TAR:PRC 28225
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
TO THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
FOR
STRENGTHENING THE
DEPARTMENT OF ETHNIC MINORITY EDUCATION
December 1995 CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of December 1995)
Currency Unit - Yuan (Y) Y1.0O - $01203 $1.00 - Y8.3144
(i) On 1 January 1994, the PAC's dual exchange rate system was unified. The exchange rate of the yuan is now determined under a managed floating exchange rate system.
(ii) For the purposes of this Report, an exchange rate of $1 = Y8.31 has been used.
ABBREVIATIONS
DEME - Department of Ethnic Minority Education MIS - Management Information System PRC - People's Republic of China SEdC - State Education Commission TA - Technical Assistance
NOTES
(i) The fiscal year of the Government ends on 31 December.
(ii) In this Report, II$II refers to US dollars. I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Bank's country strategy for the People's Republic of China (PRO) emphasizes balanced regional development. Poverty is concentrated in the regions of western and southwestern PRO, which also have the highest concentrations of ethnic minority groups and the lowest participation in basic education, particularly among girls. Since 1993 the Bank has been assisting the education sector in the PRO through provision of advisory technical assistance (TA). The general aim of the TA has been to build capacity in selected high priority areas of educational development. During the 1995 Country Programming Mission, the Government reconfirmed its request for further TA to support an overall program to improve basic education for ethnic minorities. A TA Fact-Finding Mission visited the PRO 10-21 July 1995 to review the general status of basic education for ethnic minority groups, examine the management structure of ethnic minority basic education, identify the main issues, and determine appropriate strategies for addressing those issues. This Paper is based on the Mission's findings and the understanding reached between the Government and the Mission on the objectives, scope, cost estimates and financing plan, and implementation arrangements for the advisory TA.1
II. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
2. Basic education in the PRC comprises six years of primary and three years of lower secondary schooling. The Government has given high priority to the universalization of basic education as an essential component of national development. Considerable progress has been made toward the goal of universalization. In 1994, approximately 98 percent of children of primary school age were enrolled, and a gross enrollment rate 2 of about 73.8 percent for lower secondary school had been achieved. The size of the basic education subsector is enormous with a 1994 primary enrollment of 130 million in 683,000 primary schools, and a lower secondary enrollment of 43.2 million. By the year 2000 the Government aims to achieve national enrollment rates of 99 percent for primary (135 million students) and 85 percent for lower secondary (55 million students) schools. Specific targets vary from region to region.
3. The Department of Basic Education of the State Education Commission (SEdO) is responsible for the overall management of the implementation of basic education policies. The Department provides guidance on curriculum content, approves textbooks, monitors and evaluates teaching effectiveness, and prepares guidelines for the training of teachers and school principals. The general management and administration of primary schools is the responsibility of the county and township education offices under the provincial education commissions. Provincial, prefectural, and county governments are responsible for funding basic education in their areas. In addition, the Government has established a special central fund for universal basic education to support ethnic minority regions.
4. There are 55 distinct ethnic minority groups in the PRO with a total population of about 91 .2 million (approximately 8.4 percent of the national population). Ethnic minority groups present a complex cultural and linguistic mosaic with 53 of the groups having their own
The TA first appeared in ADB Business Opportunities in April 1995,
The total number of children enrolled in school (regardless of age) as a percentage of the total number of children in the nominal age group for that level of schooling.
I — I — 2 language. Most of the ethnic minority population lives in five autonomous regions. According to state policy, an autonomous region can allow the use of an ethnic minority language as the medium of classroom instruction where students in that ethnic minority group comprise a majority of the enrollment in a school. Minority languages can also be used for textbooks. Local governments may also set up special funds for minority education and set their own guidelines for course content and teacher qualifications. The local authorities in an autonomous region may also establish primary boarding schools in nomadic zones and special lower secondary schools (i.e., normal schools) for training ethnic minority primary school teachers.
5. The SEdC's Department of Ethnic Minority Education (DEME) is responsible for overall coordination and management of minority education, including providing guidance for the development of textbooks and instructional materials, and for the training of ethnic minority education administrators at provincial, county, and district levels. Provincial education commissions in ethnic minority regions have divisions for ethnic minority education, and prefectures and counties have ethnic minority education sections and subsections. All of these aim to provide support to administrators and teachers involved in ethnic minority education.
6. In 1949, 90 percent of PRO's ethnic minority population was illiterate. Substantial progress has been made in recent decades. The illiteracy rate in the five autonomous regions and four provinces with a high concentration of ethnic minority population was estimated in 1990 at about 23 percent. The status of basic education in ethnic minority regions is still behind that of the nation as a whole. A number of general issues remain to be resolved, including (i) inadequate funding, which limits investment in the expansion of facilities and the development of appropriate instructional materials; (ii) a proliferation of small, single-teacher schools in sparsely populated regions, which do not offer the full six-year primary program; (iii) limited availability of instructional materials in ethnic minority languages; (iv) a lower than average retention rate especially for girls; (v) poor physical facilities, particularly in remote areas; and (vi) insufficient numbers of qualified teachers from ethnic minority groups.
7. In addition to the above, the management of basic education for ethnic minorities is constrained by the following:
(i) Inadequate data base. Although national education statistics are collected and processed, they are not disaggregated in such a way as to yield an adequate picture of the situation of ethnic minority basic education. The Statistics Division of the SEdC's Department of Planning and Construction deals largely with national and provincial-level data, and it is difficult for education managers in areas having high concentrations of ethnic minority students to obtain and utilize adequate local data on key indicators for purposes of policy monitoring and management. As a result, available information is insufficient for guiding policy formulation and monitoring on such topics as the extent of bilingual teaching, the dropout rate for particular ethnic minority groups, the percentage of qualified teachers, and the transition rate from primary to lower secondary schools in particular ethnic minority areas. DEME staff at local levels require skills in data collection and analysis themselves.
(ii) Limited policy implementation and dissemination capacity. Many policies regarding ethnic minority education have been developed by the Government. 3
The compilation of these policies into a single comprehensive document and the preparation of a detailed set of implementation guidelines have not been fully undertaken. As a result, understanding of official policies and implementation strategies is inadequate and their interpretation can be inconsistent.
(iii) Insufficient research capacity. Development of adequate strategies to improve ethnic minority education requires a solid understanding of local circumstances. The capacity of DEME to formulate research programs and guide their implementation at the field level is limited. Research design, research training, and research implementation need strengthening if an adequate research base is to contribute effectively to ethnic minority education development.
(iv) Limited administrative training capacity. Although there are ethnic minority administrators at the provincial, prefectural, and county levels, many newly appointed ones have not received the necessary orientation and training. In addition, the principals of the 11 0 ethnic minority normal schools (which are the main source of teachers for ethnic minority primary schools) have not had sufficient training in school administration. This lack of adequately trained personnel reduces the overall efficiency of the administration of ethnic minority education.
8. The Government has given priority to achieving universal basic education. it recognizes that reaching this goal will require special resources and efforts, particularly with regard to the relatively poor and disadvantaged ethnic minority regions. DEME has done a detailed analysis of its constraints and has identified appropriate strategies to improve its capacity to manage and coordinate ethnic minority education more effectively, particularly in the areas of research and data collection. However, DEME lacks the staff and the financial resources to implement the necessary strategies. The TA will help improve the management of ethnic minority education through building the capacity of DEME at the national and local levels. Furthermore, the TA supports the Bank's PRO country strategy of reducing regional disparities by strengthening the management of basic education for a segment of the population in disadvantaged regions whose access to social services and whose per capita income are substantially below the national average.
III. THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
A. Objectives
9. The TA is designed to support the achievement of universal basic education for ethnic minority groups through strengthening the management capacity of DEME. The specific objectives are to (i) design and pilot-test a system for collecting and analyzing data from ethnic minority schools, (ii) develop research capacity, (iii) compile and disseminate policy guidelines for ethnic minority education, (iv) enhance administrative training capacity, and (v) enrich knowledge about ethnic minority and bilingual education strategies being used in other countries.
.1 4 B. Scope
10. The TA includes (i) provision of international and domestic consulting services in the areas of statistics, research design, contemporary minority education practices, minority education policy, and administrative training; (ii) publication of policy guidelines, selected research studies, research training guidelines, statistical profiles of ethnic minority education in selected countries, and a manual for data collection and analysis; (iii) local administrative training workshops; (iv) short overseas study for key administrators to countries such as Canada and Australia, which have considerable experience in ethnic minority education; and (v) purchase of limited equipment for the implementation of the TA.
C. Cost Estimates and Financing Plan
11. The total cost of the TA is estimated at $545,000, of which $500,000 equivalent will be provided by the Bank on a grant basis covering the entire foreign exchange cost of $320,000 and up to $1 80,000 equivalent of the local currency costs, including $86,000 equivalent for domestic consultants' remuneration and per diem. The Government will fund the remaining $45,000 equivalent of local currency costs. A table summarizing the cost estimates is in Appendix 1.
Implementation Arrangements
12 A team of 3 international and 12 domestic consultants will be recruited to provide specialist services totaling 28 person-months in (i) education management information system (MIS) design, (ii) research design, (iii) ethnic minority and bilingual education, (iv) administration training, and (v) policy analysis and implementation. Six person-months will be provided by international consultants. Consultants will be recruited according to the Bank's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants. Terms of reference for the consultants are in Appendix 2.
13. The Executing Agency will be the Foreign Investment and Loan Office of the SEdC. The Implementing Agency will be DEME, which will be responsible for arranging the consultants' programs and providing counterparts.
14. The TA will be implemented in three phases. During Phase 1 (about four months), the consultants will (i) develop a methodology for establishing a data base for ethnic minority education, (ii) identify and design selected key research studies, (iii) prepare draft field manuals for data collection and research, and (iv) train local officials in methods of data collection and research. The domestic consultants will prepare a training program for ethnic minority education administrators and principals of normal secondary schools. The domestic consultants will also begin the task of preparing detailed policy implementation guidelines for ethnic minority education. The consultants will prepare a detailed plan for overseas training which will focus on program administration, research, and data collection and analysis. Equipment required for TA implementation (including computers, printers, a facsimile machine, and equipment for training) will be procured in Phase 1 under arrangements satisfactory to the Bank.
15. During Phase 2 (about six months), the domestic consultants will supervise the data collection and research designed during Phase 1, and local and overseas training programs will be undertaken. The international specialist in bilingual education will deliver lectures and seminars during this phase. The domestic consultants will complete the development of policy implementation guidelines for ethnic minority education. During Phase 3 (about three months), the international and domestic consultants will (i) refine the training manuals for research and data collection, (ii) prepare the research studies for publication, and (iii) evaluate the overall progress of the TA for a final report, which will be compiled by DEME.
16. A tripartite meeting will be held at the end of Phase 1 to assess the progress of the TA and to review the arrangements for Phases 2 and 3. A final meeting will be held at the end of Phase 3 to review the overall achievements of the TA. The TA is expected to begin in March 1996 and to be completed by the end of April 1997. Major outputs will be (i) training manuals in research and data collection for use by local managers of ethnic minority education, (ii) research studies on key topics, and (iii) revised guidelines for the implementation of ethnic minority basic education programs.
IV. THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION
17. The President, acting under the authority delegated to him by the Board, has approved the provision of technical assistance, on a grant basis, to the Government of the People's Republic of China in an amount not exceeding the equival nt of $500,000 for the purpose of Strengthening the Department of Ethnic Minority Education, and hereby reports his action to the Board.
[;i
Appendix 1
COST ESTIMATES AND FINANCING PLAN ($)
Item Foreign Local Total Exchange Currency
A. Financing by the Bank
1 Consultants a. Remuneration 90,000 77,000 167,000 b. Per Diem 27,000 9,000 36,000 c. Travel 18,000 5,000 23,000 2. Workshops and Training 69,000 40,000 109,000 3. Equipment 50,00C 50,000 4. Studies and Surveys 20,000 20,000 5. Contract Negotiations and 5,000 5,000 Policy Discussions at Bank Headquarters 6. Miscellaneous TA 13,000 13,000 Administration and Support Costs (Including Translation and Reports) 29,0007. Contingencya 48,000 77,000
Subtotal (A) 320,000 180,000 500,000
B. Financing by the Government
1. Office Facilities - 16,000 16,000 2. Counterpart Salaries - 16,000 16,000 3. Transportation - 6,500 6,500 4. Travel Documents - 1,500 1,500 5. Contingencies - 5,000 5,000
Subbtotal (B) - 45,000 45,000
Total (A + B) 320,000 225,000 545,000
a Local contingency includes an amount of $19,000 related to domestic consultants' remuneration and per diem.
(Reference in text: page 4, para. 11) 7
Appendix 2, page 1
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. The TA will be implemented in three phases: Phase 1 (about four months) focuses on planning, design, and development of training materials; Phase 2 (about six months) concentrates on the implementation of selected research, data collection, and training activities; and Phase 3 (about three months) is concerned with refinement of training materials, assessment of accomplishments, and definition of future requirements.
2. The TA requires a total of 28 person-months of specialist services comprising 6 person-months of international consultants and 22 person-months of domestic consultants. The international consultants will be (i) one specialist in data base design and statistics (2.5 person- months); (ii) one specialist in research design (2.5 person-months); and (iii) one specialist in ethnic minority and bilingual education (1 person-month). The domestic consultants will be (i) two specialists in data base design and statistics for a total of 7 person-months; (ii) two specialists in research design for a total of 7 person-months; (iii) two specialists in education administration training for a total of 2 person-months; (iv) two specialists in normal school management training for a total of 2 person-months; and (v) four specialists in education policy analysis and dissemination for a total of 4 person-months. The consultants inputs will be staggered to accommodate the absorptive capacity of the Department of Ethnic Minority Education (DEME). Overall coordination wiH be undertaken by the Executing and Implementing Agencies. The international consultants would develop materials in English, which would then be translated into Chinese in collaboration with the domestic consultants (and a professional translator, if necessary).
A. International Consultants
3. The international specialists in research and management information systems will provide inputs in Phases 1 and 3 onLy. Their respective periods of service will not overlap. The international specialist in bilingual education will participate in Phase 2 only.
4. For about six weeks during Phase 1, the specialist in education management information systems will
(i) review the overall management information system (MIS) for ethnic minority education, assess the requirements of a MIS adequate for policy monitoring at the central and local levels, and make recommendations for the design of an overall system, paying particular attention to the existing data bases that could be utilized, such as census data and the data collected by the Planning and Construction Department;
(ii) identify with DEME the types of data to be collected, keeping in mind that the initial data should be limited to key indicators directly related to policy formulation and monitoring requirements;
(Reference in text: page 4, para. 12) 8
Appendix 2, page 2
(iii) choose with DEME four representative counties with high ethnic minority populations for the development of a MIS model for ethnic minority education;
(iv) develop a format for collecting school data, compiling the data at the various levels of the system, and assess the roles of ethnic minority education officials at each level with regard to operating MIS;
(v) assess the training requirements for provincial, county, and township officials in the area of ethnic minority basic education MIS; and develop a training program that (a) demonstrates the importance of MIS for policy implementation and monitoring, and (b) develops the necessary skills to implement MIS;
(vi) develop appropriate training materials for use in the workshops and for eventual inclusion in a MIS manual for ethnic minority basic education;
(vii) assist DEME in developing an ethnic minority basic education MIS, including procedures for compiling and analyzing the data; and
(viii) prepare a program and schedule for MIS activities during Phase 2.
5. The specialist in education MIS will return for about four weeks during Phase 3 to
(i) review the progress of MIS development during Phases 1 and 2;
(ii) prepare a final version of the ethnic minority education MIS manual for use by provincial, county, and township officials;
(iii) prepare for publication the ethnic minority education statistical profile of the four selected counties, including an analysis of the implications of the data for future policy directions; and
(iv) write a comprehensive report on MIS activity, including the objectives, the main strategies, the constraints, and recommendations for future MIS development.
6. For about six weeks during Phase 1, the specialist in education research design will
(i) review the overall situation of ethnic minority education research, including an assessment of the types of research previously undertaken by DEME, the methods used, and the institutional arrangements for research within DEME; and make recommendations for improving such research, Appendix 2, page 3
particularly in terms of its direct usefulness for policy formulation and evaluation;
(ii) conduct seminars on research trends and methods (focusing on ethnic minority education/bilingual research) for staff of DEME, Central Minorities University in Beijing, ethnic minority education research institutes at the national level, and education commission and normal university staff at the provincial level;
(iii) collaborate with DEME in the selection of four manageable, policy-relevant research topics, which are suitable for the application of action research methodologies and which can be undertaken in four provinces (one topic per province) in the time available in Phase 2;
(iv) prepare a detailed design (methodology, instrumentation, analysis) for each topic, including definition of the role of local education and normal university officials in data collection;
(v) assess the research training needs of local officials and normal university staff and conduct training workshops in each of the four provinces, using instructional materials and guidelines based on the needs assessment, and focusing on the particular research topic in the province concerned;
(vi) prepare a first draft of a detailed ethnic minority education research training manual for provincial officials based on the materials and workshops in (v) above; and
(vii) prepare a detailed schedule of activities for each of the four research topics to be supervised by the domestic consultant during Phase 2.
7. The specialist in research design will return for four weeks during Phase 3 to
(i) review the progress of activities conducted during Phases 1 and 2;
(ii) prepare for domestic publication the final reports of the four research studies conducted (the English versions will be submitted to the Bank with the final report; the Chinese version will be prepared with the assistance of the domestic consultant and a professional translator, if necessary);
(iii) conduct seminars, as appropriate, for DEME and staff of ethnic minority research institutes on the findings and the policy implications of the four research studies;
(iv) prepare the final version of the ethnic minority research handbook for local ethnic minority education officials; and
(v) prepare a final report of the research component of the project including a statement of its objectives, the main activities, the main issues and 10
Appendix 2, page 4
constraints, and recommendations for future activities to improve the quality and policy relevance of ethnic minority education research.
8. Forfour weeks during Phase 2, the specialist in ethnic minority/bilingual education will
(i) review, through discussions with local counterparts and appropriate officials, the general approaches to ethnic minority/bilingual education in the PRO, and make recommendations for additional directions and approaches based on the experience of other countries;
(ii) conduct seminars on contemporary international trends, research, and policies in ethnic minority/bilingual education for authorities at DEME, local universities, and research institutes;
(iii) conduct lectures/workshops in contemporary methods of ethnic minority/bilingual education for ethnic normal school principals during their training courses, putting particular emphasis on helping the principals to analyze what approaches might be most appropriate for the circumstances of their students;
(iv) conduct seminars on contemporary trends in ethnic minority/bilingual education for staff of the normal universities in selected provinces; and
(v) prepare a final report that analyzes PRO experience in ethnic minority/bilingual education and makes recommendations for improving policies and strategies based on analysis of PRO and international experience.
Domesic Consultants
9 For six weeks during Phase 1, two domestic specialists in education MIS will
(i) collaborate closely with the international consultant in education MIS in the performance of the duties described in para. 4;
(ii) play a major role in the development and translation of appropriate training materials to ensure that the materials are suitable for PRO conditions; and
(iii) play a major role in the implementation of the training workshops for provincial and county officials.
10 For four weeks during Phase 2, the two consultants will 11
Appendix 2, page 5
(i) visit each of the four counties where the MIS model is being tested to monitor developments, provide additional advice and training as needed, and ensure that the implementation schedule is being followed;
(ii) on the basis of experience in Phase 1, revise and refine the training materials and continue the preparation of the MIS training manual in close consultation with DEME and local ethnic minority education officials; and
(iii) provide continuing advice to DEME staff regarding the design of an ethnic minority basic education MIS, linking as, necessary, with existing data bases in other departments of SEdC.
11. For four weeks during Phase 3, the two consultants will
(i) brief the international specialist in education MIS in detail regarding the progress made and the constraints encountered in Phase 2; and
(ii) collaborate closely with the international consultant in the performance of the duties in para. 5.
12. For six weeks during Phase 1, two domestic specialists in education research will
(i) collaborate closely with the international consultant in the performance of the duties described in para. 6;
(ii) play a major role in the development of appropriate training materials to ensure that the materials are suitable for PRC conditions; and
(iii) play a major role in the implementation of the training workshops for provincial and county officials.
13. For four weeks during Phase 2, the two consultants will
(i) visit each of the four provinces where the research is being conducted to monitor developments, provide additional advice and training as needed, and ensure that the implementation schedule is being followed;
(ii) on the basis of the experience in Phase 1, revise and refine the training materials and continue preparation of the research training manual, seeking the views and advice of DEME and local ethnic minority education officials as appropriate; and
(iii) provide continuing advice to DEME staff regarding the development of a research management system, which reflects the needs of policy formulation and evaluation.
14. For four weeks during Phase 3, the two consultants will
s on th tindinci nd th noIiv imrIitiri nf th friir researcri institut 12
Appendix 2, page 6
(i) brief the international consultant in detail regarding the progress made and constraints encountered in Phase 2; and
(ii) collaborate closely with the international consultant in the performance of the duties in para. 5.
15. For four weeks during Phase 2, four domestic specialists in education administration training (a team of two in general administration and a team of two in normal school administration) will perform the following duties:
General administration
(i) collaborate with the staff of DEME and the National Academy of Education Administration in the design of a training program for newly appointed ethnic minority administrators from the provinces, based on a careful assessment of their needs;
(ii) assist in the preparation a detailed training program and training materials for each component of the training course;
(iii) deliver lectures and conduct workshops as required;
(iv) design with DEME and the National Academy of Education Administration staff an evaluation questionnaire for the trainees to get their views on the relevance and usefulness of the training workshop; and
(v) prepare a report on the administration training workshop, which describes the program, identifies the main constraints and issues, summarizes the evaluative responses of the trainees, and makes recommendations for future training of ethnic minority education administrators from the provinces.
2. Normal school administration
(i) collaborate with the staff of DEME and other appropriate officials in the design of a training program for principals of ethnic minority normal middle schools, based on a careful assessment of their needs;
(ii) assist in the preparation a detailed training program and training materials for each component of the training course;
(iii) deliver lectures and conduct workshops as required;
(iv) design with DEME staff an evaluation questionnaire for the trainees to get their views on the relevance and usefulness of the training workshop; 13
Appendix 2, page 7
(v) assist the international consultant in ethnic minority and bilingual education in preparing his presentation for the principals' training workshop; and
(vi) prepare a report on the principals' training workshop, which describes the program, identifies the main constraints and issues, summarizes the evaluative responses of the trainees, and makes recommendations for future training of ethnic minority normal school principals.
16. Four domestic specialists in education policy and regulations will be engaged to work as a team under the direction of DEME for four weeks each during Phases 1 and 2 to
(i) undertake a historical review of ethnic minority education policies in the PRC under the guidance of DEME staff and according to a detailed work plan developed by DEME;
(ii) undertake a similar review of the most recent policy documents for ethnic minority education;
(iii) prepare in a format and style designated by DEME a manual or a set of guidelines for implementing ethnic minority education policy to assist administrators in the provinces and regions;
(iv) prepare appropriate materials on ethnic minority education policies for use in the training of administrators at all levels; and
(v) prepare a final report on the project component, identifying constraints and making recommendations for future activities.
17. Each international consultant will prepare for submission to the Bank a report on his or her area of responsibility, reflecting the inputs of the domestic consultants as well. Separate reports will be prepared by the international consultants on (i) research activities, (ii) MIS activities, and (iii) bilingual education. The report will (i) indicate the specific objectives of the TA component, (ii) describe activities undertaken, (iii) identify constraints encountered, and (iv) make recommendations for further improvements in ethnic minority education management in the area of each consultant's specialization. The international consultants whose inputs are delivered in two phases of the TA will prepare an interim report at the end of the first phase, and a final report at the end of the last phase. Domestic consultants (individuals or teams, as appropriate) who are not paired with an international consultant will prepare brief reports in Chinese for submission to DEME, which will consolidate them and submit to the Bank a single report (in English) covering the (i) training of administrators, (ii) training of the principals of ethnic minority primary teacher training schools, and (iii) development of policy implementation guidelines.