Table Of ContentDOCUMENT RESUME
ED 425 116 SO 030 523
AUTHOR
Fiske, Edward B.
Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail. Repetition and
TITLE
Drop-out in Primary Schools. Education for All: Status and
Trends.
INSTITUTION
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Education for All Forum
Organization, Paris (France) .
Secretariat.
ISSN-1020-0908
ISSN
PUB DATE 1998-00-00
NOTE
52p.
AVAILABLE FROM
Education for All, Forum Secretariat, United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, 7 Place
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*Access to Education; Developing Nations; Dropouts;
DESCRIPTORS
*Educational Opportunities; *Elementary Education;
Enrollment Trends; Foreign Countries; Grade Repetition;
Program Costs; *School Holding Power; Student Costs; Tables
(Data)
IDENTIFIERS
*World Declaration on Education for All
ABSTRACT
This report addresses the problem of school wastage in
developing countries, provides the latest data on trends in repetition and
drop-out, and deals with three questions:
(1) how extensive is school
wastage? (2) what are its causes? and (3) what can be done to make schools
more efficient? Wastage is defined as the missed opportunities for
individuals, communities, entire nations, and regions of the world. Finding
ways to minimize 'school wastage' must play a central role in any serious
Four parts are included
effort to reach the goal of Education for All (EFA) .
"The Goal of Education for All"; "The Problem of
in this report:
(2)
(1)
"The High Cost of Wastage"; and (4) "What Can Be Done
School Wastage";
(3)
about School Wastage?" Many graphics and tables are included along with a
glossary of 36 terms and a 20-item select bibliography.
(LB)
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PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
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ambs
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TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
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1
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office ot Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
/This
document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it
O Minor changes have been made to
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Points of view or opinions stated in this
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official OERI position or policy
Education for All
Status and. Trends 1998
Wasted
Opportunities:
When Schools Fail
Repetition and drop-out
in primary schools
Education for All
Status and Trends 1998
3
''
This report is published by UNESCO for the INTERNA110NAL CONSULTATIVE
FORUM ON EDUCATION FOR ALL, a global mechanism established
to promote and monitor progress towards Education for All goals.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this
report do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever
on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal
status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities,
or concerning its frontiers
or boundaries. Any part of Education for All: Status and Trends may be freely reproduced
with the appropriate acknowledgement. For further information, please
contact:
EFA Forum Secretariat
UNESCO
7 Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
Tel: +33 (0)1
45
68
08
90
Fax: +33 (0)1
68
56
45
29
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet web site: http://www.education.unesco.org/efa
Editorial coordination
Michael LAIUN
Ulrika PEPPLER BARRY
Editorial consultant
Jean O'SULLIVAN
Principal author
Edward B. FISKE
Research consultant
Mathias RWEHERA
Statistics supervision
S. K. CHU
Statistics consultant
Hilaire MPUTU
Graphic design
Sylvaine BAEYENS
Printing
GRAPHOPRINT
Cover photo: Primary school, Paris.
(Photo: ©Agence Vu, Agnes Bonnot)
4
@ UNESCO 1998
ISSN 1020-0908
Printed in France
Education for All, Status and Trends 1998
Wasted Opporninities: When Schools Fail
7
Contents
5
Introduction
Part l'
-
7
The goal of Education for All
Part 11
.1
The problem of school wastage
tOLLEct
11
Measuring school wastage
12
Esoc";"7
1382ft
13
Box 1
. HOW IS SCHOOL EFFICIENCY
MEASURED?
14
Box 2 . ANALYSING SCHOOL WASTAGE
Dropping out of school
14
15
Box 3 . WHAT HAPPENS TO DROP-OUTS?
16
Box 4 . DOES REPEATING GRADES HELP PUPILS?
Repeating grades
17
20
Box 5 . CHILD LABOUR AND WASTAGE
Combined effects of drop-out and repetition
21
23
The high cost of wastage
Educational costs
23
Financial costs
25
Economic, social and personal costs
25
27
Box 6 . SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE
,
29
What can be done about school wastage?
Policies related to social and economic conditions
29
Lowering the costs of schooling
31
Improving access to schooling
31
32
Box 7 . FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Changing educational policies and practices
33
33
Improving teaching methods
33
Making schools more flexible
33
Early intervention
34
Inclusive education
35
Making educational materials more available
35
Closing the gender gap
35
Box 8 . STARTING EARLY IN THE CARIBBEAN
36
Box 9 . THE PARENT FACTOR
Retention versus automatic promotion
37
38
Box 10 . GIRL-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS IN EGYPT
40
Conclusion
Annex, I
Statistical_tables
41
Annezt111,
Composition of regions
45
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Atinern1111
Glossary
46
r-
c's", Selected bibliography
48
3
.71
Education for All, Status and Trends 1998
Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail
\
i
V!
-
...
04
Education is a prerequisite for development.
(Photo: ©Agence Vu, Sophie Chivet)
AVARA3LE
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Education for All, Status and Trends 1998
Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail
7
Introduction
Leaders in the developing countries
is being concentrated in
knowledge
the hands of a privileged few. Such a
generally understand the importance
world is one that is neither efficient
of investing in basic education. They
nor just nor safe.
recognize that high levels of literacy
The many roots of this polarization
include factors ranging from the global-
numeracy are prerequisites for
and
ization of the economy to the disman-
creating a competitive workforce
tling of welfare states. Unfortunately,
education, which is often seen as a
a nation
of effective parents
and
means of promoting equality, can also
contribute to inequality. In today's
and active citizens.
knowledge-based society, those who
obtain a good basic education can
But they also face an uphill battle in
role in any serious effort to reach the
continue to learn throughout their lives
building education systems capable of
and thus remain economically viable,
goal of Education for All (EFA).
providing basic education for all chil-
while those lacking a solid educational
dren, youth and adults. Financial and
Wastage is about missed opportunities
foundation are destined to fall further
for individuals, communities, entire
and further behind. Reducing school
human resources are scarce, so difficult
nations and regions of the world.
decisions must be made in determining
wastage is thus a critical necessity on
how best to allocate them. Thus it is
It deprives developing countries of the
ethical and economic grounds.
imperative that scarce resources be
ability to make the most efficient use
of scarce resources and it takes its
used as efficiently as possible.
Low learning achievement, although not
greatest toll on the most vulnerable
falling strictly into the traditional defini-
is not what is
Unfortunately, this
groups in society. Finding ways to
tion of internal efficiency, is considered
happening. Although significant pro-
reduce school wastage must become
these days as perhaps the most impor-
an urgent priority
if not the ultimate, aspect of
for developing
gress has been made in increasing the
tant,
number of pupils enrolled in school in
countries and their allies.
wastage in education. The next issue of
developing countries, these gains are
Education for All: Status and Trends, will
undermined by the persistently large
One of the great dangers facing the
focus on learning achieveinent.
number of pupils who take more than
world today is the growing number of
one year to complete a particular grade
persons who are excluded from mean-
This issue of Education for All: Status and
and/or who drop out of school before
ingful participation in the economic,
Trends addresses the problem of school
social, political and cultural life of
completing even the primary cycle.
wastage
developing
countries,
in
communities. When critical
their
provides the latest data on trends in
Repeating grades and dropping out
masses
groups
individuals
of or
repetition and drop-out, and deals with
exact a terrible personal toll on the
become marginalized, society itself
three questions:
becomes polarized. We appear to be
pupils involved and absorb a large share
- How extensive is school wastage?
moving toward a world in which
of the limited resources available for
What are its causes?
education. Finding ways to minimize
wealth of all kinds
economic assets,
What can be done to make schools
'school wastage' must play a central
social capital, political influence and
more efficient?
7
5
Education for All, Status and Trends 1998
Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail
The goal of
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in education, equity and quality go hand in hand.
8
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6
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Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail
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for All
ion
uca
E
Part I
The realization
that basic
education is both
and
a necessity
fundamental
a
human right has
long been
recognized by
the international
community.
The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, adopted by the United Nations
in 1948, asserted that 'everyone has a
right to education', and subsequent
international conferences and norma-
tive texts have reaffirmed this goal and
sought to achieve it.
During International Literacy Year
the World Conference on
(1990),
Education for All was convened in
Jomtien, Thailand, to address concerns
about the inadequate provision of
in the
basic education,
especially
developing countries. The conference
adopted the World Declaration on Edu-
cation for All and agreed on a Framework
for Action to Meet Basic Learning Needs.
The Declaration begins by affirming
:000,4111Lt
child, youth and
that 'every person
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9
for au, Dzaws ana I renas
I 'Pio
Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fad
FIGURE 2
Enrolment trends in primary education in
the less developed regions, 1970-95
250
adult
shall be able to benefit from
200
educational opportunities designed to
meet their basic learning needs' and
then outlines an 'expanded vision' of
150
basic education that can make this
possible.
100
The Framework for Action calls upon
countries to adopt policies and prac-
50
tices that would ensure 'Universal
access to, and completion of, primary
education (or whatever higher level of
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
education is considered as 'basic') by
(Year)
the year 2000'. It also urges countries
.ier.m Eastern Asia/Oceania
Sub-Saharan Africa
i0i. Southern Asia
to pursue 'Improvement in learning
Least developed countries
ii{:}ii. Arab States
Latin America/Caribbean
achievement such that an agreed
of an appropriate age
Source: UNESCO statistical database
percentage
cohort (e.g. 80 per cent of 14-year-olds)
attains or surpasses a defined level of
necessary learning achievement'.
years of schooling are necessary for
entirely attributable to gains in the
Achieving the
goals
at
embraced
pupils to acquire the basic literacy and
developing
countries,
where
the
Jomtien requires not only that children
numeracy skills needed to become
number of pupils increased from 305
be admitted to school when they
are of
continuing learners, so the following
million (representing 77 per cent of the
age, but that they complete the entire
analysis gives particular attention to
global enrolment) in 1970 to 561
primary cycle and, equally important,
the proportion of pupils completing
million (i.e. 86 per cent of the global
actually learn at an appropriate level.
Grade 4 or reaching Grade 5.
enrolment) in 1995. Figure 2 shows the
It is generally agreed that at least four
upward trend in enrolments over the
Considerable progress has been made
past twenty-five years in each of the
over the
quarter
last
century
in
less developed regions. This general
expanding the capacity of primary
trend is also evident in the improved
school systems in all regions of the
net enrolment ratios between 1985 and
FIGURE9
world. As shown in Figure
1, the
1995 (Figure 3). These ratios take into
Global enrolment trends in primary
overall number of primary school
account only those children who are in
education, 1970-95
pupils rose from an estimated 396
the official school age-group concerned,
700
million in 1970 to some 540 million in
which varies from country to country.
600
1980 and to 650 million in 1995. If this
rate of expansion were to continue, the
This expansion of enrolments gener-
500
number of pupils
the world's
in
ally
outpaced
population
growth.
primary schools
reach 750
could
400
However, the total number of school-
8
million by the year 2005 and 845
age children not enrolled in school in
300
million by 2015.
the less developed regions rose from
about 90 million in 1985 to some 110
200
Since the more developed countries
million in 1990, before declining to
100
and the countries in transition (see
antrum ut trans t on
about 83 million in 1995. Sub-Saharan
country lists in Annex II) had already
Africa is the exception to this general
0
1970
achieved universal primary education
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
qend: the number of unenrolled African
(Year)
Source: UNESCO statistical database
before 1970, the subsequent expansion
children actually increased by 12 million
in primary school enrolments is almost
between 1985 and 1995 (Figure 4).
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