Improving basic education: post-basic education and training

Many of the poorest countries are moving quickly towards providing primary education for all. Foreign donors have increased their support for the provision and monitoring of these efforts, but they could be wasted – and even damage the interests of poor people – if not enough attention is given to systems of post-basic education and training.

There is no doubt that universal primary education (UPE) is both desirable and achievable. The Millennium Development Goals and documents on the right to education agree that UPE is an essential part of poverty alleviation and the achievement of human rights. However, the push towards achieving the UPE target has meant less funding is being set aside by donors and governments for post-basic education. 

The Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh conducted a six-country study – India, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania – of the challenges of providing further education and the supportive context in which primary education can be maintained and remain valuable.

The study stressed that education can contribute indirectly to poverty reduction. For instance, even if poor people are not able to access post-basic education and training, it is still needed for the broader educational environment that makes the delivery of basic education possible on an ongoing basis, such as through the training of teachers and educational managers. Poverty reduction can only occur in an environment that allows knowledge and skills to bring about developmental results. Post-basic education and training contributes to the broader educational environment by way of training health professionals, creating employment and developing a knowledge economy, among other things.

It is assumed that UPE will lead to poverty reduction and broader development, yet there is no agreement on exactly how education can be delivered without dependence on aid or how primary education can be transformed into developmental benefits to reduce poverty. However, the opportunity for further learning – academic, vocational and skills – must be a high priority. Furthermore, the report finds that:

• Meeting the UPE target is a complex process that requires delivery to be taken seriously. This means taking into account the factors that will help and hinder the provision and maintenance of the education system.
• If poverty reduction is the intended goal of the education system, then the factors that assist or obstruct the transformation from learning to developmental results must also be taken into consideration.
• The focus on UPE and gender equality in post-primary education means that post-basic education and training plus other (such as class-based) obstacles to equal access get pushed aside in policy decisions. A more holistic approach is needed.
• Huge increases in access to UPE do not necessarily mean that developmental gains will result. There is a need for “joined-up” planning in education systems, in combination with broader social development strategies.
• “Joined-up” refers to: multi-sectoral – planning in collaboration with other relevant agencies, such as employment; multiform and multilevel education systems – linking different types of education; multi-actor – collaboration between public and private sector agents. 

Source(s):
‘Beyond Basic Education: How Post-Basic Learning can Make Education Sustainable and Valuable. Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa and India’, Post-Basic Education and Training Policy Brief No. 1, University of Edinburgh, by Neil Thin, 2006 Full document.
'Educating Out of Poverty? A Synthesis Report on Ghana, India, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and South Africa', Researching the Issues series 70, DFID: London, by Robert Palmer, Ruth Wedgwood, Rachel Hayman, Kenneth King and Neil Thin, 2007
Further details about this research project ‘Post-basic education, training and poverty reduction' Full document.

Funded by: United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID)

id21 Research Highlight: 8 November 2007

Further Information:
Neil Thin
Centre of African Studies
School of Social and Political Studies
University of Edinburgh
21 George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LL
Scotland, UK

Tel: +44 (0)131 650 3880
Fax: +44 (0)131 650 6535
Contact the contributor: n.thin@ed.ac.uk

Centre of African Stuides, University of Edinburgh, UK

Other related links:
Research Projects: Beyond the Basics - Education and Poverty, Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK

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