Tinde Kovač Cerović, State Secretary, Ministry of

Education and social change

Tünde Kovacs-Cerovic Serbia, State Secretary for education

Content  A couple of truisms  Education in an imperfect context – Educational perspective – System perspective – Parents’ perspective

 Added value for education policy making  Use some data on Serbia, some on the SEE region – no PISA

Education policy and society  Education is not an isolated system, it both reflects the societal dynamics and contributes to them  Education has a transformative role – it shapes the future, but in order to shape it in the right way, it needs to be responsive to problems and needs  Equity, quality and efficiency – core elements of education policy and vital for its contribution to social change  Policy makers in SEE face similar challenges – a valuable opportunity for cooperation and mutual learning 3

1. Educational perspective  Create the best context for human learning and development  Educationalists try to maximize the frequency of learning and minimize contextual “intrusion” But  School learning and motivation is situated in an imperfect context

Educational attainment of population older than 15

Decline of number of students in secondary education

Annual average decre ase more than 2 % Annual average decre ase between 1,5 % a nd 2 % Annual average decre ase between 1% and 1,5% Annual average decre ase between 0,5% an d 1% Annual average incre ase between 0 and 0, 5%

Projections of decline in secondary school students until 2023/2024

290000 280000 270000 260000 250000 240000 230000 220000 210000 200000

Teachers’ age – comparative view 100% 90%

80% 70% 60% 50%

Teachers aged >50

40%

Teachers aged 40-49

30%

Teachers aged 30-39

20%

Teachers aged < 30

10% 0%

uneven distribution of publi c investment

Level of investment – comparative view

Percentage of early school leavers – comparative view

2. System perspective  Education reforms 2001-2004 2008-2011  Threefold priorities 2008: Equity, Quality, Efficiency

Priorities of education policy

Efficiency =

Equity =

Inclusive education

Fiscal decentralization and EIS

Quality =

quality improvement: educational and social

AREAS OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS Outcomes and standards New curricula Quality of teachers (36 ECTS)

Clearer roles of sch ools, parents, studen Anti-discrimination measures, ts Violence prevention Capitation formula EIS

Extended preschool Inclusion of marginalized groups Individual education plans Roma pedagogical assistants Free secondary edu. Recognition of prior learning

Current moment     

Formulating priorities 2008 Legislative acts 2009 2010 Implementation from 2010 Monitoring and fine-tuning 2011 Long-term strategy developmen t 2012-2020

 Good timing: Independent assessment very 15 important

Current moment

 Monitoring and fine-tuning 2011 (equity and quality)

 Good timing for reflection: why not easier?  Deeper layers of imperfect context 16

Imperfect context 1. Huge system - covers about 20% of the po pulation in the country, but is fragmented into small and dispersed units example of country of 6mil No of schools

No of facilities

No of classes

No of teachers

No of students G1-G12

1.800

4.500

40.000

70.000

1.100.000

Imperfect context 2. Perceived as major mechanism for social/economic promotion – high motivation, high incentives

Imperfect context

3. Huge system of human intera ctions: interests, negotiations, conflicts, clans – all aspects of human nature present

Imperfect context

4. Asymmetric relationships in its core: student -teacher, child-parent, parent-teacher (lack of voice, protectionism)

Imperfect context  Parents excluded (Roma parents even more excluded) – recent OSI study

21

Imperfect context: motivation? 0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

-0.2

-0.4

-0.6

-0.8 Školska anksioznost

Vanškolski status Obrazovanje je Osećanje je važniji od škole važno pripadnosti školi

Bazična motivacija

Samoefikasnost Obmanjivanje se dopušta

Anksiozni i nezainteresovani (42%)

Neanksiozni, motivisani i samoefikasni (17%)

Anksiozni i zainteresovani (22%)

Neanksiozni i nezainteresovani (19%)

Rare event  Schools are expected to be  Places of intimate experience: – – – – – –

Learning Deep understanding Motivation Creativity Respect Values

– – – –

Self-regulation Self-efficacy Self-esteem Self-description/attribution

 Places of development of the Self-concept:

 Can they easily become that? 23

Learning can become a really rare event Attended ... Listened ... Heard ... Understood ... Remembered ... Will apply ...

Imperfect context: INTES

 Niches of corruption in educati on can diminish all the reform effects – Education is human capital development – Corruption creates the opposite – waste of human capital

2025

SCHOOL

regulated teachers

textbooks

Personal benefits

Social benefits

curriculum

equitable

financing

management

assessment evaluation

Research participatory

accountable

efficient

Development Policies 26

financing

Potential niches Allocation of resources: Leakage in money flow Private use of resources Ghost teachers Creativity of deception

Procurement: construction, refurbishing, maintenance, equipment school materials utility bills Allocation of allowances, stipends, places in dormitories Decentralized distribution of funds, many transfer steps, many actors (tracking the funds needed) BOR

 assessment  evaluation

Potential niches Assessing students •Examinations frauds (entry/exit) •Grading •Promotion based on bribes •Selling diplomas Evaluating institutions manipulating external evaluations inspection

Accrediting institutions, programs Major frauds: cases in Serbia: Law School University of Kragujevac + Ministry, 2007 January Enrolment exam for secondary education, 2008 June

Potential niches Teacher management:

teachers

•

Hiring/firing •Deployment •Licensing •Promotion •Training

Teachers’ responsibilities distorted:

•undue reporting •private tutoring •absenteeism, use of sick leaves •accepting extra fees, gifts •biased grading

New regulations, but still low salaries, strong teacher unions (case of June 2011 legislation)

Potential niches

 management  ethos

Who is managing and overseeing the schools? •Appointment of principals/deans/rectors •Appointment of school boards • selecting the Inspection Use of information systems: •Withholding information, •changing, manipulating data, •not producing data.. Accountability to students, parents •Student placements •Manipulating school boards •Manipulating parent councils •Not including students

Major area of protectionism: student placements – each September School principals PE teachers

3. Parent perspective Imperfect context PARENT PARTICIPATION IN SEE

Teachers’ and parents’ perceptions: Gray area between cooperation and conflict

Teachers

Parents

The origin of unsatisfactory teacher-parent communication is perceived to lie wit hin the school who should initiate the collaboration being more responsive to pa rental and children’s needs (Lawson, 2003)

The study 10 countries

Albania B&H

Bulgaria Croatia

Two Principals’ perspective perspectives

Kosovo Macedonia

Montnegro Moldova

Romania Serbia

Parents’ perspective

Two methodologi es

Qualitative – focus groups

Quantitative - survey

Two levels

Individual level: all data

School level: parent representatives, means for parents, principals

Four angles

Mainstream parents

Parent representati ves - MSP

Excluded groups parents

Parent representati ves - EGP

Sample

Principals

Total Mainstre Exclud Parent Excl am ed repr parent rep Principals of all schools where from the sample was drawn

Schools 311 Parents of children 7-15

urban rural total

9076

491

1359

124

11127

Parents’ Questionnaire Based on: 1.Literature review: 1. Epstien’s (1987) six dimensions of parental inv olvement 2. Green, Walker, Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (2 007) model of the parental involvement process . 2.Results of focus group discussions in the 10 SEE co untries 3.Results of 2008 cross national study of school princ ipals Consisting of 3 parts: 1.Q for mainstream parents (used for all samples) 2.Q for excluded parents (additional part) 3.Q for parent representatives (additional part) 35

Questionnaire

Mediating variables

Child characteristics (age, gender, achievement etc) school informat meetings ion from school motivation for participation in school life

Outcome variables

satisfaction with satisfaction re child satisfaction re well-being, communication with influence progress in school school

Background variables Dimensions of participation

Family context (wealth, employment, etc) Supportin g learning at home perception of school openness

Mother characteristics (education, aspirations) decis. schoolmaking commun ity coop

volunte ering in school percepti beliefs about school-parents on of partnership pr’s

37

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola inicira roditeljski sastanak:

Škola inicira individulani sastanak:

38

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola šalje informaciju o detetovom uspehu:

Škola šalje informaciju o školskom radu:

39

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola šalje školski informator:

Škola inicira volontiranje oko sportskih/kult. aktivnosti:

40

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola inicira volontiranje u razredu/nastavi:

Škola inicira volontiranje u biblioteci, dvorištu…:

41

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola konsultuje roditelje oko školskih događaja:

Škola konsultuje roditelje oko bezbednosnih odluka:

42

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola konsultuje roditelje oko ekstrakurikularnih odluka:

Škola konsultuje roditelje oko finansijskih odluka:

43

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Škola konsultuje roditelje oko organizacije šk rada:

Škola konsultuje roditelje oko obrazovnih pitanja:

44

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Schools do not invite parents (%) never

1

2-3

3+

- class

3

9

34

54

- individual

50

14

18

19

- infrastructure

70

17

9

4

- extracurricular

66

16

13

5

- curricular

86

7

5

2

- additional (library, lunch)

85

9

4

To meetings

To volunteer

45

2

How does parent-school cooperation happen? Schools do not invite parents/cont (%) never

1

2-3

3+

- financial management

79

8

8

5

- extreacurricular activities

66

16

13

6

- organization of school event

45

25

21

8

- health safety issues

58

20

15

8

- school management shifts, merger

82

9

6

3

- education issues

75

10

10

5

- violence

65

15

13

7

To give opinion on

In Roma sample “never” is around 90%

Parents think their contribution is beneficial

Parents think they are capable of contributing

47

2. How does parent-school cooperation happen? Systematic difference between parents’ and principals’ perception

48

3. How does parent-school cooperation happen? Problem attributed more to parents than schools. Parents are perceived as motivated and competent to participate

49

4. Outcomes of parent-school cooperation ? Parents are least satisfied with their possibility of influence

50

Conclusions Trends are expected, but their pervasiveness is striking – Discrepancy between the mainstream and the excluded sample – Discrepancy between parents’ and principals’ perception – Lack of opportunities for cooperation and partnership – Opportunities even less present for those who need it most

51

Conclusions/cont. • Individual parent level mediating variables do not predict outcomes strong enough - it seems that individual parental motivation, attitude, belief does not matter much

• Main factor - parent representative: if interested, capable, effective, parents are participating more

52

Recommendations 1. Parent representatives in school: 1. Careful choice 2. Training and support

2. Embrace and cultivate all dimensions of parent participation 3. Parent participation on ”higher” levels 1. Municipal parent councils 2. National association of municipal parent councils

53

Conclusions

54

Added value of 1, 2, 3.  Confirmation of vulnerable areas from independent angle (important for fine-tuning)  Assistance in understanding bottlenecks in the system (important for strategy)  Assistance in “labeling” risky practice strengthening the55reform agenda

Added value general: Evidence for policymaking high quality

Based on impressions

Based on evidence

low quality

56

Added value general: Organizing the learning niche

LEARNING OF STUDENTS LEARNING OF TEACHERS LEARNING OF SCHOOLS LEARNING OF THE SYSTEM

Added value general: Contributing to education for social change Legal instruments

Researc h and monitori ng

Educ ation

Develop mental p riorities (equity a nd efficie ncy)

Stakeholders participation 58

Joke or warning?

Thank you for your attention (PS the slides used proved useful for communicating education reform priorities and processes to the wider public in Serbia) 60