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Management Organizations (EMOs) have been procured transparently under the legal provision
of PPP Amendment Act 2014 to manage government schools through government
finances/resources; the services are being procured for other areas too viz. teacher
recruitments, assessments, training etc. Bilateral, multi-lateral donors have been active in
Pakistan are also joined by new donors or global foundations in education (such as the World
Bank and UK Aid).
3.3.2. Assessment of learning outcomes
ASER - The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a survey aimed at measuring the quality
of education in (predominantly rural) Pakistan. It seeks to provide a reliable set of data at the
national level, that is comprehensive and, at the same time, easy to understand. The survey’s
stated objectives are threefold:
(i) To get reliable estimates of the status of children’s schooling and basic learning
(reading and arithmetic level) at the district level;
(ii) To measure the change in these basic learning and school statistics from last year;
(iii) To interpret these results and use them to affect policy decisions at various levels.
Unlike contemporary national assessments, ASER involves ordinary citizens in the process of
data collection; empowering themwith an accessible tool for evidence gathering and action. The
idea is to create citizen pressure in a campaign mode for holding the education system
accountable for its dissatisfactory deliverables. ASER helps in identifying gaps that need to be
bridged in order to move forward towards fulfilling the obligations under Article 25-A. ASER
methodology and process are derived from those followed by ASER India. ASER brings into light
the state of education by assessing the learning levels of children in three basic competencies
i.e. Language: Urdu/Sindhi/Pashto, English and Arithmetic. As ASER rests on the theory of
change that ordinary educated citizens can be mobilized for extraordinary actions, the learning
instruments are kept simple and easy to administer and are based on grade two and three level
competencies as given in the national curriculum 2006. Moreover, a set of core questions have
been designed which are adapted and expanded each year to explore different dimensions of
schooling and learning at the elementary stage. This ensures that the data is comparable and
easily collected by the surveyors.
ASER has sought to gather information on very basic learning instruments, which are reading
and arithmetic. A set of core questions have been designed which are adapted and expanded
each year to explore different dimensions of schooling and learning at the elementary stage. This
ensures that the data is comparable and easily collected by the surveyors. Over the years ASER
has become well reputed for its novel approaches to learning issues in the field as a unique tool
in the region, and at the global level too. Another key feature of this survey is that it is a
household-based survey that aims to measure reading, comprehension and numeracy skills for
children aged 3-16 years within their homes. The assessments test grades 2 and3 level
competencies. The survey is able to assess both enrolled and un-enrolled children and by
measuring basic and generic literacy and numeracy rather than curriculum-based and grade-
based skills measured by other assessments (such as Punjab Education Commission), captures
a fuller picture of basic learning than has been historically been available in the country. In
addition to testing basic literacy and numeracy among children aged 3-16 years, the survey also
gathers basic literacy and numeracy information on parents and aims to gather household asset