A Social Sector Strategy for Pakistan (original) (raw)

ABSTRACT: The relationship between education and development of the society is absolute and indubious. On one side, improving the education, and on the other side, educated people are effective means for the development of the society. No doubt the social, economic, political, and cultural development of the society will be difficult if not impossible without the presence of educated people. In order to understand and explain the role of education in the development of the society, functions of education are described in terms of economic, political, social, cultural, agricultural and health aspects. Thus, this paper first examines the importance and role of education in the development of the society from the perspective of experts, and then, discusses the place of education in the development of the society. To understand the relationship between education and society in a healthy way and to explain the highly dynamic structure of education is not a routine process that affects every level of society as a social institution, political authority needs to be imposed that to build a prosperous society that education and knowledge are provision.

We use The National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS) data from 1992 to 2012, to describe the condition of education development in Indonesia before and after the Reform Era. Historical data on education of Indonesia shows that this country has made a remarkable achievement in education development, which is indicated by a significant improvement on several education indicators. However, 1997-1998 Asian crisis is believed had slowed down the development of education sector in Indonesia. Three indicators are used in this study to measure the performance of education development, which are yearly schooling, net enrollment rate, and literacy rate. We found the gap of years of school between gender, region and income group is getting narrowed in the reform era. The net enrollment rate of all level of education also improved between 1992 and 2012. The gap between gender, region and income group also tends to be narrowed. However, we find that in several conditions the gap tends to be widened after the crisis. First case is between urban and rural people at elementary school. Second case is between income groups at elementary school. Third is between male and female at senior high school. Finally, the case is between income groups at tertiary education level. Literacy rate indicator also shows an improvement. The gap between different groups of people is also getting narrowed, except the gap between the rich and the poor. It tends to be widened after the crisis. The last indicator which is dropout rate also shows an improvement without interrupted by crisis. However, this is only happened at elementary school level. For the other level, the condition happened in different way. The gap between different groups of people is also narrowed after the reform era.

Educational expenditure as a percentage of GDP has indeed been protected and over the first phase of SAP (1993-1996) has increased by about 0.2 per cent of GDP. However, despite SAP protection, it declined to the pre- SAP level for 1998-99. While there is evidence that, in some aspects, the gender and regional gaps have closed, the poorest continue to be excluded from schooling, the rural female income gap in schooling has widened and, if the poor do attend, they are the most likely to drop out. Also, net enrollment rates for boys and girls actually declined over the first SAP period.