondary school
Conclusions and Recommendations
Project SMaLL was implemented in seven primary schools in three SEAMEO Member Countries for eighteen months. As presented in the country reports, small schools in Southeast Asia faced common operational problems in managing small schools located in disadvantaged and underserved communities.
The study revealed that education ministries had varying levels of difficulties and bottlenecks in managing small schools. This being the case, interventions tended to vary from one country to another. Nevertheless, a systematic analysis and prioritization of the challenges and opportunities in managing small schools was the first viable step in strengthening and sustaining the initiatives of these ministries for the underserved small schools.
Small schools, at a glance, seemed to be easy to manage due to their size. Resource requirements were considered minimal, hence, provision of resources and supportive services was limited. However, small schools have unique requirements, and the sets of competencies required of school heads in managing small schools are different from those who manage big or regular schools. This is one reason for education ministries to pay more attention to addressing the strategic and operational issues faced by small schools and to ensure that they perform just as well as big schools. A number of interventions were described in the country reports, with focus on providing directions, developing manpower, redesigning the organization, and managing the teaching and learning program.
The following is an abridged summary of the major project conclusions and recommendations (Table 4) across countries for application and adaptation to other SEAMEO Member Countries to help address the challenges faced by small schools. An elaboration regarding the recommendations can be found in Chapter VII of the report. These recommendations will serve as the basis for defining specific courses of action that SEAMEO Member Countries can pursue to improve the quality of education services in rural areas despite the complexities of small schools in Southeast Asia.
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Table 4: Summary of Major Conclusions and Recommendations of the Study for Consideration of SEAMEO Member Countries CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS 1) The main challenge for education On low academic achievement of students: ministries in each country was on how To sustain the project interventions relevant to student learning, they could improve the status of small there is a need for education ministries to strengthen curriculum schools to ensure that the schools as and instruction using modified strategies that align with contextual learning organizations would be able realities of small schools, and to improve the acceptability and to achieve their vision and mission of appreciation of multi-grade instruction in small schools. promoting quality education for all On limited number of teachers: school-age children in their respective Continual review of teacher compensation policies and incentives areas. Specifically, the following to encourage both teachers and school heads to seek or accept challenges were identified by the assignments to lead and/or teach in small schools. MOEs in the three participating On weak school community partnerships countries under Project SMaLL: Encourage small schools to establish multi-sectoral action teams low academic achievement focused on designing and implementing initiatives for family- limited number of teachers community-school partnerships within small rural schools and weak school-community support indigenous communities. and partnerships Provide small schools strong technical guidance and support on how difficulty on teacher deployment to pursue and sustain collaborations with multi-stakeholders in their and retention own school community. limited resources, including high On teacher deployment and retention: average cost for pupils, unrealistic Strengthen the institutional management capacity at the district, per capita grants, and limited provincial and other sub-national levels in providing technical advice access to basic infrastructure and and assistance on matters affecting teacher deployment, incentives, learning facilities capacity building needs, teacher quality, establishing school networks, contextualizing curriculum materials, encouraging school-based innovations (content and processes), and addressing operational issues. On limited resources Create an enabling environment that provides favorable and supportive policies, a pool of school champions, sustainable financing mechanisms and diversified resource base that would address the inequities faced by small schools in disadvantaged communities 2) The big challenge for small schools is On geographic isolation their geographic location because a) Provide an enabling policy environment for small schools to thrive they are far and difficult to reach by and foster growth and innovations in remote and rural communities. social, communication and Design distance learning programs for students and teachers to infrastructure services, and b) they are provide them access to new knowledge and skills offered by Ministry differentiated in ethno-linguistic of Education and learning institutions/networks with the assumption groups that require translation of that internet connectivity, internet skills and language facility are in evidence-based curricular materials. place. Develop a robust infrastructure for learning and sharing such as clustering of small schools in rural areas. Conduct further research and provide guidance on models of formal and informal school clustering to evaluate their potential benefits for small schools and as well as providing a context in developing the next generation of school leaders. Foster a learning exchange through informal and formal networking such as those in a school cluster system. Networking within the cluster proved to be a useful basis for cooperation which could be fortified further according to the needs of small schools. Connect or link family, community and school relationships and roles with curricular and instructional reforms.
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CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS 3) Small schools feel greatly accountable On developing or enhancing the technical leadership of school head/ to the communities that enabled them head teacher and strengthening teacher performance: to be established, yet they do not have Promote school-based management to strengthen relevance, the necessary formal leadership effectiveness and sustainability of education services provided by development and school-based small schools in rural areas. management training to help them meet the community’s expectations. Encourage school heads or head teachers of small schools to Specifically, there is a need to develop demonstrate excellent teaching craft to provide instructional or enhance the technical leadership of leadership through modeling of good practices in teaching and school head/head teacher and learning and mentoring/coaching of teachers, parents-mentors and strengthen teacher performance. students as programmed/little teachers.
Establish a SEAMEO network of small schools engaged in family- community-school partnerships. Enhance school-based management (SBM) and leadership capacities and commitment of school heads and teachers by creating a pool of trainers across SEAMEO Member Countries and/or by encouraging the MOEs, particularly at the provincial/division and district/sub- district levels, and their partners to integrate and/or mainstream principles and practices of family-community-school partnerships in their training and education programs for teachers. 4) Given the nature and location of small On creating opportunities for lifelong learning in small schools: schools, it is important that the MOEs Develop students as partners, anchors and catalysts for educational and schools in partnership provide not improvement and lifelong learning. only academic learning but also lifelong learning appropriate to their Small rural schools can be transformed into community centers to different cultures and natural serve as hubs for linking and integrating development initiatives that environments. will, in the long run, have a cumulative effect. Enhancing the content and expanding availability of localized learning materials are necessary in ensuring lifelong learning and integration of learning with real-world experiences such as use of the concepts of family-community-school partnerships, school health, disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, resiliency and indigenous culture and knowledge as learning context. This includes investing in developing indigenous learning materials which are culturally appropriate and sensitive, and using pedagogies that support linguistically and culturally diverse learners, e.g., mother- tongue based, multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE).
In summary, small schools represent a large portion of the educational landscape in developing countries in Southeast Asia. Small schools are defined mostly in the context of rural and small populations but small schools may also exist in urban populations (e.g., Vientiane Capital).
With subsistence farming as the main source of livelihood in Southeast Asia, children in underserved and disadvantaged rural and urban areas are at risk of not completing the full cycle of primary education. Thus, it is important and urgent to provide greater support to small schools in disadvantaged and indigenous communities.
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Project SMaLL was designed and implemented to provide better understanding of how small schools operate, the challenges they faced and innovations they made in providing equal access to lifelong learning opportunities for all rural children, youth and adults.
The overall findings of the action research on Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning project reveals the following realities: Small schools management is complex; Small schools management requires inclusive leadership; Small schools management needs to enhance the spirit of mutual support among stakeholders; Small schools management entails collaboration with family, communities and networks.
Small schools are not effective solely by virtue of being small. Rather, small schools work best when they take advantage of being small. The best small schools offer an environment where teachers, students, and parents see themselves as part of a community, and deal with issues of learning, diversity, governance, and building community at the local level.
Communities should respect and promote their small schools and policy-makers should support these schools with enabling policies, adequate financial resources and responsive technical assistance. The challenge to rural educators is to demonstrate and sustain the communal and social benefits of small schools and local schools. This may be done both through empirical analysis and by forming coalitions with cluster schools in both rural and urban areas and other learning institutions with similar interests.
The key recommendations of this report discussed in detail in Chapter VII will help inform the preparation of SEAMEO Member Countries for the next 15 years of post-EFA, which constitutes the commitment of the education community to Education 2030.
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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
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To further the region’s economic development the SEAMEO member-countries placed a priority on improving its education sector. However, despite sustained economic growth since the mid-1980s, Southeast Asian countries education system faces challenges in meeting its goals of providing all school-age children with access to education especially in poorer communities, rural remote areas and indigenous communities. Large numbers of children from poor households are early school leavers, dropping out midstream and unable to complete the full cycle of primary education.
While some increases in enrolment ratios are evident, nearly 18 million of school-age children in South Asia were out of school in 2012, and progress in reducing this number has stalled. The low-income countries in the region were not on track to achieve universal primary education as a millennium development goal. UNESCO has projected that by the 2015 deadline, one in six children in low and middle income countries will not have completed primary school (EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2015).
There are concerns about education quality as well, particularly whether students are completing primary school with sufficient foundation skills. Thus, to improve access to quality and sustainable primary education in remote rural areas in Southeast Asia, Project SMaLL (Small Schools Management for Lifelong Learning) was implemented and funded through SEAMEO INNOTECH’s Regional Education Program (SIREP) funds.
Small schools are generally perceived as poor or weak in terms of providing quality education as compared to the performance of larger schools in delivering primary education in particular. Strategic interventions are needed to address the issues and concerns besetting small schools to ensure that they could effectively contribute in achieving universal primary education for all (EFA 2015 goals).
It is in this context that SEAMEO INNOTECH committed to reach out to the unreached small schools in the region. The action research intends to strengthen capacities of key stakeholders of small schools; promote and localize practices of family-community-school partnerships; document effective innovations and lessons learned; and, recommend policy directions for enhancing small schools responsiveness and effectiveness in reaching out and mobilizing support of the community, engaging and involving parents and building more robust family- community-school partnerships.
Project SMaLL is a community-based, participatory action research activity undertaken in Lao PDR, Malaysia and the Philippines which aims to build the experience and knowledge base on strategies and approaches for localizing collaborative management and strengthening family, community and school partnerships, in marginalized, disadvantaged communities, including indigenous communities anchored on the unique context and challenges of small schools.
Small schools are small in terms of enrolment size and appurtenant resources but unfortunately faced with enormous challenges which include but are not limited to the following cases:
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The complexity of leading a small school. These schools have small numbers of staff yet they are subject to the same demands as larger schools. In addition they play a central role in their communities and provide many additional responsibilities for their school leaders and teachers. The principal is often a teacher as well as the school’s leader (i.e., head-teacher).
The need for mutual support and collaboration, which is often difficult to find and sustain as many small schools are geographically isolated and inaccessible.
The need for careful succession planning since small schools have high turn-over of leadership. New and aspiring school leaders are oftentimes deployed to rural schools to vie for principalship via a small school to test and hone their leadership potentials. But after gaining enough experience and managerial competence, these new aspirants/school leaders are being promoted to larger schools and/or urban areas.
To address the resource limitations and other challenges faced by small schools, Project SMaLL focuses on strengthening partnership between schools and communities so they can work together and have greater administrative control in improving the performance of small schools. The project uses an adaptation of school based management that was designed to make educational administration more effective in improving children’s quality of education, equity and access to learning opportunities.
This action research would be very useful to use with aspiring leaders. Education Supervisors, mentors and experienced principals could help aspiring school heads to look realistically at what it would mean to take on leadership of a small school, and to prepare them in advance for the issues they are likely to face. As there is little research into the issues managing small schools this research report could prove useful insights for aspiring and current leaders of small and often isolated schools.
This report presents a framework that explains how community-based support can improve educational management of small schools. The framework draws lessons from the experience of school principals, teachers, parents and students of small schools in Lao PDR, Malaysia and Philippines that may be particularly useful for the region, and to identify challenges and promising practices that impact on the effective management of small schools. It uses information from school-based data and reports, as well as case studies that were conducted by SEAMEO INNOTECH after providing capacity building interventions to a sample of small schools in the region. The report is also informed by qualitative data gathered in the monitoring of seven small schools. The findings hope to provide a framework for policy makers in the Ministries of Education to consider the strengths, challenges and recommendations for better management of small schools as they continue to ensure quality education and lifelong learning for all.
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CHAPTER II. REGIONAL CONTEXT OF SMALL SCHOOLS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Map source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ASEAN_countries_capitals-en.svg
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1. Definition of Small Schools
As part of broader efforts to improve access to quality education, small schools have existed for over a century due to geographical and economic necessity for many countries in the developing world. A significant number of children attend small schools, particularly in poor, rural and remote communities.
In developed countries, a small school does not necessarily mean rural and rural does not mean small (National Center for Education Statistics, USA). A small school could be an urban school with a decreasing population. Rural schools can be large due to a situation where students are bussed into one school to save on costs. Some schools are considered small when compared to the mega-schools of several thousand students that are common in some districts. A small school could be a private school, or one designed to accommodate a specific population of students and their unique needs. Either rural and/or urban, the small schools have similar needs and concerns.
In Southeast Asia, small schools or one-teacher sch