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United Nations \ Educational,Scientific and [

Cultural Organization

MONGOLIA

UNESCO NATIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT STRATEGY (UNESS)

UNESCO Office Beijing January 2008

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE S U M M A R Y 1

CHAPTER 1 3 DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES OF MONGOLIA A N D NATIONAL PRIORITIES 3 1.1. POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL A N D H U M A N DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT....3 1.2. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES, PRIORITIES, A N D STRATEGIES 6

CHAPTER 2 9 EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES, PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES 9 2.1. EDUCATION SECTOR BACKGROUND 9 2.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE EDUCATION SUB-SECTORS 13 2.3. EDUCATION SECTOR MAIN CHALLENGES 19 2.4. GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO EDUCATION SECTOR CHALLENGES 23 CHAPTER 3 25 PRIORITIES A N D INTERVENTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS 25 3.1. DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS' POLICY ALIGNMENT

O N NATIONAL PRIORITIES 25 3.2. DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS' PRIORITIES A N D STRATEGIES IN

EDUCATION 26

CHAPTER 4 35 UNESCO'S PROGRAMMATIC THRUST 35 4.1. INTRODUCTION 35 4.2. UNESCO'S PAST A N D ON-GOING SUPPORT TO MONGOLIA'S NATIONAL

EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT 35

CHAPTER 5 49 STRATEGIES OF COOPERATION FOR NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 49 5.1. GAPS AND EMERGING NEEDS IN EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN

MONGOLIA 49 5.2. PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS: AREAS A N D STRATEGIES 51

ANNEX 1: PROGRESS T O W A R D THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS A N D TARGETS 67

ANNEX 2: M O N G O L A M D G EDUCATION INDICATORS 71 ANNEX 3: LIST OF PEOPLE CONSULTED 72

REFERENCES 74 ABBREVATIONS 78 GLOSSARY 80

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

With a very strong education system until 1989, Mongolia's educational achievements were seriously undermined following an economic and financial crisis in the 1990s that resulted after the political and economic transition from the socialist system to a free-market economy. The education system saw severe erosion in both quality and quantity with falling enrollments. After 1990, the Government of Mongolia has made significant achievements in terms of stabilizing its economy and instituting a market system coupled with a democratic political system, private ownership and human rights. In recent years, radical reforms are being introduced on all sectors of economic development, including education.

Mongolia's education sector enjoys considerable support from a wide range of development partners and donors. A recently adopted Education Sector Master Plan (2006-2015), backed up with a newly developed sector-wide approach, puts a clear platform for education development in the medium term, but calls for more strategic, aligned and collaborative support from the development partners.

The U N E S C O National Education Support Strategy ( U N E S S ) document has been developed as an attempt to define U N E S C O ' s strategic role in supporting national education priorities and in strengthening its partnership and synergy with other development agencies, in congruence with international development goals and frameworks. The document is built on an in-depth analysis of the country's education priorities, the needs and gaps in terms of data, policies and capacities as well as the development community's contributions. In preparing the document, a number of government policies, programmes and a host of other documents and research reports prepared by development partners and others, were reviewed and analyzed. This was combined with intensive consultation with the key actors and stakeholders, which was further complemented by U N E S C O ' s internal assessment of its past interventions and strategies in the country and strategic positioning in the fast and ever changing environment of Mongolia to build the basis for this strategy. A highly participatory process was adopted in finalizing the document involving individual consultation with the government counterparts, donor agencies, development partners and other national stakeholders for their feedback and comments on the draft U N E S S document, followed by a national workshop which was attended by representatives of government departments, donor agencies, development partners and N G O s . Based on the feedback and comments, necessary revision was made to the document. The document is designed within a medium-term (2008-2013) framework and it will be updated every two years in order to ensure adjustment to the new developments and changing needs of the country as well as U N E S C O ' s priorities and policies.

Both our analysis and consultation reveal that despite heavy investment and several efforts of the Government of Mongolia and a number of development partners, the education sector continues to face several challenges. In a nutshell, enhancing the quality of education at all levels, meeting the learning needs of previously neglected and marginalized groups, bridging the gaps and disparities in access to education and performance of students between rural and urban areas, and strengthening the planning, managerial, coordinating and monitoring capabilities are the core challenges of the education sector. Only a strong and dynamic system of education can contribute to Mongolia's socio-economic and political goals of poverty reduction, economic growth, democratization, and sustainable human development.

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In view of the existing status of education in Mongolia and the m a n y ongoing reform initiatives being executed with the support of various development partners, as well as the comparative advantages and strategic priorities of U N E S C O and its normative role which it is expected to play, a set of areas have been proposed for U N E S C O ' s interventions:

• Developing planning, managerial, coordinating and monitoring capabilities at all levels of education

• Supporting national initiatives to enhance the quality of education for all

• Creating equitable learning opportunities for life-long learning for all

• Strengthening the T V E T system

• Supporting post-primary education (secondary and higher education)

These areas of intervention are consistent with the national education development priorities and needs and seek to address the gaps observed in the ongoing education reform efforts. In responding to the country's needs and requests for support in education, U N E S C O will work in partnership with other development agencies to ensure synergy. Consistent with U N E S C O ' s mandate, U N E S C O will adopt five strategic modalities to deliver the programmes: as a laboratory of ideas, standard setter, clearing house, capacity builder and catalyst for international cooperation.

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CHAPTER 1 DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES OF MONGOLIA

AND NATIONAL PRIORITIES

Located between Russia and China, Mongolia is the world's second-largest landlocked country. It spans a territory of 1,565 thousand square kilometers, and has a total population of 2.7 million (2006), with some one million inhabitants living in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar making the country the least densely populated in the world.

Mongolia is a nation of predominantly young people with the median age of 21.6 years. About 33% and 75% of its peoples are under 14 and 35 respectively. The population growth rate is 1.2% and the life expectancy at birth is 61.6 years. The country is increasingly urbanized - 63% of the population lives in cities, the rest live a semi-nomadic lifestyle residing across the vast territory of the country. The predominant religion in Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhism, and the majority (90%) of the population is of the Mongol ethnicity, though Buriats, Kazakhs and Tuvas also live in the country, especially in the west.

Mongolia is administratively divided into 21 aimags (provinces) and the capital city Ulaanbaatar. Each aimag is divided into soums (districts) and then baghs (sub-districts). Ulaanbaatar is divided into districts which are further divided into khoroo. The country uses a unicameral parliamentary system in which the president has a symbolic role and the government chosen by the legislature exercises executive power. The legislative arm, the Parliament, has one chamber with 76 seats. The Mongolian judicial system consists of a Constitutional Court, a Supreme Court, aimag and capital city courts, and soum courts.

/ . / POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT

Political Developments Mongolia's first free multiparty election took place in 1990. Since then the country has m a d e efforts to consolidate its democracy and carried out far-reaching economic reforms and a n e w Constitution, firmly based on adopted democratic values. The former People's Republic was renamed 'Mongolia', and a n e w single chamber 76-seat National Parliament was established. Ten elections have been held over the past decade, three each at the local and presidential levels and four at the parliamentary level.

Governments have been chosen through elections, but a coalition government established after the 2004 election, was short lived and a n e w government of national unity under Prime Minister Enkhbold (Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party) was formed in 2006. Since then the government has remained in a fragile position with a number of resignations and dismissals of ministers under ever increasing public pressure and a politically hostile environment, especially in light of the upcoming 2008 parliamentary elections.

There are ongoing political debates and mass dissatisfaction underlined by (i) a popular perception that Mongolia m a y not be receiving its fair share of mining sector profits, (ii) a recognition that m a n y Mongolians have failed to benefit noticeably from the transition to a market economy, and (iii) ever increasing demand for responsible and democratic governance.

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Economie Developments During the 1990s, Mongolia m a d e substantial progress in laying the institutional and policy foundations for a market-oriented economy, including price and trade liberalization, launching large-scale privatization (retail sector and livestock herding), curtailing budget transfers and lending to state enterprises, and setting-up a commercial banking system. In 1991, Mongolia became a m e m b e r of the World Bank ( W B ) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and joined the World Trade Organization ( W T O ) in 1997. Mongolia has managed to sustain moderate economic growth since the mid-1990s. Recent macroeconomic stability and growth has allowed Mongolia to fully settle its pre-transition debt obligations to Russia, without endangering medium-term macro sustainability ' . Mongolia has benefited from a considerable influx of foreign direct investment largely for mining operations. With extensive support from the development partners, the situation of the education sector has been improving steadily although some problems and challenges still persist.

Economic growth reached 8.4% in 2006 bringing Mongolia's Gross Domestic Product ( G D P ) per capita to $1,037 at the end of the year. G o o d weather conditions benefited Mongolia's livestock sector as well as agricultural production. A s a result, livestock, which accounts for 21.7% of Mongolia's G D P , grew by 14.4% and crop production increased by 63.4% in 2006. The mining sector continues to benefit from high international gold and copper prices, which has led to new mine exploitation and increased production. A fiscal surplus was recorded in 2006 for the second consecutive year, reaching 9% of G D P " " . The Government also imposed a 68% windfall tax on copper and gold prices and this tax generated $152.4 million in 2006. Moreover, overall tax collections have been buoyed by the solid economic growth.

The agriculture sector, including livestock was the main engine of growth for Mongolia during the second half of the 1990's although its share in G D P has been declining (from 38% in 1995 to 25% in 2004). The secondary sector, dominated by mining, manufacturing and construction has played a substantial role in generating growth. The mining sector is a major contributor to the economy, accounting for about 12% of G D P , half of industrial output, and 43% of export earnings. The tertiary sector dominated by wholesale trade and retail trade as well as transport and communication has been the other main source of growth and it has grown considerably since 1997 surpassing agriculture as the primary source of growth in Mongolia. The share of the tertiary sector in total G D P has grown from 35% in 1995 to 4 6 % in 20043.

Despite the increased macroeconomic stability, poverty incidence remains around 36%. The benefits from mineral wealth have not been equitably distributed. Moreover, the condition of social services, particularly education and health, has deteriorated. The main challenge is to progressively reduce poverty and improve the living standards of its peoples, while maintaining overall economic growth. This will require significant investment in human capital as well as social and physical infrastructure. The overuse and illegal trade in forest products and wildlife have inflicted heavy damage and put under threat the sustainable economic growth, primary education, and environmental targets outlined in the Millennium Development Goals ( M D G s ) . Corruption is also a challenge to development. In 2006, Mongolia ranked 99 out of 163 countries on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index.

W B , 2006. Mongolia Macroeconomic Brief. http://www.gateway.mn/downloads/economy/MongoliaWB.pdf

" W B , 2007. East Asia Update: Mongolia. 3 Ibid 1

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Social and Human Development Mongolia's H u m a n Development Index (HDI) surpassed the 1990 level only in 1999 and then increased from 0.661 to 0.691 in 2006. Mongolia n o w ranks 116' out of 175 countries5

moving up from 117th in previous years. However, H D I disparities between regions persist. The H D I for urban areas (0.723) was 14.0% higher than the H D I in rural areas in 2002. Over the past decade, Mongolia has recorded gains in m a n y areas of h u m a n development. However, progress has remained deficient, slow and uneven. The United Nations Country C o m m o n Assessment ( U N C C A ) identified six significant features of h u m a n development in Mongolia. First, major demographic shifts are being witnessed as a result of rising urbanization; imbalances in the distribution of population across the country; increasing internal migration and migration out of the country; growing vulnerabilities and limited expansion of local livelihood opportunities. Second, despite the economic expansion, income poverty remains widespread, with 36% of the population living below the poverty line. Mongolia has to improve the quality of economic growth by making it less dependent upon the mining sector and world prices of copper and gold. Third, while there are marked reductions in child mortality and maternal mortality and improvements in gender equality, the growing demand for universal health coverage and improved access to education and job opportunities remain major challenges. Fourth, while efforts at strengthening institutions of democratic governance and the practice of democracy are underway, ensuring greater transparency, accountability and better mainstreaming of democratic principles across all levels of society are required. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the media are beginning to be recognized as key players in development. Fifth, there is increasing recognition of and adherence to human rights standards. Over 30 international human rights treaties have been signed and more recently the National H u m a n Rights Commission of Mongolia has actively furthered adherence to h u m a n rights. Finally, Mongolia is experiencing a cultural transformation as globalization and urbanization impact cultural practices, traditional values and way of life.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Assistant Framework U N D A F (2007-2011) identified the following four aspects of the development process as needing urgent actions.

Reducing vulnerabilities and disparities: Despite the positive trends in economic growth, thousands of Mongolians lead highly insecure lives. The depth and severity of income poverty has worsened since 1995. A m o n g the most vulnerable are unregistered migrants, female-headed households, herders, minorities and others requiring special care such as the homeless, street children, single elderly and the disabled. Growing disparities between rural and urban areas, and within urban areas, between residents of gers and apartment areas are reflected in poor quality access to basic social services and in access to information. Effective public provision in rural areas requires strategies to cope with long distances, scattered populations and nomadic lifestyles.

Improvins natural resources and environmental management: Natural resources are intricately linked in m a n y complex ways to the daily life and healthy survival of Mongolians. In recent years, neglect of both rural and urban environment has led to serious problems of land and pasture degradation, desertification, green mass degradation, biodiversity loss, water degradation and air pollution particularly in urban areas. Effective and adequate mechanisms for preventing and managing natural disasters are also not in place.

Unless otherwise indicated, the content of this section is drawn from UN CCA and UNDAF (2007-2011)

UN Human Development Report 2006

5

Improving responsible and democratic governance: In addition to improving responsible and democratic governance, the country needs to deepen democracy to every level by (i) enhancing people's participation, (ii) strengthening decentralization, empowering local communities and local governments through a proper devolution of authority, funds and personnel, (iii) promoting greater transparency and accountability, (iv) strengthening the rule of law to instill greater confidence in both the private sector and citizens to invest in the country's development, and (v) improving people's access to justice.

Landlockedness and global, regional and South-South cooperation: Mongolia's vulnerabilities are accentuated by the country's landlocked geographical location, its dispersed and sparse population and harsh climate conditions, which are being addressed by pursuing development in the context of M D G 8.

1.2. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES, PRIORITIES, AND STRATEGIES

Economic Growth Support and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EGSPRS) Mongolia's "Economic Growth Support and Poverty Reduction Strategy ( E G S P R S ) " was adopted in 2003 building on the National Poverty Alleviation Programme implemented for a six-year period from 1994. It envisioned lowering of the poverty rates by 2 5 % for the extreme poor by 2005, and by 5 0 % by 2015 in line with the M D G s . The E G S P R S has made a rebalancing in the underlying poverty reduction strategy from one driven primarily by income transfers and safety net programmes to one centered on growth-promoting macro-structural reforms and sustainable human development6. The E G S P R S is well grounded in sector strategies in the areas of health, education, environment, rural development, energy, information and communications technology (ICT) and it pays systematic attention to the important cross cutting issues of institutional reform and gender.

The Government's strategy to reduce poverty in its main manifestations is based on five main pillars: (i) ensuring macroeconomic stability and enhancing public sector effectiveness, (ii) establishing a sound institutional and regulatory environment to complete transition to market economy and enable the private sector to become an engine of growth, (iii) enhancing balanced and environmentally sustainable development, (iv) fostering sustainable h u m a n development and equitable distribution of the benefits from growth through improved service delivery in education, health and social welfare, and (v) promoting good governance and gender equity.

Improving the educational level of the population has been considered as a w a y to reduce poverty, through (i) upgrading the quality of education at all levels, (ii) increasing access to education for all, with particular attention to rural and low income population, and (iii) improving capacity management of central and local educational institutions.

The Government Action Plan The Government Action Plan (2004-2008) incorporates some of the E G S P R S priorities and proposes a new social and economic development policy with greater emphasis on improvements in the social sectors. The main objectives of the Government's activities are to:

6 IMF and IDA. Mongolia PRSP Joint Staff Advisory Note, 2003

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• upgrade the quality of public service by strengthening the institutional capacity, transparency and accountability of the system and expanding civil participation at all levels of decision-making;

• deepen legal reforms in all spheres of political, economic and social life and substantially improve standards for ensuring human rights and safe living environment;

• sustain and stabilize higher rates of private sector-led economic growth;

• conduct social policy aimed at improving living standards of families and households by providing them with a stable legal environment, adequate infrastructure and a financial environment conducive to accumulating savings, owning, possessing and disposing of immovable property such as land and houses; and

• carry out human development policy aimed at educating citizens w h o respect education, culture and their national traditional heritage, w h o are highly conscious about protection of the natural environment, values of democracy and their o w n rights, and w h o are able to contribute to the development of their country by taking advantage of various opportunities provided by the globalization process.

Regional Development Strategy T o redress the rural underdevelopment, regional imbalances and achieve integrated development toward a market economy, the Government adopted the Regional Development Concept (2001) and Strategy (2003) and the L a w on Regionalized Management and Coordination came into effect (2003). The L a w redefined regional boundaries by regrouping the 21 provinces into five economic regions. The objective is to foster a more balanced regional development within and across regions by speeding up economic and social development; supporting social progress through the efficient use of natural, mineral, and agricultural resources in line with the capabilities of each region; and attaining a more even distribution of the population and economic activities across the regions instead of their present concentration in Ulaanbaatar - the capital. A s there is no legal base to use the regional division as legal administration division for resource allocation, strategy is not tied to particular funding, and not m a n y specific actions are taken to implement the strategy per se, but the need for balanced regional development is commonly considered in national policy planning and resource allocation as well as defining poverty lines and monitoring poverty reduction.

National Programme for Gender Equality (NPGE) The N P G E (2002-2015) aims to improve the Gender-related Development Index of Mongolia from 0.653 to 0.690 by 2015 by adopting a gender and development approach in line with the M D G s . The N P G E has five main objectives:

• Achieving gender equality in family welfare and development focuses on the household and family unit and covers issues such as the legal framework for equity of ownership of property, encouraging equitable decision making, and combating domestic violence.

• Achieving gender equality in economic relations covers all areas of economic policy promoting gender-sensitive budgeting and improving gender relations in the labor market.

• Achieving gender equality in rural development focuses on support in areas such as education, employment, access to information, natural resource management and improved reproductive health services.

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• Achieving gender equality in decision making focuses on political, governmental, economic, and civil society organizations through improved legal frameworks, training, awareness raising, and public pressure.

• Strengthening national mechanisms to promote gender equality focusing on government and civil society.

Mongolia MDGs and Progress The National M D G Report-I (2004) was followed by the Parliament Resolution (2005) in adopting Mongolia's specific M D G s , which included the goal of Fostering H u m a n Rights and Strengthening Democratic Governance recognized widely as specific to Mongolia. T o enhance M D G achievement, the Parliament assigned the Government to align the existing policy and resource allocation tools. In 2006, with support from the U N D P , the Government completed the M D G Needs Assessment for the purpose of identifying priority policies and interventions required and costing to provide an opportunity to perform rational financing coordination in achieving the M D G s . There was recognition of the need to link the M D G s to the economic and market expansions and to be supported by flexible financing instruments to achieve the M D G s without too m u c h burden on the economy and instead further supporting sustainable economic growth.

The draft National M D G Report II was endorsed by the Parliament of Mongolia as of 17 August 2007, though it concluded that the M D G achievements to date were not sufficient and the implementation process was not well coordinated. Statistical data provided by the National Statistics Office ( N S O ) and line ministries differed in m a n y ways indicating the need for improvement in this area. While there was notable progress in regard to child and maternal mortality, the targets on eradicating poverty, combating T B and ensuring environmental sustainability are not likely to be achieved. The projected target of achieving universal primary education is not likely to be achieved unless due attention is given to the high level of dropouts among primary children particularly in rural areas. Gender disparities in primary and secondary education have been improving but the target is not likely to be achieved in higher education.

Mongolia's disadvantage of having a landlocked geographical location is being addressed by pursuing development in the context of M D G 8. Regional cooperation and agreements can play a particularly important role in addressing critical issues relating to trade liberalization, export and industry diversification, greater regional economic integration, the development of better Information Technology based industries, and further development of the transit system. A s for the M D G 9 - to strengthen h u m a n rights and foster democratic governance -the focus is on upholding h u m a n rights including access to information; strengthening democracy; and developing a zero tolerance practice towards corruption. S o m e progress is in place, but there is increasing public dissatisfaction and demand for better governance. More progress is needed in promoting transparency and accountability, in deepening democracy and in the penetration of democratic values in society.

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CHAPTER 2 EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES, PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES

2.1. EDUCATION SECTOR BACKGROUND Mongolia claims one of the highest literacy rates (97.8%7) in the world. Mongolia's relatively good education system during the socialist period included free and widespread access, good quality, impressive levels of attainment, a policy on non-discrimination, and measures to deliver education services to the nomadic population through boarding schools.

During the transition period from a centrally planned economy to a market-driven one, Mongolia's education system has undergone significant reform. The whole system was hit particularly hard by the negative impacts of economic reforms and both the quality of and access to the education services deteriorated notably. The share of education of the G N P dropped from 11. 3 % in 1991 and to 6.3% in 1993 8and remained about the same till the late 1990s. There was no investment in the sector and neither a single school nor dormitory was built during 1990-1998. There was serious deterioration of facilities, lack of training materials, and under-paid teachers. The condition of rural schools was far worse than that of urban schools and many had to operate with no heating systems in -40c during the winter time. Between 1990 and 1995 alone, the number of kindergartens went d o w n by 27% (from 909 to 660) and the kindergarten enrolment dropped from 27.9% to 18.8%) . M a n y rural schools closed d o w n their dormitories and the percentage of pupils living in dormitories went d o w n from 14.5% in 1990, to 4 .1% in 1996. M a n y , especially poor parents, could not cope with a then newly introduced regulation on dormitory meal cost share that was previously on state subsidy. School dropout rate increased sharply and reached its peak of 8.8% in the 1993/1994 school year10.

A major challenge for the system was to maintain the high level of educational attainment and literacy that were achieved in the pre-transition period. Education reforms in the early years of transition included the imposition of dormitory fees in 1996 (as the policy had very negative impact on enrollments, it was reversed back in 2000), reducing the size of school staff and reorganizing schools in 1997 (closing d o w n four-year primary-only schools in remote areas, discontinuing grades 9 and 10 in most soum schools, and merging schools in provincial centers to form large "complex" schools).

Sector Structure The Mongolian education system consists of pre-school education, primary education, secondary education, technical and vocational education and training, and higher education. Non-formal education is also delivered to complement the formal education sector. The current structural reform of the education system began in 2004/2005. Until then, pre-school-kindergarten for 3-7 years olds was followed by four years of primary education with a school entry age of 8, and then four years of lower secondary education. Together those two levels comprised the eight-year basic education cycle which was meant to be "compulsory" for all children. Basic education was, and still is, followed by two years of upper secondary education.

According to the Population and Housing Census 2000, the adult literacy rate was 97.8 percent (male 98.0 and female 97.5 per cent) whereas 2.2 per cent or 34011 adults above 15 were illiterate.

http://unescostat.unesco.org 9

Mongolia EFA Assessment 2000

Mongolia EFA Assessment 2005

9

The new structural reform of the education system moved from a 4-4-2 system to a 5-4-2 and then to a 6-4-2 in line with international practices. Beginning with the 2004/2005 school year, schools began to serve 7 year olds. B y the 2008/2009 school year, school entry age is planned to be further reduced to 6, although there is ongoing debate as to whether the system is adequately prepared for such a rapid reform. A further reorganization of Mongolia's basic education from a 6-4-2- to 5-5-2 is planned for sometime further down the road, probably from 2012-2013, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Mongolia's education system in the light of the ongoing school system reform

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NOT YET IN SCHOOL

PRESCHOOL (KINDERGARTEN)

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(Adopted from Progress Towards Achieving of E F A Goals Assessment for the FTI, 2006)

Legal Framework

The Mongolian Constitution (1992) guarantees its people general education free of charge. The fundamental assumptions stated in the Education L a w reflect the principle of equality in education: every citizen has equal rights to his or her education regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, religion, disability, social status and economic condition. Furthermore, "education shall be humanistic and democratic, universally available and continuing". These provisions state that Mongolia must gear towards a public education system grounded upon equality in educational opportunities. The Education L a w and subsector specific laws including the Higher Education L a w , the Primary and Secondary Education L a w , and Vocational Education L a w have been enacted and the process of developing Pre-school Education L a w has begun.

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The recent amendments (2006) to the Education L a w of Mongolia provide legal framework for school structural reform (from 10 to 12 year system); upgrading teachers' social status through rationalized pay and incentive system and better protection of the rights of children. The amendments require education settings to be free of discrimination and of any kind of emotional, physical punishment and economic pressure on students, education curricula, and contents to be gender sensitive. Furthermore, it obliges local governments and education authorities to be responsible for provision of education for all children in their respective areas, and for state education budget allocations to be sensitive to geographic location and particular specifics of schools, and specific learning needs of children with disabilities. Primary and secondary education delivery through a non-formal, equivalency training programme is to receive funding from the state.

Management and Governance The central education authority in Mongolia is the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science ( M E C S ) . The function of the M E C S is defined by law as the promotion and dissemination of education, science, and culture. M E C S is the central administrative body that formulates national educational policy and sets the standards for each level of formal education. M E C S also administers general provisions on education matters, teacher training, curriculum development, and state examination procedures, and is responsible for the accreditation of higher education institutions. The administrative fields of the Ministry include not only pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational, higher education and educational research, but also cultural and scientific affairs, and non-formal education.

In accordance with the Education L a w , the main functions of the M E C S are to organize and ensure nationwide implementation of legal mandates for education; develop a comprehensive and suitable system of education for all, including non-formal education; coordinate the activities of those organizations offering various training programmes and provide professional help; organize and provide in-service training for all educational personnel, putting forward the issues related to social benefits for teachers. Education and Culture Departments within the local governments at the provincial level serve as the local educational authority. These Departments are responsible for the administration and management of education services relating to formal and non-formal education and in-service teacher training. There are some state educational/professional institutions that operate with some degree of autonomy including the Higher Education Quality Accreditation Centre, Education Assessment Centre, State Treasury Fund for Student Loans and Grants and Institute of Education.

Education Funding The education sector has always been the priority sector in the national development strategy and resource allocation. However, in the early years of transition the government had to cut d o w n on public expenditure. Education's share fell to a low of 16% of the government budget by 1997, but then it began to recover, reaching 19% (nearly 7 % of G D P ) by 200011. In 2004, spending on education was 20.7% of the state budget (8.5% of G D P ) 1 2 . The Education L a w stipulates that at least 2 0 % of the government budget is to be allocated to education, and since 2000 the actual allocation ranged between 18-20%. With the earlier mentioned amendments to the Education L a w , and revision of school funding formula, the education

W B , 2004. The Mongolian Education and Training Fund: Building a Sustainable Future

W B , 2006. Progress Towards Achieving ofEFA Goals Assessment for the FT!

11

budget for 2007 has increased by 29.6% from 2006. The L a w permits education delivery through both for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.

A s of 2004, the shares of the subsectors of the education budget were as follows: E C C E 16.8%; Primary and General Secondary Education 48.3%; V T E 4.7%; Higher Education 14.4% and other areas including teacher training, higher education student grants and loans, N F E and Adult education were at 15.9%. The E S M P - 2 cost estimation projected that the subsectors shares would largely remain quite stable, usually varying by no more than a percentage point or two over the next 12 years. The subsector with the largest relative gain is V T E , whose share of the total expenditure is projected to increase from 4.7% in 2004 to 7.1% in 2015, which represents a 50% increase13.

Financial Management The Public Sector Finance and Management ( P S F M ) L a w enacted in 2003 to enhance the transparency and efficiency of public spending has important implications for the education sector. The following are specific ways the education sector was affected by the enactment of this law: (i) centralizing the financial management system limited schools' use of self-generated revenues, (ii) restructuring the budget process, introducing further checks throughout the system and strengthening the controlling role of central authorities, (iii) introducing performance based contracts for all civil servants including teachers, (iv) reorganizing the responsibilities of provincial officials in charge for budget approval and disbursement, shifting power away from M E C S to M o F , and (v) eliminating cross-sectoral reallocation of the budget after approval and allowing only reallocation among schools.

School Financing Schools in Mongolia plan their budget based on a funding formula that distinguishes between variable and fixed costs. Variable spending is proportional to projected student enrollment and cover teacher remuneration items - such as salaries, supplements, bonuses, insurances, taxes and pension plans - and other expenses such as stationary, books, periodicals, postage and communication costs. Fixed costs cover items such as heating, water, electricity and sewage and are estimated from past expenses.

Based on estimations of student numbers and inflation rates, M E C S and M o F propose an annual per-student budget every fiscal year which is called the "normative means" that apply to the variable cost component of the education budget. Normative means differ regionally and government approves them every year. The criteria establishing normative means have changed significantly since 1998 to balance inequality between urban, semi-urban and rural schools and since 2004 normative means were established based on regional zones. Additionally, reallocations that favor small rural schools are done locally within each province and are based on coefficients14. Despite these changes, the funding formula's ability to meet schools' needs in an efficient and equitable manner has increasingly been questioned. Hence, as of August 2007, the government approved the adjustments to the school funding formula proposed by the M E C S based on the W B survey recommendations and the amendments to the Education L a w .

Teaching Staff M E C S statistics indicate that 98.5% of teachers in primary and secondary schools are professional teachers with relevant educatioa O n average, the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) in

14 .. W B , 2005. Public Financing of Education in Mongolia: Equity ana Efficiency Implications

12

primary education in rural areas is 31:1 compared with 34:1 in the capital. However, there are rural schools with P T R as low as 11:1 and urban schools with P T R as high as 77:1 due to ongoing trends of in-country migration. Teaching staff is overly feminized at all levels of education with female teachers composing 99.8% of teachers in primary education and 81.3% in secondary education.

The main constraints on improving educational quality are the lack of a comprehensive in-service teacher training system and national teacher accreditation system. Training programmes at teacher training universities and colleges do not follow agreed national standards. School and provincial authorities are in charge of teacher recruitment and assessment. However, due to the lack of nationally agreed professional standards and teacher accreditation schemes, the knowledge and competence of n e w teachers vary from school to school. The teaching techniques and subject knowledge of m a n y teachers are inadequate and outdated and need to be upgraded, particularly in rural areas. The shortage of qualified English and vocational teachers is largely due to the inability of the education sector to compete with the private sector in employing personnel with these skills. Hence, emphasis needs to be placed on improving teachers' working conditions and upgrading their qualifications.

EFA Plan Towards the end of Mongolia's first action plan on E F A (2002-2005), M E C S with an extensive support of U N E S C O and other education partners, committed itself for conducting a comprehensive review of the current situation of E F A and preparation of a n e w E F A strategy. M E C S conducted an in-depth E F A assessment to analyze the achievements, problems, issues and challenges in the areas of pre-school, formal basic education and non-formal education15. This work was later integrated into the process of the Education Sector Master Plan ( E S M P - 2 ) development, so there is n o w a stand-alone E F A Action Plan.

Mongolia's Education Development Index (EDI) was down from 0.932 in 1998 to 0.916 in 2001 16and then improved to 0.933 in 2004 and progress towards achieving Education for All goals by 2015 is moderate.

2.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE EDUCATION SUB-SECTORS

Pre-school Education

Pre-school education is not compulsory in Mongolia. The National Policy on Integrated Early Childhood Development has been adopted since 2005. This policy aims at improving and strengthening the inter-sectoral collaboration and coordination in early childhood development. The policy encourages a comprehensive and coordinated approach and efforts in developing quality service provisions, developing alternative forms of service delivery with greater participation of private sector and other stakeholders with specific focus on disadvantaged groups; remote rural children, and children with disabilities.

Although improving gradually, the pre-school coverage is still poor. A s of the 2006/2007 scholastic year, there are 742 kindergartens (87% of them are public) with 94,702 children nationwide. Only 54.1%o of pre-school aged children are enrolled in kindergarten. O f these,

Major findings of those reviews have been reflected in the sub-sector analysis of this paper. 16 U N E S C O . EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005

As of 2001, with the EDI of 0.91, Mongolia ranks as the 62nd amongst 127 countries with its constituencies of i) N E R in primary 0.866 (%); ii) Adult literacy rate =0.978 (%); iii) Gender Specific E F A Index (GEI) =0.933 (gender disparity at the expense of boys and men) ; iv) Survival Rate to Grade 5 =0.885.

13

41.8% are enrolled in formal kindergarten and another 12.3% in non-formal or alternative forms of pre-school education delivery (shift classes, ger and mobile kindergartens as well mobile teachers). However, the coverage is uneven - the highest in the main cities and the lowest in BayaUlgii (Kazakh) province. Herders' children count for only 15% of the total pre-school population. Such disparities cause unequal development opportunities for the youngsters and consequent impacts on basic educational attainment at later stages.

The strategic goals of pre-school education are directed at improving both accessibility and quality - particularly for poor, rural/remote children, ethnic minority and children with disabilities, as well as policy regulation and coordination on early childhood care and development ( E C C D ) . Improving efforts of family and community involvement were noted as significant factors in accomplishing these goals, but specific ways to resolve or improve and h o w to apply family and community involvement is not yet clear in government policy. Private sector participation is invited and the private service coverage is planned to reach 10% of the total pre-school children17.

The organization and duration of alternative forms of P S E delivery varies from place to place. There is neither a standardized methodology nor a standard curriculum yet. Multi-grade teaching methodology has been piloted in recent years. There are some trials running; efforts in developing alternative forms of pre-school education via parents and other community settings, but there is a long way to go.

Primary Education Mongolia E F A Assessment (2005) signaled a declining trend in the net enrolment rate 8 in primary education, and the need for urgent analysis and appropriate policy actions, including developing alternative forms for primary education delivery in rural areas physically closer to the youngsters19. The net enrolment rate in primary education declined from 90.9% in 2000 to 84.2% in 2004 (83.8% for boys and 84.5% for girls)20. Still, completion rate of primary education has increased from 86.6% in 1999 to 97.8% in 2003, and then dropped to 95.5% in 200421. The draft M D G Progress Report-2 indicates a further decrease to 86.8% in 2006. The M E C S attributes this to the fact that starting from the school year 2005/2006 children begin schooling at age 7 instead of 8 as with Mongolia's school system transformation from a 10 to an 11 year system22. A planned school entry at age 6 starting from the school year 2008/2009 m a y further reduce the rate.

Analysis of data from M E C S statistics of the last two school years raises serious concerns over the quality of primary schooling especially in the light of ongoing structural reform. Although the national dropout rate claimed at below 2 % , 30.8% and 42.8% of the total dropouts occurred at primary school level during 2005/2006 and the first half of 2006/2007 respectively, with particularly high dropout for the grade 1 (14.5%) for 2006/2007. Repetition in primary school particularly after grade 1 is m u c h higher than any other grade. In the last two school years, 39-46% of the total repeaters were those after grade 1. A general picture is

Education Sector Master Plan -2

Mongolia M D G education indicators are provided in Annex 2. 19

Mongolia EFA Assessment 2005

As data from local sources vary greatly, the data is taken from the official U N site for M D G indicators:

http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx 21 Ibid "~ According to M E C S Statistics 2005-2006, the N E R of 7 year-olds were 91.6% in urban U B , and 90.1% in rural areas. 6-7 year-olds accounted for 83% of the new entries.

14

that the gender equity observed in the N E R in primary school is gradually worsening as dropout boys outnumber girls.

Research findings23 call for policy recommendations, including, but not limited to, the need to conduct a nationwide information and awareness campaign on the dropout issue and its negative impact on Mongolian society, but more importantly: on the Mongolian dropout child as a victim of forces and circumstances s/he has no control of; the need to adopt a national definition of w h o a dropout is; the need to establish standards and procedures including a check and balance system and a cross-referencing mechanism to, as accurately as possible, count and monitor the incidence of dropping-out, as well as the need to address the systemic problems plaguing the Mongolian educational system, in particular, teacher discrimination.

Secondary Education In the 2006/2007 Scholastic Year, in total 542,500 students were studying at 742 schools nationwide. Although the number of private schools is on the rise, reaching 152 in 2006/2007, the enrolments in privately financed and managed schools comprise only 2.7%. The gross enrolment ratio in basic education has been improving gradually and reached 103.3% in 2004/200524. For the period of 1995-2005, the figures for the net enrolment ratio on age groups show that some 46,000 children or 9.6% of total children aged 8-15 (6.9% and 12.6%o of 12-15 and 8-11 age groups respectively) are out of school, and 23.7% of them have never enrolled in school25 - of these 60%o are boys26.

The main issues surrounding secondary education include: the transition from primary to secondary; dropout, particularly among rural boys27; quality and relevance of textbooks; textbook design and revision; boarding school availability in rural areas; child protection issues at school and dormitories; a non-violent/child-friendly environment; performance assessment; parents and civil participation; school funding formulas (that disadvantage small rural schools) and shortage of good teachers in rural areas.

There is a specific challenge of education delivery in small rural schools with few students. Multi-grade teaching methodology has been piloted, but the effectiveness of such teaching has not been proved yet. Another option is multi-subject specialization of teachers, but it also appears not to be receiving m u c h support locally.

National Curriculum Framework and Revised Education Standards Transition to a new 12-year education system needs to be supported by curriculum reform and the development of agreed education standards for each subject and grade level. The M E C S has started the process of revising education standards and a set of n e w standards has been published. However, the n e w education standards have not yet taken into account the need to modernize the curriculum framework; and teachers, parents, and textbook authors find the standards too complex and difficult to translate into clear student competencies. The most serious concern is the widening gap in learning environments and educational outcomes between poor and non- poor; rural and urban. Education indicators (enrolment, dropout, repetition and academic performance etc) are worse in rural areas. In particular, rural students do not have equal access to upper secondary education (as schools are not always available

M E A , 2004. Mongolia Drop Out Study

Ibid 20

This has direct implication for literacy rate.

Ibid 20

For the Scholastic Year 2003/2004, 95.4% of drop out are rural. Drop out boys outnumber girls as 59/41

15

locally and provincial centre schools have limited space), attrition rates are significantly higher among rural children, and educational quality, measured by exam results, is significantly worse in rural schools28.

Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) The vocational education and skills training has been one of the most neglected areas of education in Mongolia. After the initial transition shock in the first half of the 1990s, the number of students in T V E T sharply declined from 31,000 in 1989 to 8,000 in 1995. Since then it has gradually, though slowly, recovered mainly in terms of student numbers, reaching some 23,000 in 2005.

T V E T programmes had been provided almost solely by the state until the mid 1990s. The private sector participation is slowly increasing but still very limited. There is a serious mismatch between skills supply and labor market demand, and the provision of access to market-oriented short-term skills training for adults is poor. Currently no comprehensive policy framework promoting demand driven vocational and technical education and training is in place.

The most recent analysis29 of the current situation of the T V E T in the country reveals that (i) the system does not provide sufficient supply of necessary qualifications to the labor market, (ii) T V E T has low social status, (iii) there is an absence of any institutionalized vocational guidance for school leavers, (iv) the labor market relevance of T V E T within the formal education sector is low as the contents are mainly of a general educational and theoretical nature, and (v) there is a prevailing shortage of advanced training institutions for post T V E T system occupations.

The quality of T V E T is seriously hampered by multiple factors: (i) teachers, trainers and in-company trainers lack knowledge in the field of n e w technologies and in the methods of employment-oriented teaching; (ii) a considerable shortage of well qualified teaching staff in the absence of adequate levels of remuneration afforded to both training staff and absence of motivation to pursue continuing; (iii) no training infrastructure is in place, or the old ones are obsolete; (iv) insufficient link between theoretical and practical training; (v) quality assurance within the T V E T system is insufficient, and due to absence of modernized, national T V E T standards, no uniform quality of initial and continuing vocational education and training is achievable, (vi) no system is in place to monitor training content and the level of success of the training in terms of labor market relevance and (vii) the vocational examination system is inadequate in its present form and provides qualifications insufficient to meet the requirements of the labor market. Furthermore T V E T funding is solely reliant on government funding which is far from adequate. The voucher system for the short-term qualification of the unemployed appeared to be too bureaucratic, the national occupational and quality standards have thus far not been deployed to determine the accréditation of private educational providers and the system of certification has not yet been standardized. Recently, the M E C S , with technical support from the G e r m a n Technical Cooperation Agency ( G T Z ) office in Mongolia and active participation of other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare ( M L S W ) and the private sector, have developed a T V E T reform policy framework.

W B , 2006. Mongolia Poverty Assessment

GTZ,2006. Review of Vocational Education and Training in Mongolia

16

Higher Education

The higher education sector has expanded rapidly in between 1990-2000 mainly due to new entries of private sector players into the market. A s of the 2005/2006 Scholastic Year, there were 180 higher education institutions including 49 state and 125 non-state run institutions as well as 6 branches of foreign institutions, and 7 4 % of all higher education institutions are based in the capital and only 4 9 % are accredited30. Noticeable outcomes were achieved in the Mongolian higher education sector in lessening administrative centralization and increasing the independence of educational organizations. Higher education institutional accreditation was established in Mongolia in 1998 and the programme accreditation process is undergoing its initial development stage. There is no clear sign yet that the current accreditation system and other mechanisms of quality assurance are fully effective. Instead, there is imbalance between supply and market demand. Every year approximately 14,000 graduates from tertiary institutions join the labor market. Oversupply of specialists such as medical doctors, economists, business managers, lawyers, accountants and teachers appears to be a serious problem when it is added with inadequate skills of graduates w h o have demanding specializations '.

The legal reforms in higher education are seen by m a n y as incomplete and stagnant as they did not bring sufficient regulations into practice. There are still ongoing legislation setbacks and debates around non-regulation of the classification of higher education institutions, divided between for- and not-for-profit education institutions and the properly status of not-for-profit institutions. The only state support to privately accredited institutions is partial tuition fee coverage via state fund for student loans and grants.

The Government's open policy that allows establishment of foreign investment institutions/branches in the country has obviously positive impact of improving the competitive strengths of higher educational institutions. However there are practical implications that require clearer and stricter regulations to enhance quality provision in cross-border higher education in the context of globalization. This is to protect the country from "importing low quality education". Therefore, they need to be regulated in line with the Government's long-term development policies and strategies as well as market demand.

Tuition is the main source of income for higher education institutions, which is equal to 80% of total revenue. There is a dilemma between the almost total absence of state financial support (required by law) but ongoing pressure to keep the tuition fees low (affordable for the general public) and the financial needs of the institutions not only for maintaining a smooth operation but investing in high quality education.

O n the whole, higher education in Mongolia is characterized by poor quality, mismatch between demand and supply, outmoded and irrelevant curricula and teaching methods, inadequate funding, and poor governance and management practices.

Non-formal Education Significant progress has been achieved in terms of developing the non-formal education sub-sector. The establishment of the National Non-formal and Distance Education Centre is a

MECS Information Booklet, 2005, Ulaanbaatar

Sodnomtseren Altanstetseg, 2002. Financing of State Higher Education in Mongolia/ Constraints and Opportunities

17

major milestone, a nationwide structure to deliver N F E with designated staff. The introduction of equivalency curriculum33 for N F E and development of relevant training modules are significant achievements. In particular, the latest amendment to the Education L a w (2006) that secures state education budget allocation for N F E students in the same w a y with students in regular schools34 is a major policy decision.

The main issue here is of a conceptual nature. The Education L a w (amendments in 1995) officially declared that the education system of Mongolia is an integration of formal and non-formal education and consists of pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education. So, it should not been seen as a separate sub-sector of education (in a similar way with a concrete level of education such as pre-school education or basic education (primary through lower-secondary) etc.), it rather must be seen as an approach that complements the formal way of delivering education of that level whether it is pre-school education or primary or secondary education. There is ongoing critique a weak link between formal and non-formal education. However, unless the above conceptual aspects are well considered, the link would not be as solid as it should be to deliver the best outcomes for learners. Under the current concept and practice, schools do not make m u c h effort to outreach children w h o are out of school, leaving it for non-formal education officials. This needs to be changed fundamentally so that schools are accountable for delivering the services to all children in their respective areas by using both formal and non-formal delivery schemes. This can be reinforced through respective changes in the school budget allocation mechanisms.

Adult literacy training and life-long learning opportunities can be provided through the existing non-formal education centers although there is no principal reason not to have schools playing a lead role particularly in some rural areas where a school is almost the only regularly functioning institution besides local government office.

With completion of the National Programme on N F E Development (1997-2004), the Government has adopted the National Programme on Literacy Education (2004-2012) with the ambitious goal to eradicate illiteracy by reaching 99.9% of adult literacy rate by 2008, and 99% of school enrollment rate by 2012.

In the age structure of illiterate population, the share of adolescents and youth has grown and the illiterate population has become younger. For instance, among the youth aged 15-24 the percentage of illiterate persons increased by 2.2 points in 2000 compared to 1989. According to the Census 2000, illiterate youth aged 15-24 account for 34% (11,491 persons) of the total illiterate population, and 66.3% of them are m e n 3 5 . Although official figures indicate that the number of illiterate population is decreasing, the E F A Assessment warns that the number of participants in literacy training is decreasing even faster (partly due to insufficient access to services), so unless the participation on literacy training is steadily improved, literacy cannot

32 N F E learning centres became operational within the framework of the National Program on N F E Development (1997-2004) and have

been largely supported by U N E S C O . They play a crucial role in providing literacy education and retraining out-of-school children and youth, as well as post-literacy programs for adults on life skills, income generating activities, health, ecology education etc. As of 2004, 492 N F E facilitators and teachers work in 349 N F E learning centres across the country, at least one in each S o u m or district.

M E C S officially adopted equivalency curriculum in 2001. In accordance with the innovation of the education standards in 2004, N F E National Curriculum for Primary, Basic and Secondary Education was developed and approved by the M E C S in December 2005. A draft procedure for conducting Equivalency Program Training is under discussion for approval by the M E C S . The draft as of June 2007 proposes that schools play an important role in delivery of N F E either directly organizing training or having a monitoring role for other contracted service providers. 34

U p until now, N F E has hardly received any financial support from the Government (though vary from one place to another, the annual salary of a teacher is roughly equal to 1% of the S o u m education budget) and was supported largely by international partners especially U N E S C O (through its 3 projects: "Gobi W o m e n " (1992-1996), "Learning for Life" (1997-2001) and "Adolescents" (2001-2004)). Other donors are A C C U . ILO and U N I C E F .

Mongolia EFA Assessment Report (2005) with a reference to the Population and Housing Census 2000

18

be reduced in the near future . It is obvious that the success of dealing with illiteracy not only depends upon literacy interventions, but also a strengthened link between formal and non-formal education and prevention of dropout occurrence.

2.3. EDUCATION SECTOR MAIN CHALLENGES

Mongolia's vast territory, the lowest population density, extreme weather conditions, traditional nomadic lifestyle that keeps about 4 0 % of the population on the m o v e as well as ongoing large scale in country migration, all together impose extraordinarily tough challenges to the quality of education service delivery. In addition, there are some other challenges that rise from within the system. A s the sector enters the implementation process of the n e w Master Plan, enhancing the S W A p approach is a challenge requiring a m u c h stronger and more proactive leadership position of the M E C S and coordination and collaboration of stakeholders including education donors and partners. The Education law and regulations have been amended and upgraded, n e w education standards for pre-school and basic education have been developed and introduced nationwide and a quality accreditation system has been introduced for higher education institutions. Overall, there are a number of encouraging features about educational performance levels over the past decade, particularly in terms of enrolment, dropout rates and number of graduates as well as adult literacy level. However, significant gaps still exist in m a n y areas.

The main challenges that the education sector faces in achieving the E F A goals and the E S M P - 2 include access, quality and relevance, gender issues, management, governance and finance.

Access

Despite the fact that the sector receives a high portion of the government's budget37, access to education is still not adequate especially in rural areas and semi-urban areas of the capital, in particular access to pre-school and upper secondary school in rural areas. O n e reason is the lack of school and kindergarten spaces. The sector faces huge demand for construction of school and kindergarten facilities as currently m a n y operate in two and three shifts. In addition to the already badly deteriorated infrastructure, migration imposes enormous challenges on education delivery. O n the other hand, migration results in falling student numbers at the sending end and rising number of students and overcrowded classrooms at the receiving end, affecting the quality of education at both ends. Under the recent school funding scheme38, for m a n y small and rural schools the survival issue surpassed the quality of education. Policies and practices to m a k e educational institutions accessible for persons with disabilities are simply absent.

Another related issue is the lack of innovative and alternative forms of education delivery. Though there is huge demand for educationally effective and financially sustainable alternative forms of education delivery particularly for rural and mobile population, multi-subject and multi- grade teaching is hardly used in part due to its unpopularity a m o n g teachers and parents. Furthermore, measures to promote equity by encouraging marginalized

Mongolia EFA Assessment 2005

The education sector has always been the priority sector in the national development strategy and resource allocation even in the most difficult years of the transition period. In 2004, spending on education was 20.7% of the state budget (8.5% of G D P ) . However, more than 70% of the expenditure goes for teachers' salary and heating costs. High spending does not contribute enough to quality.

School finances are planned through a funding formula, but its ability to meet schools' needs in an efficient and equitable manner is increasingly questioned. The funding formula is under discussion for a revision to be effective from the 2007/2008 Scholastic Year.

19

children's attendance at school have not been prioritized. Certain groups of the population are clearly disadvantaged in accessing and obtaining quality education. Those include, but are not limited to, poor and rural, remote population, children with disabilities, and of ethnic minorities, migrant working children and youth. Children with disabilities tend to be excluded from the statistics on children out of education, so the actual number is largely unknown. Social attitudes towards people with disabilities are changing but slowly and the discriminatory practice is still in place. Except for a few, educational institutions (as other public places) remain physically inaccessible for persons with disabilities.

Quality and Relevance of Education Mongolia's education system still needs significant improvements to meet the emerging needs of Mongolian society and the market economy3 9 . Irrelevant and outmoded vocational and technical education and poorly supported and regulated higher education institutions produce poor quality graduates. Although there is a commonly shared recognition that the quality of education is not adequate, understanding and definition of the quality of education appear to vary among different stakeholders, therefore developing a strong sense of commonly shared understanding of quality education is well needed.

K e y challenges in this regard include: Inclusive and enabling learning environment: Though not commonly accepted, an increasing amount of research indicates that children's experiences in schools are not always positive due to practices of bullying, corporal punishment, the discriminatory attitude of teachers and economic burden in the form of informal fees. Together these increase the likelihood of dropout.40 Despite the fact that the policy framework on promotion of child-friendly schools has been adopted by M E C S (2004), child-friendly learning environment is often misunderstood to refer only to physical environment41.

Absence of bilingual language approach: Kazakh42 (and other ethnic minority) children are in a disadvantaged position due to a mismatch in language of instruction and learning materials /curriculum and no attention to second language acquisition. Bayan-Olgii - the province where the Kazakh population resides performs poorly on basic indicators of education access and efficiency. Bayan-Ulgii has the highest dropout rate and the lowest pre­school participation rate in the country; as well as higher illiteracy rate (6.8%) than the national average (4.6%). Delayed entry to school, a factor in higher dropouts and lower achievement, is also high. Increasingly, the Government is aiming to take concrete actions targeted toward Kazakh children (and other ethnic minorities such as Tuva43) especially on mother tongue and bilingual language approach. The Government of Mongolia has recently developed the National Framework on Education for Kazakh Children, which recognizes the need for bi-lingual education strategies for Kazakh children and other ethnic minority children.

" N e w " skills needed are: good communication skills (reading/writing/speaking/listening); ability to learn independently; social skills (ethics, positive attitudes, responsibility); teamwork; ability to adapt to changing circumstances; thinking skills ( problem solving, critical/logical thinking, numeracy); and knowledge navigation (where to get/how to process information, including basic IT skills) etc. 40

There are a number of studies indicating the lack of enabling a child-friendly environment for learning, e.g. M E A , the Mongolian Drop Out Study; S C U K , 2005. Children on the Move: Rural-urban Migration and Access to Education; S C U K . Children's Views on Their Experiences in Kindergartens, Schools and Child Care Institutions 41

A s per the Education L a w amendments (2006), learning environment means not only physical environment but also teaching and learning interactions/processes. 42

Kazakh is the largest ethnic group in Mongolia, making up 4.4 % of the population as a whole and accounting for 5% of all children aged 1-14. 43

Tuvas (often called as "Tsaatan'VRenders") are indigenous people living in the taiga in the far west of the country. The education level of the Tsaatans is very low. According to the survey conducted by the National H u m a n Rights Commission of Mongolia in 2003, 14% of the survey respondents were illiterates and 37.7 percent of children aged 8-16 were dropouts.

20

Teacher-centered rote learning: Although there were some efforts and progress in promoting student-centered teaching/learning (including new educational standards), the practical application is uneven and still limited due to the fact that schools are driven by "test culture" since the results of tests influence teacher salary levels. Performance-based contracts44

required by the P S F M in their current form do not promote child-centered teaching/learning process. There is still a lack of effective instructional materials to support active learning of students. Use of ICT in education is still very limited and hardly goes beyond computerization.

Professional development of teachers: The role of teaching/teachers must be changed. The education system must bring great value to the mental activity of students w h o must not only develop higher level of cognitive skills but must exercise them flexibly and innovatively, to solve problems strategically. It requires a whole n e w approach in the professional development of teachers.

Gender Dimension of Education A s reflected in Mongolia's Education M D G indicators (see Annex 2), the reverse gender gap in education still persists although it has narrowed slightly in recent years. The gender parity indexes (female/male) in primary, secondary and tertiary education have improved from 1.04, 1.27 and 1.88 respectively in 1999 to 1.02, 1.14 and 1.64 in 200445. Literacy Gender Parity Index (female/male) for the youth aged 15-24 remains with no major changes (1.00 in 1990 and 1.01 in2004)46.

Although the issue of gender disparities in upper secondary level and above has been recognized widely and reflected in Mongolian M D G s and Education Sector Master Plan, not m u c h explicit efforts and actions are taken by the M E C S to date reflecting the lack of expertise and experience in addressing these disparities in a comprehensive manner. Gender sensitivity of textbooks is insufficient.

S o m e initial research, training and advocacy efforts were undertaken though Gender Focal Points ( N P G E / G F P and G E N I A / G F P ) but on an ad hoc basis and there was no clear interest, understanding and support from the M E C S . Therefore, none of the initiatives have been institutionally developed nor mainstreamed to the system. Under such conditions, there is no formal policy or implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a progress towards gender equity in the Ministry47.

Management, Governance and Financing Research, statistical and analytical capacity: S o m e initial efforts are there to develop the education management information system but need further development to feed into evidence-based analysis and planning. Education data collection, processing/analyzing and consequent monitoring and evaluation are far from adequate. Poor quality of education statistics is evident. A m o n g others, there is no reliable data on out-of-school children, including dropouts as well as those never enrolled. Although the M E C S official statistics

Public Sector Finance Management ( P S F M ) , approved by the Parliament in 2002, advocated accountability and efficiency in the areas of governance and finance and mandated that all public administration sectors, including education, adopt and enforce performance-based contracts. 45

Household Income Expenditure Survey (HIES) and Living Standard Measurement Survev (LMSM). 1998, 2002 Ibid

47 B . Oyunbileg, 2006. Assessing Progress and Documenting Results in Gender Equality in Education - Mongolia Country Report for

UNESCO.

21

indicate that the dropout rate has been declining steadily (e.g., from 3.1% in 2000/2001 to 2.4% in 2004/2005, other sources estimate that it is at least 3 times higher than the M E C S statistics. Under the current school funding scheme (as per student number), schools tend not to report dropout students and often student enrollment is inflated. There is very limited research and analytical capacity within the sector, consequently there is lack of an evidence-based decision-making culture.

Management and efficiency of education institutions: Management competency, including creativity and innovation, efficiency, transparency, and accountability of educational institutions at all levels need to be significantly improved 8. Performance-based education reform officially began in 2003 with the P S F M . In practice, performance-based contracts (in their current form) m a y be failing to accurately evaluate individual teachers on measurable outcomes. Performance- based contracts also fail to incorporate reforms that are being implemented at central level (e.g. child friendly classroom practices). Current performance-based contracts tend to emphasize student performance, rather than individual student progress. The focus on the high performance of students and the average performance of a class has large repercussions for slow learners and students with special needs. Awarding bonuses based on student performance creates a disincentive to retain low performing students and those with special needs and disabilities as they m a y lower the overall performance of the class and ultimately impact on teachers' income49. M E C S shall exercise clear leadership and a solid commitment to the realization of education legislation in a timely manner, including the amendments and n e w provisions.

School financing: Under the current school funding scheme, for m a n y small and rural schools the survival issue surpasses the quality of education. The current school funding formula is not effective in providing incentives for schools to make savings in their fixed costs as at the m o m e n t ; all schools receive funding for fixed costs based on past expenses. This provides schools with a perverse incentive to spend as m u c h as possible on fixed costs to ensure a higher base of spending for the next year50.

The facts51 that the net enrolment rate in primary education is declining and the primary completion rate is not sufficiently increasing, and dropout in early years of the primary education is persistent, all call for more attentive policy and practice interventions. In addition to the factors mentioned in the sub-sector descriptions earlier, lowering school entry age d o w n to 7 and then 6, does bring some very tough challenges to the sector in achieving the E F A goals in general and in ensuring the universal primary education (UPE) in particular as neither school system nor parents are well prepared for children starting to study at such a young age.

In the light of newly developing S W A p , the strategic role of the National Forum for E F A needs to be renewed and activated to truly contribute to the E F A goals realization. Effective and regular monitoring of progress in achieving the E F A goals, efforts to increase public understanding of the importance of the E F À , feeding into relevant policy and programme interventions as well as promoting C S O s involvement in education policy and advocacy are well needed.

Mongolia EFA Assessment 2005 49

W B , 2005. Public Financing for Education Sector: Opportunities and Challenges Ibid

As data from local sources vary greatly, the data is taken from the official U N site for M D G indicators:http://mdgs.un.org/unsoVmdg/Default.aspx EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005 indicates that the dropout rate in primary education was as high as 11.5% in 2000.

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2.4 GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO EDUCATION SECTOR CHALLENGES

Mongolia's Education Sector Master Plan (ESMPJ-2 The education sector plan (2006-2015) has been developed with technical support of A D B and U N E S C O and active participation of various local and international partners. The plan claimed to be the first ever developed utilizing S W A p in the country. The Master Plan was built on earlier work to develop the E F A Action Plan and represented the importance convergence of the two processes. It focuses on two key issues, the first having to do with access and coverage and the second having to do with quality and content. The Master Plan presents policy and strategic solutions for the following main issues:

(i) Undertaking strategic actions to m a k e educational services accessible and inclusive and reduce disparities in educational attainment conditions and opportunities for rural people and some social groups of the population, thus making impact on alleviation of poverty and unemployment and reduction of social inequality and disparities,

(ii) Adjusting educational services in conformity with existing social and cultural values, beliefs and demands; improving structure, system, training programmes and content of the educational system to reach the standards of developed countries, creating educational services of high quality to ensure that education obtained by an individual will contribute to his/her continuous learning, thus building competitive human resource capacity.

The Priority issues are defined as follows: (i) R e n e w educational standards and curriculum at all education levels and

consequently revise relevant policy, strategies and regulations to guide the implementation;

(ii) Ensure access to quality education, widen learning opportunities for students and educational staff and develop adequate financial, technical and h u m a n resources, ensure effective resource allocation, as well monitoring and evaluation;

(iii) Capacity building of all educational professionals and develop good terms of conditions, and professional development to ensure a child-centered approach in education;

(iv) Develop ICT systems and infrastructure to improve information management, data collection, monitoring and evaluation data and registration systems;

(v) Decentralization of planning and management in the education system including the strengthening of school-based management;

(vi) Reduce and eliminate the disparities and limited opportunities for accessing quality education due to social and cultural differences, and through social protection and welfare policies implement specific programmes to support children's learning;

(vii) Increase accountability of Government through development of adequate financial, technical and h u m a n resources to ensure commitments to Master Plan implementation and establish and develop cooperation mechanisms for donors, I N G O s , C S O s and other education stakeholders to ensure effective coordination in Master Plan implementation

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Progress to date includes: efforts in enhancing the informatics subject curriculum; development of standards; training of teachers; development of training manuals and

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materials for secondary schools; establishment of an e-network and portal website; internet based distance training; development of educational software and e-learning materials and development of a n e w model for the use of ICT outside of the classroom to more broadly improve education opportunities for poor students and rural communities. The "Framework for Incorporating ICT in Primary and Secondary Education 2015" developed in 2006, has an ambitious goal to fully integrate ICT in primary and secondary education by 2015 through establishing e-networks, development of e-infrastructure, investing in human capital, and developing a flexible training system. The framework also requires that 20% of teacher training budget be earmarked for ICT training. It also outlines a set of indicators to monitor the use of ICT. The indicators are largely input indicators intended to capture the national or regional level pictures rather than at school and teacher/student levels. Current use of ICT in education is far from its full potential to enhance the quality of teaching and the learning process. There are both technical (lack of infrastructure", equipment, connectivity and sometimes electricity, etc) and capacity related barriers (limited number of professional I C T teachers, lack of knowledge and experience in using ICT in education beyond ICT subject teaching, limited appreciation of the ever increasing value and the potential of ICT in education, etc).

Targeted Assistance

To support schooling of economically disadvantaged children, the Government initiated an education supplies subsidy programme, textbook voucher scheme and child money - cash transfer programme and free school lunch for students of grade 1-2. (The former two schemes are means tested while the latter two are universal). N o n e of these initiatives have been comprehensively evaluated so their impact or effectiveness is still largely unknown, but commonly perceived to be positively impacting on school dropout. In 2006 alone, some 62 thousand children from poor families received education supplies in support for their schooling, and 110 thousand students of grade 1 and 2 have been covered through the newly introduced school lunch programme (which is further planned to be expanded to students of Grade 3-4, thus reaching 200 thousand children).While Government ended free textbook provision for all, about 25% of the newly published textbooks have been distributed free of charge via textbook vouchers for children from poor families.

To conclude, the education sector of Mongolia is at a very important, indeed critical stage of its development with its medium-term development strategy to achieve the E F A goals and M D G education targets of the country. The main challenges ahead include significant improvements in access, quality and relevance of education as well as effectiveness and efficiency of the education system through successful application of rights based strategic planning, results-based management and delivery of education taking the best advantage of the Government's genuine commitment to the education and continued support of donors and development partners.

A s of 2006, the ratios of computer/students are 1/1250, 1/250, and 25/5 respectively in primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools. The master plan aims to reduce the ratios to 1/250, 1/50, 1/5 respectively by 2015.

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CHAPTER 3 PRIORITIES AND INTERVENTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT

PARTNERS

3.1. DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS' POLICY ALIGNMENT ON NATIONAL PRIORITIES53

Aid makes up 11.6% of the Gross National Income (GNI) of Mongolia (2005)54. The main sources of Official Development Assistance ( O D A ) to Mongolia have been Japan, the Asian Development Bank ( A D B ) , the World Bank ( W B ) , Germany, and the United States accounting for approximately 87% of gross O D A in 2003-2004. Since the initial transition till the end of 2003 Mongolia received more than US$2.6 billion in aid (half of which as loans), heavily concentrated on the economic sectors such as transport, industry and construction, and electricity and heating.

Mongolia's development partners are making efforts to align their strategies with the E G S P R S and the Government Action Plan. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank ( W B ) , United Nations Development Programme ( U N D P ) , the Asian development Bank ( A D B ) and other development partners have worked with the Government of Mongolia to accomplish many of the key reforms taken to date and to establish detailed policy agendas. Though its assistance level is gradually decreasing, Japan remains Mongolia's largest bilateral donor with its Country Assistance Programme (2004-2009) focusing on institution building and human resource development, rural development, environmental protection and infrastructure to promote economic activity. The A D B Country Strategy and Programme (2006-2008) aligned with E G S P R S priorities and has been updated to support the strategic approach adopted by the Government for the improvements to governance, and alignment with the government priorities (the explicit commitment to achieving the M D G s ) . The W B Country Assistance Strategy 2005-2008 is aligned with the E G S P R S and focuses on three main areas: (i) consolidating the transition to a market economy, (ii) reducing rural and urban vulnerabilities, and (iii) aligning policies and resources around results. A new C A S 2008-2011 is underway. The I M F focuses on fiscal and monetary policy through its $37 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. U S A I D Strategic Plan 2004-2008 focuses on the acceleration and broadening of sustainable, private sector led growth and more effective and accountable governance. European Communi ty ( E C ) has finalized its new Country Strategy Paper 2007-2013 with a focus on poverty alleviation through sustainable rural development . The G e r m a n Cooperation in Mongolia focuses its support on sustainable economic development and the environmental policy and the conservation of natural resources, including renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The content of this section is mainly drawn from W B website, but with some update. 5 4 O E C D , World Bank

The n e w Country Strategy (2007-2013) will continue to focus on poverty alleviation through sustainable rural development in a broad sense, including environmental, social and trade aspects, due respect for gender issues and human rights. The E U intends to co-finance a suitable action of an experienced multilateral donor, such as the W B . A stand-alone project managed by Commission services or the participation in a future sector-wide approach cannot be excluded as circumstances might evolve over the coming years. The indicative budget for 2007-2010 is €14 million; and 20% of that is reserved for other complementary actions, notably in the fields of education and vocational training and/or trade and economic cooperation. These will be identified at a later stage, subject to n e w developments as well as available human and financial resources.

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Sector-wide Approach (SWAp) In the light of S W A p initiatives and at the initiatives of the M E C S , the Education Donors' Consultative Mechanism ( E D C M ) was established in 2005. It serves as the principal mechanism for the partnership between Government of Mongolia and external donors in support of the E S M P - 2 , takes the lead in consultations on key sector and thematic issues and in providing a forum for such consultations. The E D C M currently serves as the Steering Committee for Fast Track Initiatives (FTI) grant and this role is likely to be extended to a Steering Committee for all donor funded projects and the E S M P .

With the further development of S W A p in education, the E D C M will need to further promote alignment of donor policies in line with government policies and E S M P - 2 ; create a unified database, E M I S and system for the coordination of policy analysis; enhance the cooperation based on sector-wide and results-based management and planning approaches; and provide support for the human resources and organizational capacity strengthening of M E C S .

Fast Track Initiatives (FTI) Mongolia was accepted into the "Education for All" FTI Partnership following the endorsement of its Education Sector Master Plan 2006-2015. Mongolia qualified for up to $29.5 million in grant funding from the FTI Catalytic Fund. Under the terms of the FTI, educational financial assistance is chartered to expand access to quality basic education for all children of Mongolian society. Improving access and the quality of the basic education system for all groups will be increasingly important as the Mongolian education system expands from 11 to 12 years in 2008, consistent with world-wide norms.

3.2. DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS' PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES IN EDUCATION

Asian Development Bank (ADB) A D B has been a close partner in supporting education sector reform and development in Mongolia since 1994. The Education Sector Development Programme (ESDP, 1996-2002) provided integrated policy and investment support to improve the sector's financial sustainability through staffing rationalization; cost sharing for textbook printing and distribution; privatization of state universities; private sector involvement in vocational education and training, and higher education; and to provide initial rehabilitation of selected school buildings in very poor condition.

Building on its achievements, the A D B approved (a) the Second Education Development Project (SEDP), 2002-2008 (complemented with the " ICT for Innovating Rural Education in Mongolia" project, 2003-2006, one million U S D ) ; (b) the Third Education project ( T E D P ) , 2007-2010 (complimented with the "Non-formal skills training for unemployed youth and adults" project, (2006-2009, one million U S D ; and a T A on Development of a Sector-wide Approach in Education); and (c) newly proposed (as of July 2007) - The Education Sector Reform Project (ESRP), 2008-2011. The details of the above projects are summarized below.

The Second Education Development Project ( S E D P ) (2003-2008) with an allocation of U S $ 1 4 million, focusing on improving the Project, has three components: access to services (kindergartens and schools), including children with disabilities, the quality and relevance of

Given the A D B ' s utmost important role in education development in Mongolia, this section is m u c h more detailed than other sections on any other donor/partner. The information is drawn from the A D B official website.

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education services, and the efficiency and effectiveness of education management. The S E D P also directly tackles the major shortages in educational services in rapidly growing urban areas by building n e w schools that will directly serve and be located in poorer communities. In addition, the S E D P aims to improve the quality of educational services to the poor by addressing shortages of learning materials, improving the integration of ICT into education, modernizing science education, integrating vocational education, and by improving teacher training services. The sustainability of educational services is addressed through a capacity building programme for education administrations. There are three components to the project: (i) School and Kindergarten Development with focus on upgrading the most deteriorated school facilities in the nation's three major urban centers, schools in Darhan-Uul, Orkhon, and Ulaanbaatar, rural school and kindergarten rehabilitation and adaptation of renewable energy systems, and construction of kindergartens and schools; (ii) Quality Improvement which includes teacher training, learning materials' provision, ICT Integration, science education modernization, and vocational education integration; and (iii) Capacity Building for Education Management is a programme for M E C S staff, provincial, city, and district administrations, and kindergarten and school principals in order to build competencies for planning and implementing educational services, as well as improving monitoring and evaluation.

Third Education Development Project ( T E D P ) (2007-2012) with an allocation of U S $ 1 3 million, began in March 2007. This will complement E S D P and S E D P by revising the curriculum framework, education standards, accreditation system for pre-service teacher training, and certification system for in-service teacher training for the n e w 12-year school system, improving the learning environment, including rehabilitating schools, and promoting demand-driven vocational education, including establishing an appropriate policy and regulatory framework. The Project also focuses on improving employability and income earning opportunities of graduates from secondary and vocational education. The outcome of the Project is to ensure equitable access to and improved quality and relevance of primary, secondary and vocational education. The Project has three components:

Improvins quality of education in primary and secondary schools: It focuses on quality improvement of learning and teaching environments in primary and secondary schools and will aim at (i) establishing a mechanism to set up national standards for teacher education and training and a national accreditation system for teachers, (ii) developing a national curriculum framework taking into account the extension of the school system by 1 year to 11 grades and (iii) establishing a comprehensive in-service teacher training system that will be based on agreed national standards for teacher education and the national curriculum framework. The component will also include assistance to develop strategies for textbook development and distribution linked to the national curriculum framework. It was agreed that the T A team will consider including strategies to introduce a systematic approach strengthening management capacities of school directors and reviewing the current assessment system for teacher performance.

Improvins school facilities: Rehabilitation works will include provision for heating systems and insulation, pitched roofs, sanitary systems, electrical systems as well as replacements of doors and windows and minor reconstruction measures. The needs of handicapped students will be addressed in all rehabilitation measures. JICA will be closely involved in preparing investment strategies in order to complement development efforts in school rehabilitation.

Promoting demand-driven vocational education: It includes assistance to reform the current supply driven vocational education system to contribute to achieving Mongolia's national

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goals: accelerate higher, stable, private-sector-led growth, reduce disparities in development between rural and urban areas, and improve access of the poor to stable income opportunities. Activities under this component will include assistance for (i) developing a comprehensive policy framework, (ii) establishing an institutionalized coordination mechanism between M O E C S , other government stakeholders, private training providers and industry, (iii) conducting labor market surveys to identify future scope of vocational education to be provided by M O E C s , (iv) developing/revising n e w curriculum modules according to the findings of the labor market surveys and linked to the n e w national curriculum framework, (v) developing a strategy for teacher training in consultation with industries and (vi) rehabilitating selected vocational schools/colleges to modernize teaching and learning environments.

Education Sector Reform Project, ( E S R P ) to start in 2008 with an allocation of U S $ 0.6 million for Technical Assistance (TA) approved, plus a U S $ 6.0 million loan and U S $ 12.0 million grant proposed. The T A will review and assess rural-urban migration and its impact on crowded urban schools and rural schools, the impact of the transition to a 12-year education system, and the quality of pre-service teacher training. The analysis will also review budget, financial, and h u m a n resource management as well as innovative energy efficiency (renewable energy, thermal insulation) and other efficiency-enhancing technologies, building on ongoing work by other development partners. In addition, the T A will develop an educationally effective and financially sustainable strategy for integrating ICT into basic education, and review effective ways of providing textbooks, including the feasibility of establishing a textbook rental scheme. For higher education, the T A will review subsector issues, incorporate and build on results from an ongoing World Bank study on higher education financing (to be completed in September 2007), and make recommendations on higher education development to meet the long-term needs of the country.

Sector Harmonization: The T A will assess (i) current implementation arrangements for projects funded by development partners, and the feasibility of harmonizing such arrangements into one unified arrangement, (ii) effective ways for integrating similar components across projects funded by different development partners to enhance development impacts, and (iii) the establishment of an effective sector-wide monitoring and evaluation system, building on the ongoing sector-wide approach exercise.

Non-formal Skills Training for Unemployed Youth and Adults project (2006-2009) with an allocation of U S $ 1 million. The project was designed to complement the proposed loan for the T E D P , which will include a component to help the Government reform the vocational and technical education ( T V E T ) system. While T E D P will address T V E T for youth enrolled in public T V E T institutions, this project will focus on non-formal skills training for dropouts and adults. The Project will increase the availability of demand driven skills training to improve income-earning opportunities of unemployed youth and poor adults in selected urban areas and increase productivity of domestic labor. The objective will be achieved by piloting an innovative cooperation scheme between private enterprises, N G O s , vocational training schools and other training providers, which will include improving quality and relevance of selected T E V T programmes through close participation of industry in the design and conduct of flexible, competency based skills training, and mobilizing and improving training capacities of N G O s , private training providers and industries that have the potential to provide skills training for unemployed youth and adults to complement training provided by the formal T E V T system.

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T A : Development of a Sector-wide Approach in Education (June-October 2007) Strengthening strategic and financial planning and management, policy analysis and implementation, monitoring and evaluation are essential to ensuring the effective implementation of the E S M P . Detailed tasks include (i) facilitating a consultation process; the process will lead a consensus among key stakeholders on the objectives of the S W A p in the education sector in Mongolia, to clearly identify major steps and resource needs, (ii) identify key areas for institutional strengthening (inter-organizational and inter-departmental coordination) and access resource needs for implementation. The areas should include strategic planning, policy analysis, education financing, monitoring and evaluation, education policy and a regulatory framework. Improved M E C S ' s working and coordination with other key government agencies such as M o F for efficient financing will also be included, (iii) based on the above, develop a detailed institutional development and capacity building plan with phased implementation, costed options, monitorable milestones and realistic timetable, (iv) identify key milestones for monitoring the implementation of the E S M P and needs for improving the reporting and performance monitoring at all levels, and (v) develop a realistic, time-bound and benchmarked staff training programme for S W A p implementation and the broader capacity building at M E C S .

World Bank Rural Education and Development ( R E A D ) Project (2006-2012) at an allocation of U S $ 4 million, the R E A D project is the only stand alone education project that is in implementation at present. The project aims to improve the quality of primary education in rural areas by improving students' access and use of quality learning materials; improving teachers' skills through professional development of teachers in all rural schools; and building the policy, monitoring and evaluation capacity of M E C S in full support of the implementation of the pending Master Plan.

The project has three components focusing on: (i) supply of books available to students in grades 1-5 classrooms and supporting teachers and their school networks around the use of books, (ii) strengthening of the government's capacity to monitor student learning through national and international assessments, and (iii) financial and technical support for the management of the project and evaluation of the implementation.

Support to I C T development (2006-2012) at an allocation of U S $ 8 million. Although this is not an education project, it has huge implications for education sector development. The main objectives of this project are to significantly increase the coverage and use of relevant ICT services among the rural population through an incentive programme designed to encourage the participation of private operators in the rural segment of the ICT market, and to increase private sector participation in the delivery of e-government services, thereby improving public sector use of ICT.

JICA JICA's support to education within the Japan Country Assistance Programme (2004-2009) is aimed at h u m a n resource development necessary for promoting a market economy. The current interventions are predominated by construction of schools and kindergartens due to the necessity of responding to local needs as well as Japan's traditional favor for "hard" projects. However this practice will be changed gradually. JICA also provides a limited number of volunteers in support for higher education and vocational training institutions.

Teaching Methods Improvement Project (2006-2009) This project targets the development of teaching methods for arithmetic/mathematics, science, information and communications

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technology and integrated studies for pupils/students between the 1 st and 9th grades, which are to be designed to correspond with the new educational standards of Mongolia. The teaching methods jointly developed by college professors and education officials will be tried out in pilot schools and eventually modified to meet the classroom needs.

USAID

Millennium Challenge Account ( M C A ) Project at an allocation of U S $ 285 million, Mongolia has been eligible for the M C A each year since 2004, and was again selected as eligible in the 2007 round. The Government of Mongolia proposed a Compact five year proposal in 2005 focusing on business development, education, health and infrastructure. M C C has completed due diligence on the projects contained in Mongolia's proposal and began final Compact negotiations with the Government of Mongolia in July 2007. Education projects of the Compact (estimated for U S $ 22 million57) would contribute to economic growth through skills development for young Mongolians which are important for their integration into the global economy. The projects have three strategic objectives: (i) reforming T V E T policy by strengthening the institutional framework needed to support a demand-driven vocational education system, (ii) improving teacher training and professional development of teachers, trainers and administrators of T V E T schools, and (iii) creating career guidance service system by installing employment information services and establishing a career guidance service and web-based career information system.

German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) Urban Development, Construction Sector and V T E Promotion Programme Under this project, G T Z conducted a comprehensive review of vocational education and training in Mongolia58 and worked closely with M E C S on developing and promoting Policy Framework for Vocational Education and Training in the country. G T Z will continue to support M E C S in developing V T E in partnership with A D B , T E D P .

UN Organizations

UNDP The indicative budget for 2007-2011 is U S $ 24 million to provide support to all four U N D A F outcomes" through the following five thematic programme components, and through United Nations joint programming on selected issues: achieving the M D G s and reducing human poverty; strengthening democracy; accountability and transparency; access to justice and human rights; improving energy and environmental sustainability and crisis prevention and recovery. Gender will be mainstreamed into all areas of work as a cross cutting issue.

U N D P identified possible initiatives for joint programming with other U N agencies including60: (i) human rights education; (ii) preventive measures for H I V / A I D S - with United Nations organizations, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and U N F P A ,

http://www.mcc.gov/countries/mongolta/index.php

The findings of this review have been fully reflected in the V T E subsector analysis of this report.

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The U N D A F identifies four key outcomes: (a) pro-poor socio-economic services are available to vulnerable populations in disadvantaged regions and areas: (b) democratic processes are strengthened through institution building, civil society empowerment and enhanced accountability and transparency; (c) a holistic approach to environmentally sustainable development is promoted and practised for improving the wellbeing of the rural and urban poor; and (d) global, regional and South-South cooperation is strengthened to address cross-border social, economic and environmental constraints, especially so as to mitigate the adverse effects of the landlocked situation of Mongolia.

U N 2006. Draft Country Program Document for Mongolia (2007-201II

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(iii) augmenting national capacity for statistical analyses, especially to monitor performance towards the attainment of M D G s , (iv) urban governance, (v) water and sanitation, and (vi) aid coordination.

UNFPA The Fourth Country Programme of Assistance to Mongolia 2007-2011 with an indicative budget of U S S 6 million over five years and resource mobilization plans for an additional U S D 3 million to support unfunded activities. U N F P A will concentrate on promoting reproductive health and reproductive rights within the larger context of M D G s and poverty reduction in Mongolia. The programme consists of two components: Reproductive Health and Population and Development. The Reproductive Health component will address priority issues, such as provision of R H commodities nationwide, providing accessible and quality reproductive health services to vulnerable populations in focus provinces and districts, improving knowledge and attitudes on sexual and reproductive health, increasing the capacity of Government, private organizations and civil society to provide quality reproductive health services, and strengthening the capacity of the government and civil society organizations, including N G O s , to address gender-based violence, discrimination, h u m a n trafficking and sex work.

UNICEF Indicative budget for education for 2007-2011 is U S $ 4 million. U N I C E F ' s Basic Education Programme assists the Government to promote the further enhancement and deepening of the comprehensive reform of the education sector, improve the learning and teaching environment at schools, improving access to quality early learning opportunities for pre­school children and supporting the development of equivalency and national policy on non-formal education and providing opportunities to the disadvantaged dropout children to obtain quality primary and basic education through non-formal and life-skills based education.

Child Friendly Schools Project: supports the Government to create a child friendly learning and teaching environment at national, local and school levels; strengthening the capacity of primary and basic education teachers with special focus on child-centered teaching methodologies at both pre-service and in service levels. The project is successfully advocating the Government-adopted national policy framework on child-friendly schooling, but the full realization is still ahead. S o m e efforts are in place on improving student/teachers performance assessment.

The project is also strengthening the capacity of the school development councils and ensuring participation of children, teachers and parents in school management, particularly focusing on eliminating such issues as violence, abuse and corporal punishment. Also the project will promote inclusiveness by promoting equal opportunities for physically and mentally challenged children. H u m a n rights education and child rights training materials have been developed to be used for pre-service teacher training.

Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD)Project: focuses on improved access to quality early learning opportunities for pre-school children and the development and implementation of early learning and development standards, establishing alternate forms of early learning and development programmes in addition to the formal kindergartens. It also supports the enhancement of parenting skills by conducting training, advocacy and communication interventions and improves the content and quality of pre-school education through curriculum reform and teacher training to promote child-centered learning. The

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project also supports parenting training as parents are seen as having great potential in developing and delivering E C C D .

Non-formal Education Project: supports the N F D E C on development in developing equivalency training modules for non-formal training for dropouts and out-of-school children; as well as developing a procedure for an equivalency programme for primary and basic education delivery. A data driven monitoring system to track progress on the efficiency of the non-formal education system will be established. It also supports life-skills training materials, including topics such as H I V / A I D S

ILO The ILO mainly works to promote decent work for all, which is built on four strategic pillars: the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work; employment, enterprise creation and h u m a n resource development; social protection; and social dialogue. In Mongolia, I L O supports the national goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labor through a range of activities. In education, ILO supports the education of working children through the provision of formal and non-formal education. It has also launched skills training programmes as one of the main strategies for preventing and withdrawing children from the worst forms of child labor. ILO has supported the M E C S in developing a strategy for reaching out to the children w h o are outside the school system for a host of reasons.

Non-governmental Organizations ( NGOs)

The education sector has been truly and generously supported by a broad range of partners, both international and local, bringing very specific, distinguished contributions to the educational development of the country. However, this report is limited to a few as the scale of intervention of others appears to be limited; therefore not included.

Save the Children U K (SC U K ) The overall goal of the education programme is to contribute to the education sector reform so that Mongolia's basic education system is responsive to and includes all children, and it is participatory, protective, child-friendly and efficiently managed.

S C U K ' s Education Thematic P r o g r a m m e Plan (2007-2011) with an indicative budget of G B P 2.2 million, including fund raising targets, sets a specific, measurable goal to increase access to quality basic education for poor, nomadic, ethnic minority and disabled children in Mongolia.

T h e Quality Basic Education Project (2006-2009) with a total budget of 1.38 Million Euro. The project aims to build capacity at national and local levels to improve quality and accessibility of basic education for poor and marginalized children. It will focus on improving the quality of basic education in Mongolia nationally, and particularly in two districts of Ulaanbaatar and seven provinces, increasing access to basic education - in terms of numbers and also in terms of increased participation by marginalized children, particularly those from poor families and children with disabilities, and strengthening parental, community and N G O participation in basic education in Mongolia. The project is implemented through 12 interconnected Actions, three of which are implemented at national level and the remaining nine at local level in target districts and provinces.

Education of Ethnic Minorities: a project is in its initial stage to respond to the urgent needs of addressing the language dimension of education of ethnic minorities, namely Kazakh

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children. A comprehensive situation analysis conducted in 2005 calls for concerted efforts from government and other actors in the education and development community.

Inclusive Education Project to promote education of children with disabilities has been an integral part of the S C U K education programme since 1998 and n o w it is integrated into the Quality Education project. S C U K has a distinctive, child rights approach in its programme planning and delivery.

World Vision International ( W V I ) W V I has been operational in Mongolia since 1995 and have grown fast with the total budget of 0.12 U S $ million in 1995 to 18.7 million in 2006 and U S $ 25.0 million set aside for 2007. There is no stand-alone education programme but support to education has been provided through its area development programme (with 15 years of commitment in each area) as well as a 'children at risk' programme and other special projects. The main programming approach here is to facilitate in various ways transformational community development both in urban and rural contexts. Responses to the local educational needs so far include construction and renovation of local schools and kindergartens, support to N F E centers locally, training for N F E teachers, food and educational subsidies for children from poor families to enable them to attend kindergartens, etc. W V I is well known for its distinctive approach in promoting community development and child participation.

A new Country Strategy is in the process of development. In relation to interventions on education there is some indication that the W V I will gradually reduce its share of construction work but rather focus more on E C C D and improving quality of education in general. More support will also be given to computer skills and English language training, as well as capacity building of teachers. W V I would be willing to cooperate with U N E S C O on promoting a quality and sustainable teacher training service. Total share of education activities count for roughly 10% of the budget and has tended to remain about the same over the years. So, it means that at least about U S $ 2.0 million will be committed to education.

Other Actors

Besides the above mentioned organizations with specific educational focus of operation, there are other actors whose partnership with U N E S C O can bring more value:

National H u m a n Rights Commission: can be a powerful partner for promoting right-based, systemic changes.

Child Development and Protection L o b b y G r o u p at Parliament: established in 2005, is committed to children's rights and can be an influential mechanism for policy and legislative changes.

O p e n Society F o r u m : local N G O with strong reputation for its commitment to promote democratic values in the society has been actively involved in public financing for education and policy analysis.

Mongolian Education Alliance: local N G O with great and unique expertise in promoting child centered teaching methodology.

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Education and Child Rights Coalition: (of 21 organizations) established in 2006 aligned under a shared purpose of advocating for Education L a w Amendments in 2006; led by Save the Children U K .

C E D A W Watch/Civic Alliance: one of the very powerful advocates for human/women ' s rights, has extensive experience in promoting gender equality

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CHAPTER 4 UNESCO'S PROGRAMMATIC THRUST

4.1 INTRODUCTION Mongolia is one of the five East Asian countries covered by the U N E S C O Office in Beijing, which serves as the Cluster Office for East Asia. Following its entry into U N E S C O in 1962, Mongolia established the National Commission for U N E S C O (NatCom), which plays a major role in mobilizing the various ministries, government departments, institutions, non­governmental organizations ( N G O s ) , and the civil society organizations for the advancement of U N E S C O ' s mission and ideals. A s a non-resident agency, U N E S C O programmes in Mongolia are coordinated, supported and monitored by the U N E S C O Office in Beijing in close collaboration with the Na tCom. With 7 professional staff covering areas such as education, science, culture, Information and Technology (IT) and environment at its disposal, the N a t C o m also plays an important role in coordinating and facilitating the implementation of U N E S C O programmes and activities. U N E S C O enjoys a lot of respect and visibility in the country not because of the resources that are at its disposal but because of the comparative advantage it has in terms of playing a normative, advisory and capacity building role for national educational authorities.

This chapter is organized into two sections. Section 1 deals with U N E S C O ' s past and ongoing support to Mongolia's national education development and Section 2 attempts to identify programmatic priorities.

4.2 UNESCO'S PAST AND ON-GOING SUPPORT TO MONGOLIA'S NA TIONAL EDUCA TION DEVELOPMENT

U N E S C O has long been a partner in Mongolia's efforts towards education development, starting in 1965 with a $1.5 million support to higher education. With this beginning, U N E S C O subsequently supported the Government of Mongolia in its efforts towards expanding access to education to its population, especially in rural and remote locations. Following the political and economic transition in 1990, Mongolia required technical and financial support in reshaping and re-orienting its education system to respond to the new realities and demands. U N E S C O ' s support - especially the technical assistance - has gone a long way in addressing many education sector challenges facing the country. A description of activities undertaken over the last two bienniums follows.

Programme 2004-2005 Table 1 displays the expenditures made by U N E S C O Office in Beijing in Mongolia under the regular and extra-budgetary programmes in all fields of its competence during the 2004-2005 biennium. U N E S C O invested a total of $991,080 during the biennium (2004-2005), of which 73% constituted extra-budgetary funds and 2 7 % came from the regular funds. U N E S C O ' s total education expenditure during the biennium remained $684,385, 81% of which was spent to fund extra-budgetary activities. Regular funds made up only 19% of the total education expenditures, suggesting heavy inflow of extra-budgetary funds. O f the five sectors, education expenditures were the highest (69%), followed by culture (18%).

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Table 1: Allocation of regular and extra-budgetary funds to different programmes

Programme

Education

Culture

Communication

Natural Science

Social and H u m a n Science

Total

Regular

129,470

74,603

21,217

16,300

23,719

265,309

Extra

554,915

102,456

60,400

8000

0 725,771

Total

684,385

177,059

81,617

24,300

23719

991,080

% 69.0

17.9

8.2 2.5 2.4

100.0

Programmes undertaken during the 2004-2005 biennium and sources and amounts of funds allocated are described below:

Advocacy for the Promotion ofEFA

The attainment of E F A goals calls for broad public support and awareness and strong political commitment. In an attempt to promote public awareness and mobilize massive support from all sources, U N E S C O supported Mongolia to celebrate E F A W e e k and the Basic Literacy Education Campaign annually. A s part of the E F A W e e k , articles featuring national efforts towards E F A and literacy promotion were published and a documentary film 'Literacy as Freedom' shown to the public. Workshops and seminars were held to discuss issues relating to illiteracy and school dropouts, which helped bring about national awareness on the two chronic problems of the Mongolian education system. The E F A W e e k is an event that brings all E F A stakeholders together. Further, through the national media the public is informed of the national progress towards the attainment of E F A goals. These events have played a major role in making E F A a national concern especially in maintaining the momen tum of E F A .

Promoting Integration of International Standards and Frameworks in National Policies M a n y international conventions, frameworks and standards developed and promoted by U N E S C O need to be understood, internalized and finally integrated into national education policies in member countries. To this end, U N E S C O provided support in translating and publishing a number of such documents into Mongolian and these included World Declaration on Education for All (EFA), Dakar Framework for Action, Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific, Recommendations Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel, U N E S C O / I L O Recommendations on the Status of Teachers and Convention of Technical and Vocational Education. Following the translation, the documents have been widely distributed amongst the educational policymakers, planners and administrators. These translated documents have also enhanced public access to U N E S C O ' s standards and frameworks. There is evidence of many of these standards and frameworks having been integrated into national plans and programmes. More particularly, the understanding of these standards stimulated ratification of U N E S C O ' s newly adopted Conventions by the country.

Enhanced Policy Input Based on Evidence and Research U N E S C O contributed to improving national education policy through enhanced policy input based on evidence and research as follows:

E C C E : Mongolia participated in a comparative study on E C C E involving three countries in the region - Japan, Republic of Korea ( R O K ) , and Mongolia. The study was designed to document best practices on E C C E . Each country undertook a study on the status of E C C E , following which the findings were disseminated nationally and regionally. M O E personnel

36

in charge of E C C E took part in study visits to R O K and Japan to learn best practices in these countries. The research study that was undertaken created evidence on the existing status of E C C E and made recommendations on the need for taking steps to improve access to and quality of E C C E .

Technical and Vocational Education. T V E T programmes cannot be designed effectively without properly identifying the needs of learners. In this context, a needs assessment survey was undertaken during this biennium to identify the training needs of young herders. The needs assessment found that existing training materials used in T V E T were too difficult and too academic for young herders with little or no formal education. The study identified a number of areas where vocational courses could be developed and these included entrepreneurship, agriculture, food production, farming, sanitary, carpentry and legislation.

H u m a n Rights Education. Mongolia, which chose a democratic form of political system in the early 1990s after several decades of a communist regime, recognizes that its teachers, children and youth should be properly educated about human rights and democratic principles and values. With U N E S C O support during the 2004-2005 biennium, a national baseline survey was conducted to examine the status of human rights education in secondary schools. Based on the study, policy recommendations were developed on h o w to integrate the elements of human rights into secondary school curriculum and teacher training. The findings were also utilized in developing national standards for teachers' qualifications for human rights education. The findings have helped identify curricular contents and improve instructional methods and classroom environment for teaching human rights education.

World Heritage Education. A country study was undertaken during the biennium of 2004-2005 on world heritage education with the aim to integrate elements and values of heritage education into school curricula.

Strengthening National Capacity for Educational Planning and EFA Assessment and Monitoring Recognizing that national capacity in E F A planning, assessment and monitoring and evaluation is instrumental in achieving E F A goals, a number of initiatives were implemented. O n e of the activities undertaken in 2004 was the translation, printing and distribution of U N E S C O training materials on educational planning and management into Mongolian to enhance access to modern methods and techniques of educational planning and management by educational planners.

U N E S C O launched the Korean Funds-in-Trust (KFIT) funded project in 2004 on "Supporting the Preparation and Implementation of the National E F A Plan in Mongolia" to provide technical services for smooth implementation of the Dakar Framework for Action. A s part of the project, U N E S C O supported a study of the situational analysis of E F A documenting the current status, major accomplishments, barriers and further steps to be undertaken to achieve E F A . Subsequently, the findings and conclusions of the situational analysis were used to develop the National E F A Action Plan for Education 2006-2010, which was later integrated into the Education Sector Master Plan ( E S M P ) . In essence, the Master Plan is serving as the guiding document for both the government as well as the donors. The Plan identifies the long-term objectives in the education sector and has been approved by the Parliament, the local education donors and the Cabinet, enabling Mongolia to receive funds under the Fast Track Initiative.

Creating Gender Awareness

37

Mongolia is an active member of the Gender in Education Network in Asia ( G E N I A ) - an initiative being coordinated by the Regional Bureau of Education (RBE) in Bangkok. The main aim of G E N I A is to support member countries to achieve Render equality in education through training, advocacy, research and institutional analysis. A Gender Focal Point appointed by the Ministry of Education coordinates initiatives designed to promote gender equality in education. Mongolia has participated in a number of capacity building initiatives conducted by R B E over the last several years. In 2003, the R B E and Beijing Office collaborated to undertake a pilot study on gender issues in education in Mongolia, which, for the first time, examined gender issues prevailing in the education sector. In the same year a gender training workshop was organized for members of the Mongolian Parliament with the aim to sensitize them to the gender issues. Consequently, the Permanent Committee on Social Issues recommended the Government to address gender issues in all activities. A s a result, the Government of Mongolia made a decision to take affirmative action in favor of boys (unlike many other countries where girls are disadvantaged, in Mongolia the reverse is true) setting aside quotas for boys in secondary schools. In 2004-2005, U N E S C O Bangkok conducted a gender audit on national curriculum and textbooks which involved an in-depth examination of curriculum and textbook materials from a gender perspective to identify possible gender stereotypes, biases, and other issues. Mongolia also translated the U N E S C O document 'Qualitative Research Manual for Education Practitioners and Gender Focal Points: Exploring and Understanding Gender in Education' into the national language. The document was distributed among the researchers and policymakers. It provided a good basis for examining gender issues in education.

Enhancing the Use oflCT in Education

In a country such as Mongolia with vast land area and limited educational infrastructure, distance education is one of the most cost-effective ways of providing quality education. In 2003, with U N E S C O ' s support, Mongolia launched a project on the use of information technology in teaching. Computer-based teaching and learning programmes were developed for language studies, mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and social sciences. The National Training Programme for Teacher Educators on ICT Pedagogy trained teacher educators in the use of ICT using a Training of Trainers (TOT) course. In 2004, Mongolia participated in a regional activity organized by U N E S C O Bangkok that trained teachers and other facilitators on ICT integration.

Rehabilitating and Supporting Schools for Quality Learning

Together with U N I C E F , U N E S C O supported a number of initiatives for quality learning in schools that were devastated due to severe disasters between 1999 and 2001 under the project 'Rehabilitation of Boarding Schools and Provision of Refresher Training Course for Headmasters and Teachers in the Dzud affected Gobi Desert Provinces in Mongolia,' which was funded by the U N Trust Fund for H u m a n Security ( U N H S F ) . With a total budget of $ 489,867, the project began in December 2003 and ended in 2006. One important activity of the project was to reconstruct school buildings and dormitories in order to secure a safe physical environment for learning. Twenty boarding schools were equipped with proper heating and roofing. Another activity of the project was to provide training to 20 principals and 700 teachers on topics such as school management, communication, development psychology, learner-centered pedagogy, etc. The project developed, tested, and distributed self-learning V C D s for teachers.

Programme 2006-2007 Table 2 shows the total allocation made by the U N E S C O Office in Beijing to Mongolia across the various sectors during the 2006-2007 biennium. A s can be seen in the table,

38

education constitutes 31 % of the total allocation made to Mongolia. The share of social and human science and culture was 30% and 24% respectively. Overall, the share of regular budget has remained substantial (71%) as compared to the extra-budgetary funds (29%). In education, however, the amounts of regular and extra-budgetary funds appear to be more or less the same.

Table 2: Allocation of regular and extra-budgetary funds to different programmes

Programme

Education

Culture Communication

Natural Science

Social and H u m a n Science

Total

Regular

194,870

249,333

80,590

33,870

337,750

896,413

Extra

194,412

51,981

41,000

33,600

42,829

363,822

Total 389,283

301,314

121,590

67,470

380,579

1,260,236

% 31.0

24.0

10.0

5.0 30.0

100.0

Note: Figures shown under extra-budgetary funds also include costs to be incurred in the 2008-2009.

Main activities undertaken during this biennium (2006-2007) are provided below:

Advocacy for the Promotion ofEFA

A s in the previous biennium, E F A Weeks were organized in 2006 and 2007 as well. T o emphasize the importance of teacher quality, the 2006 E F A W e e k included the main theme of 'Every Child Needs a Teacher'. This was an important opportunity to discuss various issues involving teachers - recruitment, professional development, career development, deployment, etc. Given the low quality of the teaching force especially in rural areas, the event helped to create awareness on the need for supplying qualified teachers to rural schools. In this context, a situational analysis of primary teachers was undertaken that examined the working conditions of teachers. Based on the findings of the study, teacher support materials were developed and distributed to provide teachers with the hands-on knowledge and skills on h o w to deal with difficult circumstances. These activities have generated evidence on the working conditions of teachers and have helped build understanding about the important role teachers can play in achieving E F A . The E F A W e e k of 2007, which carried the main theme of 'Education as a H u m a n Right' was celebrated in Mongolia with particular focus on dropout children. The media were mobilized to highlight the problem of school dropout. The activity helped identify dropout prevention strategies.

Vocational Training for Youth

Based on the T V E T needs identified through a study in 2004-2005, T V E T courses and materials developed by the U N E V O C Center of Mongolia were in more than 6 areas targeting the young herders. Subsequently, training courses were conducted covering 12 villages in 3 Provinces serving more than 800 herders. The training not only provided vocational skills but also essential information such as property rights and basic business skills. The programme targeted youth with no training and low literacy levels in poverty-stricken areas. M a n y of them were those w h o had withdrawn from schools due to poverty in order to take care of livestock that were privatized following the economic transition in the 1990s. A s a result of the training, many young herders have either been self-employed or employed in their respective areas of training.

Integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Values and Principles

39

U N E S C O and the Government of Mongolia have been working together to promote the idea of E S D , to encourage dialogue on issues relating to sustainable development and to integrate E S D values and elements into the various aspects of the Mongolian education system. In 2006, within the framework of D E S D , U N E S C O supported the Mongolian National Council for Sustainable Development in further elaborating and refining national strategies for E S D . In this context, U N E S C O supported the Government in organizing workshops on E S D . In 2007, with U N E S C O ' s support, the Mongolian National Commission and Environmental University of Mongolia undertook a situational analysis of E S D in Mongolia, reviewed and analyzed main education policies and laws from the E S D perspective, developed and elaborated national strategies for E S D , developed training materials for secondary schools and organized a national seminar on D E S D to bring about awareness on E S D .

Enhancing Teacher's Professional Competence for Quality Learning

Channeled through U N E S C O ' s Associated School Project Network (ASPnet), a project called the 'Mobile Training Project in Teacher Education and Training on World Heritage Education for Sustainable Development' is being launched. The project is funded under Japanese Fund-In-Trust in which all 5 countries of East Asia are participating, including Mongolia. The purpose of this project is to develop teachers' understanding, knowledge and skills in introducing E S D and W H E in their teaching and school activities. The project began in 2003 with a total budget of $ 134,244 and is due to be completed in 2008. The project has helped to mainstream E S D in teacher education institutions and ASPnet schools by training teacher trainers and teachers, introducing curriculum innovation of World Heritage Education and strengthening A S P network support in East Asia. The project has sensitized teachers to E S D issues and principles and contributed to develop the knowledge, values and pedagogical skills required to enable the students to understand the concepts and their ability to participate in the creation of a sustainable future.

Following the adoption by the Government of Mongolia of the National Programme on Improving the Quality of Teaching English, U N E S C O has supported two pilot projects with the purpose of improving English teaching in secondary schools through on-site and distance-based training of teachers. The project has enhanced the capacity of the National Center for Non-formal and Distance Education ( N C N D E ) in developing self-learning materials and radio lessons for English teaching. Most recently, in collaboration with a US-based N G O , U N E S C O distributed 500 D V D players and 500 sets of D V D s on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to schools, libraries and teacher training colleges.

With a view to integrating H I V and A I D S life skills and prevention education into pre-service teacher training, U N E S C O provided support to translate a Teacher Training Manual on H I V Prevention Education into Mongolian. Following the peer-review and pilot-testing, the document will be introduced to the pre-service training of teachers. U N E S C O also supported Mongolia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the education sector's readiness and responsiveness to H I V and A I D S . The findings of this assessment will inform the updating of the education sector strategy for H I V and A I D S in Mongolia.

Creating Gender Awareness

With the support of U N E S C O Bangkok, a case study was undertaken in 2006 to assess the progress and document results achieved so far in gender equality in education. In addition, a pilot project on promoting gender equality through C L C s was launched in 2006-2007. Apart from the above, a series of national capacity building workshops on gender equality in education has been organized over the last two bienniums, including training on gender mainstreaming, targeting policy-makers, teachers, researchers, U N agencies, N G O s ,

40

education directors and N F E facilitators. Despite these efforts, more needs to be done to highlight gender issues in education, to increase gender awareness at all levels and to build national capacity in planning and implementing gender-responsive E F A policies and plans.

Strengthening National Capacity for Educational Planning and EFA Assessment and Monitoring Educational planners from the Mongolian Ministry of Education have participated in a number of regional workshops and meetings organized by R B E as part of the E F A Mid-Decade Assessment ( M D A ) to enhance country expertise in planning, monitoring and evaluation.

Promoting Human Rights Education

With U N E S C O support, Mongolia launched numerous activities to promote human rights education. National workshops were held to raise awareness and build capacity of government officials and educators. Radio programmes were developed and aired on human rights education targeting secondary school teachers and students. Furthermore, a V C D series on human rights courses was developed and distributed to the city and provincial (Aimag) Departments of Education for dissemination at the local level.

Capacity Building on ECCE

Access to early childhood care and education is limited in Mongolia, especially in rural areas, though the Government of Mongolia has in recent years taken steps to promote E C C E . Given the role of E C C E in the attainment of E F A goals - especially in raising enrollment, retention, completion and learning achievement - U N E S C O has supported E C C E within the framework of its regular programme. In the main, U N E S C O supported two activities during the current biennium (2006-2007). First, field research was conducted covering different sites in Mongolia to assess the provision of pre-school education and E C C E . Subsequently, a one-day high level advocacy meeting was held involving representatives from different ministries. Secondly, a national E C C E curriculum was developed based on the identification of needs and analysis of the existing situation. A group of national trainers have been trained through a national training workshop on the new E C C E curriculum. This activity has contributed to building national capacity in policy analysis and curriculum development in the field of E C C E . In addition, Mongolia also participated in a regional initiative involving intensive review of E C C E policy and learning from the experiences and best practices within the region.

Meeting the Learning Needs of Children with Disabilities

Special needs education in Mongolia is being provided in one national school located in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The school is open to children with visual and hearing disabilities. Within the framework of inclusive education, U N E S C O supported the school to upgrade its facility and staff capacity suitable for development of children with disabilities. The support included financial support to carry out a needs assessment survey of the school, provision of hearing aid, printing of sign language dictionaries, refurbishment of classrooms, and training of teachers. With U N E S C O support, nearly 450 children with visual and hearing disabilities have benefitted - half of them coming from rural areas. The training provided to the teachers upgraded their skills which they can apply to support and educate children with disabilities.

Integrating Educational and Cultural Services to Meet the Learning Needs of All Since 2004, U N E S C O Office in Beijing has been implementing the Japanese Government funded Mobile Teacher Training Project called "Comprehensive Educational and Cultural Services for Herders in Mongolia." It is a comprehensive effort to provide both educational

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and cultural services targeting children, adults and young parents. The project provided educational and cultural services for herder households by setting up mobile centers at the county (sown) level and introducing the concept and practice of home-based pre-school education. The mobile pre-schools that operate in tents, known as gers, m o v e from village to village with teaching materials and teacher trainers. Apart from pre-school education, the project provided literacy and life skills training to adults, parental training to young parents, and other educational and cultural services to local villagers. The project is currently under its second phase of operation and will end in 2008. The total budget of this two-phase project is $400,000. The project covered 20 soums, 1600 children, 800 adults, 500 young parents/families and a total of 50,000 villagers. The project has established 20 information centers to organize and coordinate educational and cultural activities on a continuing basis.

Promoting Literacy among Youth and Adults

U N E S C O is playing a significant role in Mongolia in the promotion of literacy, especially in establishing a system of non-formal education. Mongolia's commitment towards literacy and education is reflected in its active involvement in the promotion of the United Nations Literacy Decade ( U N L D , 2003-2012), for which U N E S C O is taking responsibilities as the international coordinator. In accordance with the Government's priority, U N E S C O has remained involved in the promotion of non-formal and distance education in Mongolia since the early 1990s. In the face of major political change, basic education and skills training were vital to ensure a smooth transition. At that point, the Government of Mongolia approached U N E S C O in implementing a project to provide non-formal skills instruction to the w o m e n of the Gobi desert, w h o were hard- hit by the change. The project was a three-way partnership between D A N I D A , U N E S C O and the Mongolian Government. The project was able to change the lives of 15,000 nomadic w o m e n in six provinces of the Gobi desert through non-formal and distance education by giving them an opportunity to learn skills and practices necessary for survival under the n e w democratic system.

A s a result of an evaluation of the Gobi W o m e n ' s Project in 1996, U N E S C O and the Government of Mongolia developed a follow-up project, known as the Learning for Life Project, for family-based and youth education carried out from 1997-2000. The project is considered as the most successful project implemented in the non-formal education sector that introduced distance learning approaches and made a great contribution to the implementation of the National Policy on Non-formal Education in the country. Despite poor resources, communication and transport, the Project provided needed opportunities to nomadic w o m e n to enable them to cope with the effects of political and economic transition and a n e w set of rigorous demands.

Subsequently, U N E S C O has been a strong partner of the Mongolian Government in implementing a number of projects devoted to literacy and non-formal education. With the support of the U N E S C O Office in Beijing, the National Center for Non-formal and Distance Education of Mongolia initiated the 'Literacy through Distance Learning Project' in 2004. Following a needs assessment survey, the Center has developed face-to-face and distance-based learning materials for literates and neo-literates covering basic literacy skills to livelihood skills such as food preservation, disease prevention, vegetable growing, etc. The project has developed reading materials accompanied with radio and video lessons, including audiocassettes and video V C D s . U N E S C O Office in Beijing has been supporting the project annually (total financial support amounting to nearly $100,000) since its start in 2004 and this support will continue through to the end of this biennium. A s a result of these efforts, about 12,000 youths and adults have enhanced their literacy and livelihood skills in 12 provinces of the country.

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In addition, the Community Learning Centers (CLCs), being implemented with U N E S C O support, have been effective vehicles in promoting literacy, post-literacy and continuing education activities. U N E S C O is supporting the setup of equivalency programmes, Management Information System (MIS) for C L C s and capacity building activities with respect to planning, implementation and monitoring of C L C activities.

Table 3 below provides a summary of budget allocations across different areas/fields of education under regular and extra-budgetary programmes undertaken in 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. Figures shown in the table show that literacy and non-formal education, E F A coordination, planning and monitoring, E C C E , T V E T , teacher education, inclusive education and human rights education have been the main priority areas in terms of funding - all of which are main priority areas of U N E S C O as well as for the Government of Mongolia.

Table 3: Allocation of regular and extra-budgetary funds across various areas/fields of education

Area of Intervention

E F A Coordination, Planning and Monitoring

ECCE

Inclusive Education

Gender in Education

Literacy and N F E

Teacher Education

T V E T

HIV/AIDS

Human Rights Education

ESD

World Heritage Education

School Development (Teacher training, school construction)

Comprehensive Education and Cultural Service (pre-school education, literacy, parental education)

Total

Regular Programme

2004-05

38,970 (30.1%)

5,000 (3.9%)

50,000 (38.6%) 20,500 (15.8%)

3,000 (2.3%)

10,000 (7.7%)

2,000(1.6%)

129,470 (100%)

2006-07

31,902 (16.4%) 25,000 (12.8%) 22,000 (11.3%)

43,500 (22.3%) 5,500 (2.8%) 37,000 (19.0%) 15,968 (8.2%) 10,000 (5.1%)

4,000 (2.1%)

194,870 (100%)

Extra-budgetary Projects

Amount

26,000 (2.8%)

10,000 (1.1%)

489,867 (52.9%)

400,000 (43.2%)

925,867 (100%)

Project Duration

2006-2007

2006-2007

2003-2006

2003-2009

Funding Source

JFIT, U N A I D S

RBE

UNTrast Fund for Human Security

JFIT

43

A n attempt is made below to examine the flow of efforts/resources of U N E S C O across the four intervention modalities: advocacy and policy dialogue (awareness raising, research evidence), capacity development, materials development, and programme delivery. The matrix reveals a pattern where in most cases U N E S C O activities are concentrated on the first three modalities but there are also cases where attention is paid to programme delivery as well. In some instances, programme delivery is emphasized with little or no attention to the other three. It should be emphasized that extra-budgetary activities due to their operational nature have their most attention on the programme delivery. Interestingly, no activity so far has been undertaken in the field of post-primary education such as secondary and tertiary education.

Table 4: Flow of Efforts/Resources across Intervention M o d a

Intervention

E F A Coordination, Planning and Monitoring

Early Childhood Education

Inclusive Education

Gender in Education

Literacy and Non-formal Education

Technical and Vocational Education

Teacher Education

H I V / A I D S Prevention

H u m a n Rights Education, Education for Sustainable Development and World Heritage Education

ICT in Education

Secondary Education

Higher Education

Advocacy and Policy

Dialogue

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Capacity Development

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

ities

Materials Development

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Programme Delivery

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Programmes

Despite limited resources, U N E S C O , consistent with the national priorities, has provided support in a n u m b e r of critical areas such as E F A assessment, planning and monitoring, early childhood education and care, literacy and non-formal education, and technical and vocational education. Often, its support has gone to areas that are either left out or received less support from other international development partners - literacy and non-formal education, for example. O n the positive side, U N E S C O ' s upstream emphasis has been instrumental in boosting national c o m m i t m e n t for education in general and basic education in particular, in initiating policy dialogue on key issues, and in creating a supportive environment for education development. U N E S C O ' s support to undertake E F A assessment proved valuable not only in updating/preparing the E F A Action Plan but also in finalizing the

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Education Sector Master Plan ( E S M P ) as well as in undertaking the Fast Track Assessment (FTI) assessment.

M a n y pilot initiatives and experimentations (e.g., non-formal distance education, mobile pre­school education and teacher training) undertaken by U N E S C O have resulted in successful outcomes, with eventual impact on national educational policies and programmes. O n the whole, U N E S C O ' s support played an important role in national capacity building. Through participation in U N E S C O organized workshops, seminars and study visits, Mongolia has been able to learn best practices and innovative approaches from the outside world. Its planners, policymakers and practitioners have always benefitted from the best practices and research knowledge promoted by U N E S C O .

Nevertheless, U N E S C O ' s existing support and the support strategy are not without problems. First, its extremely limited resources are too thinly and too widely distributed across the different sub-sectors and thematic areas of the education sector, with little prospect for any meaningful impact. O w i n g to the absence of a long-term strategic framework, there is no continuity and coherence in the activities between the two bienniums. Second, often resources from different U N E S C O Offices and Institutes come to the country in an uncoordinated and fragmented manner. Each Office or Institute prepares its plans and programmes to be implemented in a given m e m b e r county independently often without regard of what other Offices or Institutions are doing in the same country. It will be difficult to make a lasting impact with such a piecemeal and uncoordinated approach. Third, often resources are spent in organizing workshops and seminars which are organized in the form of one-off activities without proper follow-up and dissemination strategies. Likewise, substantial amount of funds have been allocated to the translation and printing of documents without a proper follow-up and distribution scheme. Drawing from the above, a number of lessons can be derived as follows:

Use a single door policy: The current practice of implementing programmes and activities by various U N E S C O offices and institutions should end and a more coordinated approach should be adopted. In this case, the F O should serve as the focal/entry point for all U N E S C O activities/programmes.

Pool resources to avoid being scattered and thinly resourced: Since U N E S C O resources are scattered across the different offices and institutions and each office/institution spends resources in isolation from others, the apparent size of financial support provided to Mongolia appears to be small. If resources are pooled together, it will be possible to make a substantial amount of funding. T o avoid fragmentation, U N E S C O will work on a few core areas that are most relevant to the country and are within the mandate and priority of UNESCO.

Bring national stakeholders, NGOs, civil society and international development partners together: K n o w n as a neutral and honest broker, U N E S C O has the advantage of bringing all actors and stakeholders together to discuss issues and challenges, explore possibilities and options and share/disseminate best practices and innovative approaches.

Target institutional development rather than individual development: M u c h of the capacity building that has taken place over the years has targeted individuals on an ad hoc basis rather than overall institutional development. Systematic efforts to develop human capacity within

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the education sector are lacking. Therefore, U N E S C O will target capacity enhancement of national institutions that is crucial for a more sustainable education development.

UNESCO's Programme Priorities in Education

Programmatic Priorities

This Section will discuss the programme priorities that are relevant to Mongolia. In proposing the programmatic priorities, mainly three factors have been considered: (a) consistency with U N E S C O ' s priorities and fundamental thrusts, (b) consistency with and relevance to the national plans and programmes, and (c) observed gaps in external funding.

Advocacy, coordination and policy dialogue in support of E F A and other developmental goals: The core of U N E S C O ' s programmatic priority to Mongolia will be to support the country to achieve E F A goals through further advocacy, awareness raising, improved coordination and partnership with other development partners and national actors, enhanced policy input based on evidence and research, support to participate in E F A related activities, increased collaboration with national stakeholders, increased communication and media mobilization. U N E S C O will continue to provide its support to launch the E F A and U N E S C O weeks which have proven to be effective in promoting advocacy and dialogue in support of E F A goals and M D G s . The E F A W e e k s and other activities have concentrated mainly in the capital city with little impact at lower levels where the work of educational planning and administration actually takes place. Therefore, in future these activities will also be undertaken at the provincial level.

Capacity building in planning, E F A assessment, monitoring and evaluation: Without continuous assessment, monitoring and evaluation, it will not be possible to ascertain whether existing educational strategies are contributing to the attainment of E F A goals. Mongolia has established numerous qualitative and quantitative targets in its Master Plan that are to be attained in different phases. This calls for a system of assessment, monitoring and evaluation. T o this end, existing educational management information systems need substantial strengthening and education managers and planners need to be trained in the analysis and use of data in planning and policy making. Given its strength in this area, U N E S C O will continue to support the country to build its capacity in the management of education statistics and in carrying out E F A assessment, monitoring and evaluation.

Developing strong h u m a n resource in different fields of education: Mongolia plans to develop a higher level of expertise in a number of areas in educational planning, policymaking, evaluation, sector assessment, teacher education, and curriculum development. In this regard, programmes of H E P , IBE, and U I S can be very appropriate. U N E S C O Office in Beijing will undertake capacity assessment surveys to identify its h u m a n development requirements within the education sector.

Developing alternative forms/models of education delivery: The formal system of schooling - which is often inflexible - is not the most effective and efficient option to educate children, youth and adults in parts of Mongolia with low population density, nomadic lifestyle, and vast land area combined with unfavorable weather/climatic conditions. U N E S C O has in the past supported the country by providing assistance in developing distance-based literacy programmes as well as mobile and home-based learning opportunities to meet the educational needs of nomadic and rural populations. U N E S C O will continue to support the country in developing and refining alternative educational strategies and delivery options for all types of learners. This will require assessing the existing Government policy to ascertain the extent to

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which it is supportive towards nomadic and rural populations, identifying viable alternatives to conventional education that can be adapted, exploring n e w and innovative approaches to the delivery of education, and undertaking research studies on educational issues and challenges. The National Non-formal Education Center of Mongolia - with which U N E S C O has long collaborated - will need to be further developed in undertaking the above tasks. Given the high rate of school dropout in Mongolia, alternative education systems combined with equivalency programmes will be relevant to the Mongolian context.

Providing support to enhance the quality of education: Quality education - that constitutes the key policy goal of Mongolia's education sector - cannot be implemented without putting in place appropriate measures and policies. In particular, quality education must be ensured for children in rural areas, ethnic minorities, nomadic populations and vulnerable groups. In this regard, U N E S C O will work with the Government and other actors in creating an enabling environment for quality education. Structural changes that are taking place in the Mongolian education system should be combined with appropriate quality enhancing measures. These will include measures such as: clarity on the concept of quality education; increased advocacy for early childhood education and care especially for minorities and poor children to give them a head start; provision of bilingual education for ethnic/minorities; curriculum reform to m a k e it more relevant and meaningful to the lives of learners; integration of best practices and innovative approaches into pre-service and in-service teacher education and increased use of ICT in teaching and learning. Mongolia's Education Master Plan shows commitment towards assuring basic education to children with disabilities by integrating them into regular schools. Integration of children with disabilities must be seen within a wider context of inclusive education to assure quality education for all regardless of their gender, income, social group, disability or learning capacity. U N E S C O will assist Mongolia to develop an inclusive education policy and approach that will ensure equitable learning opportunity to all, including children with disabilities and ethnic minorities.

Developing life-long learning systems: U N E S C O has had an instrumental role in setting up a system of non-formal education and literacy. M a n y innovative projects in this field targeting rural w o m e n , dropouts, adults, young herders and even pre-school children have been very effective. U N E S C O will support Mongolia in further strengthening and consolidating the various innovative N F E and literacy projects launched in the past, expanding the role of Community Learning Centers (CLCs) in promoting life-long learning, establishing appropriate synergy between the formal and non-formal systems of education through equivalency programmes, and in carrying out literacy assessments to measure literacy attainment and its application.

Integrating E S P , human rights and H I V / A I D S into education policy: There have been initial attempts to integrate E S D , gender, human rights education, health education and education for H I V and A I D S prevention into education. U N E S C O will continue its support in these areas.

Strengthening T V E T system: Consistent with the Government priority and the country's needs of the labor market, T V E T programmes will be expanded and strengthened. U N E S C O will play a vital role in the promotion of T V E T by launching advocacy for increased access for marginalized groups in T V E T programmes, raising awareness to increase the participation of marginalized groups in secondary education, undertaking studies and dissemination of information, propagating relevant international instruments and documents on T V E T , supporting policy development and building the capacity of U N E V O C Centers/Associate Centers. U N E V O C and R B E programmes on T V E T can be relevant in this regard.

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Supporting national initiatives to address issues and challenges facing higher education: Mongolia is attempting to reform its higher education. The Master Plan attaches a high priority to this sub-sector and proposes m a n y reform initiatives. Quality assurance, governance and management, funding, cross-border education, qualification recognition, diversification, privatization and massification of higher education are some of the challenges and issues in Mongolia. Higher education programmes of U N E S C O Headquarters in Paris and the Regional Office in Bangkok will be relevant to Mongolia.

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Chapter 5 Strategies of Cooperation for National Educational Development

5. / Gaps and Emerging Needs in Education Development in Mongolia Increased need for advocacy, coordination and communication for the attainment of E F A goals: In coordinating and monitoring the E F A efforts at the country level, government leadership is the central element, bringing stakeholders together around a national sectoral plan. The Education Sector Master Plan of Mongolia - that follows a sector-wide approach -calls for broad stakeholder consultation in the design and implementation of a coherent sector programme at all levels and strong coordination among various actors. A s an important first step towards a sector-wide approach, Mongolia has established the education donors' consultative mechanism. However, apart from the donors, m a n y local, regional and national actors and stakeholders that can play a vital role in E F A need to be continuously coordinated, supported and led. E F A should form the core of educational planning at all levels of the government. In the context of decentralization, it is all the more important to coordinate and lead local and provincial efforts with proper standards, policy guidelines, coordination mechanisms, and communication strategies. To this end, continued efforts are necessary to upgrade the role of the government as the champion and advocate of E F A .

Need for enhancing national capacity in E F A assessment, monitoring and evaluation: Given the fact that Mongolia is seeking to improve the entire education sector and reach the unreached, existing capacity to assess, monitor and evaluate education sector performance -including the measurement of progress towards the attainment of E F A goals - needs to be substantially strengthened. Monitoring and evaluation calls for increased availability of reliable and accurate data in a timely manner and the skills to process, analyze, and use data. A s the system moves towards a decentralized system, central ministry should take on the monitoring role. The Master Plan has established a range of qualitative and quantitative targets which calls for a sophisticated system of monitoring and evaluation. With U N E S C O ' s past involvement and its expertise in E M I S and monitoring and evaluation, this is one potential area for U N E S C O ' s intervention. While the attainment of M D G s in Mongolia is also being monitored systematically, EFA-related targets also need to be monitored in an organized and systematic w a y for which government capacity needs to be enhanced. Furthermore, like m a n y other countries in the world, Mongolia reports a high literacy rate but present literacy statistics - that is based on self-reported data - are known to be unreliable and inaccurate. This literacy data is not comparable and has limited value. Mongolia recognizes the need to assess literacy attainment in an objective and scientific way.

Limited national capacity to undertake policy analysis and assess the impact of various educational initiatives: A number of reform initiatives are being introduced in Mongolia such as structural change (involving adoption of 12 years of schooling), formula-based funding, accreditation and decentralization. The impact of these n e w initiatives has not been properly analyzed and in-house capacity to do so is limited. A thorough policy analysis would inform whether these initiatives are functioning properly.

Inadequate capacity to manage the shift from a centralized system towards a decentralized system: U N D A F calls for improving responsible and democratic governance, among other things, by strengthening decentralization and empowering local communities. In a similar vein, the Master Plan calls for developing school-based management with decentralization and transfer of powers and decision making to the local level. The policy intent of introducing decentralization measures has generated the need for supporting the country to

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manage the shift from a centralized to a decentralized system. There are multiple challenges in this regard. First, educational managers and planners at the central level must be trained and oriented on h o w best to support, guide and monitor the local administrators. Second, the roles and responsibilities of each level of governance must be carefully articulated so that there is no ambiguity in roles and responsibilities of different levels of actors. Third, local administrators need to be adequately trained in order to take up their n e w role and responsibilities. The n e w setting requires greater participation in educational decision-making and governance at all levels. The Master Plan and other policy documents appear to omit implementation strategy of the policies set out. Furthermore, there are no programmes to support the education decentralization process from the external support agencies. So, this is one potential area for U N E S C O to intervene.

Inadequate understanding of inclusive approach to education: Mongolia's Master Plan refers to the integration of children with disabilities into regular schools. This is a big turning point from the traditional view of educating children with disabilities where these children used to be schooled separately. The n e w policy seeks to integrate rather than create a separate system of schooling. The traditional view is challenged from a h u m a n rights perspective and from the point of view of effectiveness. The integration is not effective if it is not accompanied by changes in educational policy and in the organization of ordinary schools, people's attitudes, school cultures, curriculum and teaching learning strategies. The integration view should also encompass children w h o are excluded from the process of schooling for other reasons -social, cultural and economic. Inclusion is thus the key to achieving E F A goals. Physical integration alone is not the solution. The entire education system should have an inclusive orientation so as to include every child by combating discriminatory attitudes and making curriculum, school atmosphere, teachers and learning environment work for each child. Our analysis showed earlier that such an inclusive approach is lacking and no efforts are being undertaken towards this direction. U N E S C O is well positioned to support the Government of Mongolia towards developing an inclusive education policy and approach.

Inadequate understanding of the concept of quality education: While the importance of quality education is frequently emphasized, clarity and consensus on the concept of quality education is lacking. With emphasis on the examinations, the whole mission and character of schooling is reduced to test scores in the absence of c o m m o n understanding of the concept of quality education. Both school and teacher training curricula emphasize the 'academics' and do not adequately address issues related to gender, h u m a n rights, life skills, civic life, H I V and A I D S prevention, sustainable development, peace and h u m a n dignity. Teaching practices do not promote active learning, problem solving and analytical capacity that are increasingly needed to function effectively in a knowledge-based society. The quality of educational services is not only poor but also does not prepare children and youth to actively take part in community activities and access basic social service.

Lack of comprehensive strategies to ensure h u m a n security of ethnic and linguistic minorities: Existing socio-economic and educational policies do not address the unique needs of ethnic and linguistic minorities, w h o are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable. H u m a n security is more of a multi-sectoral challenge rather than something that can be dealt with by a single sector. Based on past experience, such groups can be better served if a multi-sectoral approach is adopted that combines information, education, cultural promotion, business development, etc.

Ineffectiveness of existing strategies in serving the educational needs of nomadic and remote populations: Despite significant achievements in the education sector, existing strategies have

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not adequately served the nomadic and remote populations and there is a continuous need for developing alternative modes of delivery and/or learning systems that will serve the educational needs of unreached and under-served populations. Innovative ways of addressing both quality and access issues must be explored and disseminated, for which U N E S C O is best positioned.

5.2 Proposed Interventions: Areas and Strategies In view of the existing status of education in Mongolia and the m a n y ongoing reform initiatives being executed with the support of various development partners, as well as the comparative advantages and strategic priorities of U N E S C O and the normative role which it is expected to play, the following five are the proposed areas for U N E S C O ' s interventions. M a n y of the activities identified are indicative at this stage and will need to be further refined and firmed up during the course of action.

5.2.1 Developing Planning, Managerial, coordinating and Monitoring Capabilities of the Education Sector

Education can play its expected role in supporting Mongolia's economic growth, human development and social transformation only when the education system has the capacity to plan, manage, implement, coordinate and monitor education sector activities. Education sector capacity enhancement should thus form one of the core priorities in Mongolia. Interventions under this activity will include technical and financial support to the Government of Mongolia to review and update the National E F A Plan of Action, launch E F A W e e k s to increase the visibility of E F A , develop communication and media strategies, coordinate efforts of development partners as well as local, regional and national stakeholders and civil society organizations for attainment of E F A and M D G s , and strengthen existing education statistics as well as the capacity for undertaking educational planning, policy­making, monitoring and evaluation. One key element of capacity building is to provide support to effectively implement decentralization measures. Initiatives that enhance greater community and parental involvement will be enhanced. K e y outcomes envisaged under this activity are outlined and described below.

Outcome 1.1: Enhanced capacity to coordinate the efforts of development partners and national stakeholders. A s Mongolia has adopted a sector-wide approach in education, government capacity to coordinate, manage and lead the reform process is vital. With multiple donors and development partners actively engaged in the education sector, government capacity to coordinate becomes all the more important. Even within the country, efforts of actors and stakeholders operating at different levels need to be properly coordinated. To this end, U N E S C O with its reputation as an "honest broker" will support the M E C S to strengthen its capacity to design and implement coherent sector programmes and ensure coordination a m o n g the various actors. E F A will remain at the heart of the reform process and it provides a platform to work together. So, U N E S C O will organize E F A weeks, workshops and seminars to raise issues and challenges facing the country on the way towards the attainment of E F A . Advocacy materials will be developed and distributed and partnership will be built with the media to make national and local bodies accountable for their actions and decisions to ensure the right of every child to receive education.

Outcome 1.2: Enhanced capacity to manage statistics. There have been some sporadic efforts to develop an educational statistics system with mixed results. U N E S C O will support to strengthen the existing education statistics system, including the increased analysis and use of data in educational planning, policy-making and programming. The existing data system does

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not allow proper assessment of disparities in terms of gender, income level, rural-urban gaps, ethnicity and disability. U N E S C O , in cooperation with other national stakeholders and E F A partners, will undertake reviews at the national level with the aim of capturing and analyzing disparities within the country to improve policies, thus developing better indicators and greater capacity for monitoring the implementation of E F A . U N E S C O is currently supporting an I C T in Education Project under Korean Funds-in-Trust, which among others, aims to strengthen the E M I S system.

Outcome 1.3: Enhanced capacity to assess, monitor and evaluate progress towards E F A . The capacity of the Ministry and its constituent departments needs to be strengthened to assess, monitor and evaluate education system performance substantially, especially the progress m a d e by the country towards the attainment of E F A goals. Mongolia will continue to participate in the Mid-Decade Assessment ( M D A ) activities. U N E S C O support will be directed towards capacity building of administrators and planners in education system monitoring and evaluation, indicators development, and preparation and dissemination of E F A country monitoring reports, etc.

Outcome 1.4: Supporting the establishment of a decentralized system of education. U N E S C O will support the country's transition from a planned and centralized education system to a decentralized educational system. In this regard, U N E S C O proposes to undertake an institutional analysis of the education sector institutions to assess their existing capacity and identify capacity building needs. These findings will help the M E C S to take appropriate actions towards institutional development. T o support the Government's intention to introduce school-based management ( S B M ) , U N E S C O will launch a pilot in a limited number of schools, which will provide a basis in implementing the S B M initiative.

Outcome 1.5: Policy analysis and impact assessment undertaken to examine the performance of n e w policy initiatives. With external support, a number of reform initiatives are being introduced in Mongolia, with some of them including structural change (involving the adoption of 12 years of schooling), early enrollment, formula-based funding, accreditation, decentralization, etc. The impact of these n e w initiatives has not been properly analyzed. A thorough policy analysis would inform whether the initiatives are functioning properly. U N E S C O will support strengthening the Ministry's capacity in undertaking policy analysis and impact assessments to examine the performance and impact of recent policy initiatives.

Outcome 6: Enhanced gender sensitive policymaking. Capacity building workshops and seminars will be organized to enhance the capacity of educational administrators and planners to frame and implement gender-sensitive education policies and to counter gender-based violence and discrimination in schools through educational approach. In particular, the capacity of the Gender Focal Point (GFP) will be enhanced to coordinate and initiate activities related to gender in education.

5.2.2 Supporting National Initiatives for Quality Education for All The main thrust of Mongolia's Education Master Plan is on quality education. The main aim is to create an enabling environment for quality education at all levels. Support will be provided to analyze whether existing education policies and strategies are ensuring quality education for all. It is imperative that the concept of quality education is further clarified and that there is a consensus on the concept. Measures to enhance quality education will include advocacy for early childhood education and care especially for ethnic/linguistic minorities, nomadic populations and vulnerable groups; provision of bi-lingual education for linguistic minorities; integration of inclusive education, h u m a n rights education, education for

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sustainable development, peace education, value education, life skills education, H I V and A I D S prevention education, etc. into education policy and school and teacher training curricula; increased access to and application of best practices and innovative approaches in teacher training and school classrooms; support to improve curricula; and develop measures that improve teacher supply, teacher motivation, professionalism and accountability. Through policy dialogues and research evidence, U N E S C O will emphasize the need to take appropriate policy actions and implement interventions that enhance quality of education. Specific outcomes of this activity are as follows:

Outcome 2.1: Enhanced understanding and consensus on the concept of quality education. Quality is often understood in terms of test scores and the entire process of schooling is driven by test scores. There is limited understanding of what constitutes quality education. So, there is a need for building c o m m o n understanding on the concept of quality education. To this end, U N E S C O will prepare policy briefs documenting the most recent research and international best practices on quality education. National workshops will be organized to initiate debate on quality education. This will help design policies and interventions that are targeted to quality education.

Outcome 2.2: Increased advocacy for the provision of E C C E , especially for children from poor households, ethnic minorities and nomadic populations. Mongolia has a well-developed national policy on early childhood education and care ( E C C E ) that emphasizes the concept of integrated childhood development, inter-sectoral coordination in the design and delivery of E C C E , and role of families, parents as well as public and private sectors. Although a sound national policy is a necessary condition, it is not sufficient to ensure the effective delivery of services. U N E S C O will support E C C E development in the following ways. First, E C C E in Mongolia is understood in the form of pre-school education and public awareness on the integrated concept of E C C E is lacking. U N E S C O will therefore support the country to develop E C C E as a comprehensive strategy involving multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional interventions including education, health, nutrition and sanitation as well as parental education, values education and peace education. U N E S C O will support in the preparation of pre-school education law which the government is intending to develop. Secondly, given the limited national capacity, U N E S C O will assist with its technical expertise in preparing well-qualified E C C E professionals, developing high quality materials and most importantly incorporating innovative practices into E C C E curricula and materials. Thirdly, U N E S C O will initiate policy dialogue on the need for integrated policy coordination and linkages between the sectoral ministries and other relevant institutions, to address E C C E issues in a holistic manner and to enhance the effective delivery of E C C E . Given the inadequate access to E C C E , especially among nomadic and rural populations, U N E S C O will design and implement projects to expand the E C C E provision.

Outcome 2.3. Enhanced capacity for formulating inclusive education and bilingual education policy and programmes. Several efforts are needed to m a k e the education system inclusive in the true sense. A review will be undertaken to examine the inclusiveness of education policy and a field-based study would be designed and conducted to see whether educational approaches and settings favor children with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities and those coming from troubled households. These reviews/studies would feed into policy dialogue in favor of inclusive education policy. Through meetings, workshops and materials, policymakers and planners will be sensitized to the inclusive approach to education. U N E S C O guidelines on inclusive education will be translated into Mongolian language. Through an extra-budgetary funded-project to be implemented in collaboration with other U N partners, efforts will be made to improve communication and understanding between the

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majority and minority populations, build social infrastructure in rural areas, address the unique needs of ethnic/linguistic minorities for their sustainable development, and increase their overall human security.

Outcome 2.4: Integration of E S P values and principles into the education system. With rising urbanization, increasing land degradation, desertification, water and air pollution, high incidence of poverty, increasing disparity between urban and rural areas and among social groups, corruption, rural under-development, regional imbalances, increasing prevalence of H I V / A I D S , lack of transparency and poor governance, Mongolia's development is under serious threat. Mongolia has long established the national policies for sustainable development and is actively promoting E S D within the framework of D E S D . However, m u c h needs to be done. A s the lead agency for E S D , U N E S C O ' s role is crucial in building proper conceptualization of E S D (often E S D is misconceptualized), reviewing all aspects of the education system (especially education policy, curriculum and teacher education) to examine the extent to which E S D values and principles are integrated, developing national indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the Decade, and integrating E S D values and principles, where necessary, into school curricula, teacher training curricula and the educational policy. There is also need for increased mobilization of the U N E S C O Associated Schools Project (ASPnet) and U N E S C O Clubs and Associations in the promotion of education for international understanding, h u m a n rights, global citizenship, education for sustainable development, and world heritage education, etc.

Outcome 2.5: Use of ICT in teacher training. ICT has the potential to bring n e w methods and materials directly into the teachers' hands. In its attempt to improve the quality of education, Mongolia is going through a period of curriculum change and revision. N e w subjects are being introduced and n e w approaches to teaching and learning are being encouraged, using more activity-based and participatory learning to replace the customary lecture-based teaching and rote learning. Given Mongolia's topography and climatic conditions and massive needs in education and training, the effective use of ICTs is a strategic necessity. Mongolia aims to integrate ICT skills into its formal educational curriculum at all levels. It also aims to expand the provision of these skills for persons w h o have already left the formal education system. U N E S C O can effectively provide the technical support needed in this regard. Already, U N E S C O is funding a project under Korean Funds-in-Trust, which seeks to promote the use of ICTs in educational planning, management, teacher education and instruction.

Outcome 2.6: Enhanced capacity for teacher management and teacher development. Teachers should remain at the heart of our efforts aimed at achieving E F A and relevant M D G s . Without this critical link, improving the quality of education can be an uphill task. In the above context, U N E S C O will support Mongolia in a number of ways. First, policy reviews and analyses will be undertaken to examine teacher-related issues, especially: h o w structural and curricular changes are impacting the work of teachers; h o w teachers balance their professional and personal roles and responsibilities; to what extent teaching is a preferred profession among the youngsters; what impact the performance-based contract system has on teacher performance and student learning; h o w teachers are evaluated, monitored, rewarded and upgraded in their profession; what can be done to deploy good teachers in rural schools and finally, h o w are they educated and trained. These reviews and analyses will provide a basis for preparing policy briefs and initiating policy dialogues on teacher's issues. Second, once the analysis is undertaken, support will be provided to structure appropriate policy frameworks and policy choices for developing teacher's professional standards and appropriate measurement, designing incentives to motivate teachers for better teaching and

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student learning and deploying qualified teachers to rural and remote locations, especially in minority locations. Third, there is a need for finding n e w ways of designing professional teacher development programmes - from initial teacher preparation to continuous development of teachers in their profession. U N E S C O will analyze the existing teacher training programmes and support Mongolia to improve the quality of these programmes by integrating the innovative practices into teacher training curricula and training methods and, most importantly, by promoting the use of ICT in teacher development. Finally, a review of the adoption I L O / U N E S C O recommendations concerning the status of teachers will be undertaken and policy recommendations will be given to improve the status of the teaching profession.

Outcome 2.7: Integration of H I V and A I D S and School Health Response at all Levels of Education. A comprehensive assessment of the education sector's readiness and responsiveness to H I V and A I D S was undertaken, which provides the basis for designing and implementing activities. U N E S C O will adopt a holistic approach that promotes a rights-based, anti-discriminatory and community-based strategy in tackling H I V / A I D S . Support will be provided to mainstream H I V and A I D S perspectives on educational policy, school curricula, teacher training and school health programmes. H I V prevention life skills will also be mainstreamed through literacy and non-formal education programmes - especially through the integration of Community Learning Centers.

5.2.3 Creating Equitable Opportunities for Life-Long Learning Like m a n y other economies, Mongolia is aiming to m o v e towards a knowledge-based economy in which education and training play a vital role. Education and training form the fundamental pillars of the knowledge economy. Mongolia has made significant achievements in expanding access to education, especially at the basic education level. Given today's highly competitive global economic environment, the country needs to consider developing an even more effective system of life-long learning, both as a means of ensuring competitiveness and to improve social cohesion and welfare. T o this end, a number of interventions will be made , these might include increased advocacy for literacy, continuing education and life-long learning; supporting the development of alternative forms/modes of education delivery; establishment of links/synergy between formal and non-formal education; capacity enhancement of C L C s as centers of literacy education and life-long learning; integration of life skills, livelihood skills, civic education, human rights, etc. into N F E and literacy curricula; assessment of literacy attainment, literacy environment and application, etc. It m a y be further stressed that Mongolia needs a highly literate and skilled workforce particularly in the context of its intention to shift towards a knowledge-based economy. Monitoring of literacy skills is important for effective policymaking. Core outcomes under this activity are as follows:

Outcome 3.1: Enhanced capacity to plan, implement and monitor literacy and N F E programmes. In view of the potential of N F E to offer equitable opportunities for life-long learning, there is a need to enhance the institutional capacity to plan, implement and monitor N F E programmes at all levels. U N E S C O will review and assess the existing institutional setup and implement capacity building programmes. In addition, benchmarks for literacy are needed to enable policy-makers to develop appropriate policy frameworks and literacy programmes. Along with other partners and national stakeholders, U N E S C O will initiate national dialogue on literacy policies and practices by using available international literacy benchmarks. These benchmarks can be used to stimulate debate within the country for possible adoption and/or contextualization. N e w research and evaluations are also needed at

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the national level, specifically on the multiple impacts of literacy which will yield n e w evidence to create a policy environment in favour of literacy.

Outcome 3.2: Increased policy environment and support for life-long learning. Instituting a life-long learning system calls for appropriate policy and programme measures, massive curriculum reform, a synergy between formal, non-formal and informal education, and appropriate institutional and legal reforms. U N E S C O will assist Mongolia to develop policy approaches to building an effective and efficient life-long learning system. Without unified and integrated planning and coordination and massive mobilization of various sectors and stakeholders, a life-long learning system cannot be established. O n e key task for U N E S C O -in collaboration with other actors - is to provide the Mongolian government with appropriate policy options and choices.

Outcome 3.3: Enhanced capacity of C L C s in promoting life-long learning. Support will be provided to expand and strengthen the roles and functions of C L C s with greater emphasis on life skills, equivalency programmes, mother tongue literacy and ICT for community empowerment. C L C s will be developed to promote life-long learning by expanding learning time and space and including developmental issues such as h u m a n rights, gender equality and sustainable development. Sustaining the C L C management and activities is a c o m m o n challenge for many C L C s , for which joint efforts of community, government and other partners will be mobilized.

Outcome 3.4: Relevant curriculum materials developed for literacy, post-literacy and continuing education programmes. Mongolia has a national network of N F E learning centers to provide literacy education and provide education to out-of-school children and youth, as well as to organize post-literacy programmes for adults on life skills, income generating activities, health, environmental education and so on. U N E S C O has had an instrumental role in setting up the N F E system in Mongolia and further efforts/interventions are needed to strengthen and consolidate the system. The country has been implementing literacy through distance learning programmes that use ICTs, radio, C D - R O M s and other distance learning tools, along with facilitators to work directly with the learners. Gers have been used as teaching venues to provide face-to-face instruction to families where children, youth and parents are encouraged to learn together, with intergenerational sharing, coaching and cooperating to promote literacy skills. U N E S C O will continue to promote and sustain these initiatives that have proven effective in reaching the unreached. Apart from literacy skills, these programmes also teach important life and livelihood skills. Support will be provided to develop and test relevant curriculum materials.

Outcome 3.4: Alternative forms of education and literacy developed. The formal system of schooling - which is often inflexible - is not the most effective or efficient option to educate children and youth in parts of Mongolia with low population density, nomadic lifestyle, and vast land area, combined with unfavorable weather/climatic conditions. In recent years, migration of rural populations to urban areas has been on the rise. This further contributes to lowering student enrollment in already thinly attended rural schools. If national targets of E F A and M D G s are to be met, significant progress has to be made in the provision of services to nomadic people and rural populations. There is a need for an alternative system of delivery to increase the participation of such populations through both conventional and non-conventional methods/schools. U N E S C O ' s past experience suggests that the development of home-based (ger-based) learning provides a viable alternative to boarding schools and fits more closely with nomadic children's lives and local cultures. O n e key factor in retaining the

56

interest of rural children and parents is to increase the relevance of the school curricula to their lives, a shortcoming acknowledged in the existing school curricula.

Outcome 3.5: Better planning of literacy and development programmes through literacy assessment. In recent years, the accuracy and authenticity of traditional methods of literacy assessment are being challenged and questioned. Self-reported literacy and/or educational attainment cannot be a reliable measure of one's skill and competencies. Such literacy data has very limited value within the country and are not comparable both regionally and globally. U N E S C O will support Mongolia in the measurement and assessment of literacy.

5.2.4 Strengthening TVETsystem The economic growth and competitiveness that Mongolia is seeking to achieve hinges on the education and training of its labor force. In recent years, the demand for skilled laborers has increased substantially in urban areas where economic transformation is taking place rapidly. Moreover, the influx of rural workers to urban areas has created the need for an education and training system not only for urban workers but also rural workers. Growing unemployment among school and college graduates also calls for the provision of training to help them develop more employable skills. Existing T V E T programmes are inaccessible to marginalized groups such as w o m e n , rural poor, people with special needs, and ethnic minorities. There is a shortage of low-cost, high quality training options for rural laborers. Often, the quality of existing programmes is in question in the absence of proper regulating and quality assurance mechanisms.

Although T V E T is being supported by a number of donor agencies, there is a critical role for U N E S C O to play. U N E S C O will support the promotion of the T V E T sub-sector by: launching advocacy and promotion for improving access for marginalized groups; raising awareness to increase the participation of marginalized groups in formal education; undertaking studies and dissemination of information; supporting the expansion of and strengthening the capacity of C L C s ; propagating relevant international instruments and documents on T V E T ; supporting policy development in relation to T V E T and building the capacity of U N E V O C Centers/Associate Centers. One other potential area for U N E S C O is to support the country in increasing the quality and relevance of secondary education which can enable school graduates to pursue T V E T courses and higher education. In the context of growing labor and/or education mobility, Mongolia can also participate in initiatives that are designed to develop regional qualification frameworks ( R Q F ) on T V E T . Specific outcomes under this activity are given below.

Outcome 4.1 : Enhanced policy environment for T V E T development. U N E S C O will support the development of policy and a legislative framework which is essential for T V E T development. Advocacy materials will be developed and policy forums organized to create a supportive environment for the promotion of T V E T .

Outcome 4.2: Increased access of marginalized groups to T V E T programmes. Awareness raising programmes will be organized for increased participation of marginalized groups in secondary education as well as T V E T programmes. Support will be provided to put in place policies and programmes regarding guidance and counseling services.

Outcome 4.3: Increased T V E T relevance of secondary education courses. Secondary education courses offered by schools are perceived to be too theoretical and school graduates are not adequately prepared for the world of work. T o increase the relevance of general secondary education, a number of steps will be taken. First, a review of existing secondary

57

education policies, programmes and curricular contents will be undertaken. Secondly, training needs analysis will be undertaken of secondary school leavers/graduates. Based on these activities, policy recommendations will be given for secondary education reform, especially to increase the T V E T relevance of secondary education.

5.2.5 Supporting Post-Primary Education (Secondary and Higher Education) With respect to secondary education, U N E S C O interventions will aim at increasing access of minorities, rural populations and vulnerable groups to, and improving the relevance and quality of secondary education. In the field of higher education, U N E S C O will promote policy dialogue, research and support focusing on quality assurance and qualification recognition, diversification and privatization of higher education, governance and management and use of ICT. Coordination, policy dialogue, advocacy; capacity building; advancement of international norms, frameworks and recommendations; and dissemination of best practices, innovative approaches and improved materials, will remain at the heart of all U N E S C O interventions. Key outcomes of this are as follows:

Outcome 5.1: Enhanced capacity to analyze issues and challenges facing secondary education and develop appropriate policy response. U N E S C O will assess the participation of minorities and rural populations in secondary education, review existing secondary education policies and programmes, and support the development of strategic options for secondary education reform. U N E S C O will also support the ongoing curriculum reform in Mongolia with particular emphasis on broad-based knowledge and generic skills which might include among others, communication, analytical and problem-solving skills for creativity, flexibility, mobility and entrepreneurship. Policymakers will be supported to identify n e w trends, challenges and priorities for secondary education reform.

Outcome 5.2: Enhanced national capacity to lead and manage higher education reform. Recent reforms in the field of higher education in Mongolia are mainly finance-driven. The financial shortage in higher education has led to the adoption of resource saving and income generating measures in public universities and privatization of higher education, where the increasing costs of higher education are shared with the individuals/families and the private sector. M a n y ongoing reforms in higher education include corporatization of public universities, implementation of user fees and public-private partnership in higher education. There have been attempts to introduce the alternative m o d e of delivery such as open and distance learning to expand access to higher education. In recent years, there has been increased academic mobility across borders. Despite these reforms, the quality and relevance of higher education are in question. Finance-driven reforms often do not address the poor and marginalized groups because the fee structure is left to the market without any government ceiling and regulation. There are externally invested institutions operating in the country without clear and strict regulations. There is serious mismatch between what higher education produces and what the labor market needs. Against this background, U N E S C O within its mandate will promote policy dialogue, research and analysis on issues brought about by n e w reform measures. M o r e specifically, dialogue and support will focus on quality assurance and qualification recognition, diversification and privatization of higher education, university governance and management, effective use of I C T in widening access and improving the quality of higher education, etc. The main emphasis will be placed on improving the relevance and quality of programmes and courses offered by universities.

The following is a set of matrices that show the potential outcomes, key issues and challenges, proposed actions and major outputs for each intervention area identified above.

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majority and minority populations; poor social infrastructure in rural areas

MECS and UN and International Development Partners

Recommendations provided for curriculum revision/renewal

Review of teacher training and school curricula to assess their coverage/inclusion of issues related to human rights, peace, and sustainable development

A narrow view of education; Need for developing universal values and understanding among children of sustainable development

Outcome 4: Integration of ESD values and principles into the education system

RBE, KFIT, State University of Education

A group of national trainers trained on ICT use in teacher education

Development of training modules for the training of teacher educators; pilot testing of modules; training of teacher educators

Need to enhance the quality of teacher training

Outcome 5: Use of ICT in teacher training

MECS, ILO, National Teacher Association

Policy recommendations given Review of the adoption of ILO/UNESCO Recommendations concerning the status of teachers

Low status of teaching; irrational distribution of teachers; shortage of teachers in rural schools; lack of professional teaching standards

Outcome 6: Enhanced capacity for teacher management and teacher development

MECS, UN and other development partners

HIV and AIDS perspectives and HIV prevention life skills mainstreamed

Support to design and implement activities based on the comprehensive assessment of education sector's readiness and responsiveness to HIV and AIDS, mainstreaming of HIV prevention life skills into curricula in formal and non-formal education

Lack of awareness, insufficient materials

Outcome 7: Integration of HIV and AIDS and school health response at all levels of education

62

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MECS, UIL, Non-

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Center, UN and

other development

partners, NGOs

A team of curriculum

developers created and

trained within the

National NFE Center

Workshops on curriculum development; Support to undertake assessment of learner needs and the review of existing materials; Support to integrate life skills/livelihood skills, human rights, HIV/AIDS, and sustainable development into CLC programmes

Continuous need for revising/adapting literacy materials for their increased relevance to the lives of learners

Outcome 4: Relevant curriculum materials developed for literacy, post-literacy and continuing education programmes

MECS, UIL, Non-

formal Education

Center, UN and

other development

partners, NGOs

Policy options on

alternative forms of

education delivery made

available to policymakers

Existing provision of education delivery examined; Best practices on alternative modes of education delivery disseminated;

Existing education strategies not suitable to nomadic and rural populations and other vulnerable groups

Outcome 5: Alternative forms of education literacy developed

UIS, UIL, RBE,

UNICEF and

international

development

partners

Study designed and

completed and findings

shared/disseminated and

fed into policymaking

Support to design and undertake literacy assessment to measure literacy attainment and application among youths and adults

Inaccurate and unreliable measurement of literacy; low relevance of literacy materials; lack of reliable data for literacy planning; inadequate capacity to monitor/assess literacy

Outcome 6: Better planning of literacy and development programmes

64

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70

Annex 2

Mongolia M D G Education Indicators

Last updated: 30 VI 2006 Gender Parity Index

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

1991

1.02

1.14

1999

1.04

1.27

1.88

2000

1.04

1.23

1.79

2001

1.04

1.22

1.74

2002

1.03

1.20

1.75

2003

1.02

1.16

1.69

2004

1.02

1.14

1,64

Literacy Gender Parity Index (J

Youth aged 15-24

1990

1.00

'emale/mal e) 2004

1.01 Net enrolment ratio in primary

Both sexes

Boys

Girls

90.1

89.4

90.9

education both sexes

89.6 88.0

91.2

90.9

89.3

92.5

90.4

88.7 92.1

87.2 85.9

88.5

79.7

78.7

80.7

84.2

83.8

84.5

Primary completion

Both sexes

Boys Girls

rates

1990 1999

86.6 83.8 89.4

2000

87.3 84.1

90.5

2001

91.3

88.2 94.5

2002

96.4

94.1

98.8

2003

97.8 95.4"

100.3

2004

95.5 r ^ f

96.3 Collated from the official U N website for M D G indicators http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx

71

Annex 3 List of Persons Consulted

Organization

MECS

MECS SWAp Team

MECS Higher Education Accreditation

Ulaanbaatar City

Education Department

The National Centre for

Non-formal and

Distance Education

State University of

Education

Institute of Education

Ministry of Foreign

Affairs State Center of Youth

Organization

UNRC

UNICEF

UNFPA ILO

Title and N a m e

Mr. L. Lkhagvajav, Advisor to Minister

Mr. Ts. Luvsandorj, Acting Director, Department of Primary and

Secondary Education

Mr. Munkhjargal, Officer, Department of Primary and Secondary

Education ( in charge of ICT and English)

Mr. Baterdene, Head of Professional Education Department

Mr. Munkhjargal, Officer ( in charge of ICT and English)

Mr. Otgonsuren, officer in charge for E F A and N F E

Mr. Baasanjav, Director, Department of Information, Monitoring and

Evaluation

Mr. Batbold, Senior Officer, Department of Information, Monitoring

and Evaluation

Mr. Tsolmon. Department of Information, Monitoring and Evaluation

Mr. D . Erdenechimeg, Director, External Cooperation Division

M s . Hulan, Team Leader and E D C M Coordinator, Advisor to

Minister

Mr. Stephen Duggan, A D B Consultant on S W A p

Mr. Batjargal, Consultant

Mr. Munkhjargal, Consultant

M s . Chuluuntsetseg, Senior Expert

Mr. Enkhbayar, Director

Mr. Tsegmid, Officer

M s . Batchuluun, Director

Mr. B . Jadamba, President

Mr. Batsuuri, Vice President

M s . Chimedlkham, Senior methodologist

Mr. Zorigt, Officer, Multilateral Cooperation Department

M s . Togtokhnyam, Chair

M s . Pratibha Mehta, U N Resident Coordinator in Mongolia

Mr. Bertrand Desmoulins, UNICEF Representative in Mongolia

M s . Uranchimeg, Education Officer

M s . Delia Barcelona, U N F P A Representative in Mongolia

M s . Norjinlkham, National Programme Manager

72

Mongolian National

Commission for

UNESCO UNESCO ADB

W B

GTZ

JICA

Save the Children U K

Millennium Challenge

Corporation

Open Society Forum

Gender Centre for

Sustainable

Development

W V I

Mongolian Education Alliance (NGO) V S O

Mr. Naymdavaa, Programme Officer

Mr . Urtnasan, Secretary-General

M s . Khulan, Education officer

M s . Orgilmaa, U N E S C O , Beijing, Project Assistant

M s . Bayasgalan, Social Sector Officer

Mr. R.Bandii, Executive Director, E S D P - A D B

Mr . Baymabtsogt, Human Development Officer

M s . Khishigbuyan, R E A D Project Manager

M s . Ruth Erlbeck, Programme Director

Integrated Urban Development, Construction Sector & V T E

Promotion

Mr. Miyazaki Kiyotaka, Assistant Resident Representative

Mr. Bayaraa, Education Officer

Mr. Mitsuaki Toyoda, Country Director

Dr. Charles Tesar, Education Specialist

M s . Bujinlkham, T V E T Officer

M s . Perelman, Education officer

M s . Amgalan Terbish, Executive Director

M s . B . Onon, Programme Director

Mr. Don Lord, Advocacy Director

M s . Ganmuron, Zonal Director

M s . Enkhtuya, Director

M s . Tsolmon, Education Officer

73

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77

Abbreviations

ADB CAS CCA CLC CSOs ECCE ECCD EFA EGSPRS EC EDCM EDI EFL EMIS ESDP ESD ESMP ESRP FTI GDP GDI GENIA GER GFP GNI GNP GTZ ICT IDA ILO INGO IMF HDI HIE/LSMS HDR HIV/AIDS M C A M C C M D A MDGs MEA M & E MECS MoF

Asian Development Bank Country Assistance Strategy C o m m o n Country Assessment Community Learning Center Civil Society Organizations Early Childhood Care and Education Early Childhood Care and Development Education for All Economic Growth Support Poverty Reduction Strategy European Commission Education Donors' Coordination Mechanism Education Development Index English as a Foreign Language Education Management Information System Education Sector Development Programme Education for Sustainable Development Education Sector Master Plan Education sector Reform Project Fast Track Initiatives Gross Domestic Product Gender Related Development Index Gender in Education Network in Asia Gross Enrollment Ratio Gender Focal Point Gross National Income Gross National Product German Technical Cooperation Agency Information & Communications Technology International development Agency International Labor Organization International Non-governmental Organization International Monetary Fund H u m a n Development Index Household Income and Expenditure/Living Standards Measurement Survey H u m a n Development Report H u m a n Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Millennium Challenge Account Millennium Challenge Corporation Mid-Decade Assessment (of E F A ) Millennium Development Goals Mongolian Education Alliance Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry of Education, Culture and Science Ministry of Finance

78

M o S W L NatCom NER NFE NFDEC NGOs NDS NPGE NSO N U M O D A PSFM PSE RBE RDS READ R O K RQF S C U K SEDP SBM SY STI SWAp TA TOT TEDP TVET UB UN UNCT UNDAF UNDP UNESCO UNESS UNFPA UNICEF UNTFHS USAID VTE W B W T O W V I

Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor

National Commission

Net Enrolment Rate

Non-formal Education

Non-formal Distance Education Center

Non-Governmental Organizations

National Development Strategy

National Programme for Gender Equality

National Statistics Office

National University of Mongolia

Official Development Assistance

Public Sector Finance Management

Pre-school Education

Regional Bureau of Education

Rural Development Strategy

Rural Education and Development

Republic of Korea

Regional Qualifications Framework

Save the Children in the United Kingdom

Second Education Development Project

School-based Management

School Year

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sector-Wide Approach

Technical Assistance

Training of Trainers

Third Education Development Project

Technical and Vocational Education & Training

Ulaanbaatar

United Nations

United Nations Country Team

United Nations Development Assistance Framework

United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

U N E S C O National Education Sector Strategy

United Nations Population Fund

United Nations Children Fund

United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security

United States Agency for International Development

Vocational and Technical Education

World Bank

World Trade Organization

World Vision International

79

Glossary

Aimag Province S o u m Sub Division of Aimag (district) Bagh Sub Division of S o u m (sub-district) Khoroo Sub Division of District (in cities) Ger Mongolian traditional, portable dwelling - a round shape, felt tent

80

1

J

United Nations Educational,Scientific and

Cultural Organization

linn

ifÊMi^tma&miWÉm^ïÇmmm&Mim&mm****

="» g^¿ g-$r

United Nations Educational,Scientific and

Cultural Organization

U N E S C O OFFICE BEIJING Waijiaogongyu 5-15-3

Jianguomenwai Beijing 100600, P.R. China

TEL: +8610-6532-2828 FAX: +8610-6532-4854

E M AIL: beijing@unesco.org www.unesco.org

www.unescobeijing.org