The role of nongovernmental organizations in primary education - a study of six NGOs in India

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) extend education to underprivileged children in India, and develop innovations that improve the quality of primary education. In this study of six NGOs working with school-age children in India, the author shows the potential benefits of a government-NGO alliance to achieve universal primary education. The author emphasizes several areas in which collaboration can be particularly fruitful. 1) Targeting under-served children: The Government could support the efforts of NGOs to bring out-of-school children into schools, through timely supply of teachers, classroom space, and other resources. Targeted action is needed to reach different types of out-of-school children - those who work, those who live in slums, those on the street, those who are members of tribes, or of migrant families, and those who live in places without schools. To encourage young, first-generation learners to stay in school, requires a supportive, and nurturing environment. To help make learning interesting, and worthwhile for such children, teachers in government schools could receive special training in new methods developed by NGOs. 2) Enhancing quality: Improving the quality of education requires working closely with key agents of change, such as teachers, school heads, school management committees, and village education committees. To develop a cadre of trainers for primary school teachers, teacher training institutes would do well to evaluate, and learn from NGO models for teacher training. Teachers need a range of knowledge, and skills to teach underprivileged children effectively. Here again, NGO models would be a useful tool for teacher training institutes. NGOs, and the government could collaborate in developing appropriate, and flexible learning assessment tools, in line with innovative teaching, and learning methods. But without safeguards, large-scale replication by the government of such NGO innovations as the"alternative school"and the"voluntary teacher"could lower the quality of education. 3) Government-NGO links: The Government and NGOs will need to share a common vision on how to achieve universal primary education if India is to reach this goal. NGOs can be credible partners with the government in shaping policies for primary education. This entails collaboration, rather than parallel initiatives by NGOs. To stay at the cutting edge in education, NGOs should continually evaluate, and refine their models. If NGOs are to play a policy role in education, two areas that have been neglected will need to be addressed - NGO capacity building, and organizational development.Primary Education,Teaching and Learning,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Gender and Education,Curriculum&Instruction

Skills for Competitiveness, Jobs, and Employability in Developing Asia-Pacific

[Excerpt] The ADB International Skills Development Forum, held at ADB headquarters in December 2012, discussed key policy priorities and actions for skills development. It built on the discussions and outcomes of the first ADB International Skills Forum in December 2011. Government representatives, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutional heads, researchers, international organizations, policy research think tanks, and private sector representatives discussed skills development for employability and sustainable livelihoods. Of special importance to the forum discussions were the presentations of major studies from five organizations on skills and jobs that were released in 2012. This brief has been prepared by drawing on presentations and discussions at the 2012 forum and other related materials. Links to forum resources are provided on the last page of this brief

Abdimas di Bajawa-NTT

Surat Tugas Abdimas an. R Shanti D Ottemoesoe., dan Nanik Linawati

A Decade of Changing Pattern of Poverty in Great Britain

It has been noted in the literature that failure to meet the target set by government for reducing the headcount ratio of child poverty in Britain is partly due to the success of government policy in generating economic growth. Apart from missing the argument that absolute poverty is not a meaningful idea, this apology for the failure of government to meet poverty targets also misses wider problems embedded in recent trends in household income distribution. For example, inequality measures that are sensitive to the distribution of income amongst the poor suggest that the experience of those who have failed to benefit from government policy and remained poor has worsened. Also, households containing no children have been neglected.household income distribution, poverty reduction