High enrollment have not been accompanied by proportionate improvements in learning levels in South Asia

Student learning in South Asia: challenges, opportunities

Islamabad: “High enrollment in primary schools of South Asian countries have not been accompanied by proportionate improvements in learning levels”, indicates a World Bank Report.

The report titled “Student learning in South Asia: challenges, opportunities, and policy priorities”, further indicates that governments in the region have been investing heavily to achieve the education millennium development goals (MDGs) and South Asia has also made great progress in enrolling girls in both primary and secondary school.

“High enrollment have not been accompanied by proportionate improvements in learning levels, with the average level of skill acquisition in South Asia being low by both national and international standards”, report indicated.

A major reason for this is that throughout the 2000s, most South Asian countries focused on:
(a) achieving universal access to primary education, and (b) sustained investment in better-quality school inputs to improve the quality of primary and secondary education.
The report covers education from primary through upper secondary school. Based on evidence from South Asia and other regions, it identifies strategic options and priorities to improve learning outcomes in South Asia. The findings make it clear that to be successful, policies to ensure lasting improvements in student learning outcomes need to be integrated into a larger agenda of inclusive economic growth and governance reform.

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