Ten Years of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Punjab (Pakistan): What Have We Learned?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article adopts a process evaluation approach to identify the challenges and opportunities in scaled implementation of early childhood education (ECE) in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab. It reports findings from mixed methods, including surveys administered to head teachers, ECE teachers, and parents across 386 schools, and focus groups and in-depth interviews with 25 participants across the different tiers of government. Using the RISE framework as an analytical lens, the article specifically explores issues of delegation, finance, information, and motivation across two accountability relationships – Compact and Management – to assess the extent to which the province’s early learning system is coherent around the goal of scaling quality early learning. Research findings reveal multiple incoherences within each relationship of accountability as well as incoherences within similar elements across the two accountability relationships. The resulting insights indicate the need to strengthen the province’s early learning system and improve the flow of accountability through effective delegation, including improved coordination, communication, and feedback mechanisms; effective finance, including resources for capacitating actors across all tiers of government; effective information, especially collection and utilization of data on process quality; and effective motivation to address weaker links in teacher allocation, incentives, professional development, and academic support.