Education Quality in the OIC Member Countries
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The study aims to document the state of education quality in member countries of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), with a focus on the relationship between student
learning and poverty, and understand what policy measures can be adapted to improve
education quality. The study established a conceptual framework based on secondary literature
review, and used that to guide statistical analysis to describe the general trends in education
quality and, in particular, the relationship between student performance and poverty in OIC
countries. It also presents an overview of global, regional and national policies to improve
learning outcomes.
The study also selected four OIC member states for in-depth country case studies: Jordan,
Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan. The countries were chosen to ensure broad geographical
representation as well as to capture OIC member states that are in different stages of economic
and educational development. In each country, a combination of secondary literature review,
quantitative and qualitative data analysis were used to study the relationship between student
performance and household poverty in empirical and policy perspectives. Qualitative data was
gathered following a series of stakeholder interviews.
The recently announced Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has shifted the focus of education
policy from access to quality at the national and international level. During the MDGs era (1990-
2015), rapid growth in school participation occurred -- rates of out-of-school children dropped
significantly, in line with the MGDs 4 target of universal primary school enrolment. However,
the MDGs were too focused on enrollment, and ignored the most fundamental of aspect of
schooling i.e. what children learn in the classroom. The challenges to ensure learning for all were
not insufficiently recognized in the process expanding school participation. The post-2015 SDGs
framework include more clear targets focusing on learning outcomes.
The prevalence of out-of-school population and illiteracy appears to be declining in countries with
the rise in per capita income or economic development. Among the report’s case studies, Malaysia
and Jordan brought all children in school as they graduated from low income to upper middle
income countries. Literacy rates have also increased substantially reduced stunting in
conjunction with robust growth performance of their economy and steady decline of poverty
rates. There is a two-way relationship between improved educational participation and poverty
rate so that early investment in the former has also aided poverty reduction in OIC member
states like Malaysia.
However, OIC Countries are still disproportionately affected by the problem of out-of-school
children problem than non-OIC countries. Two case study countries, Nigeria and Pakistan, have
seen less satisfactory progress in terms of increase in school enrolment, let alone improvement
in literacy rates and learning outcomes. Low income member countries also face the challenge
of overcrowded classrooms, poorly trained teachers and poor physical conditions in which
children attend school.
Economically advanced members of the OIC from Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Central
and South-East Asia tend to participate more in international assessments of learning outcomes.
The relatively wealthier Arab countries (from MENA) have a growing presence in international
assessment facilitating in-depth, independent investigation into the state of education quality.
In contrast, African member states of the OIC and those from South Asia are under-represented
in terms of data and evidence on education quality.