Good Governance Monitoring Report – Issue no. 1

 

 

 

3.3 Ministry of Education and Higher Education Performance

 

The performance of the MoEHE during the period covered by this report can be characterized as a continuation of negative performance features that existed during previous governments.  That is, negative performance that is not organically linked to, and therefore not entirely justified by, the ongoing political, economic and social crisis.

3.3.1  MoEHE Budget

MoEHE expenditure constituted 18% of total actual PNA on-budget expenditure in 2005. Although, the MoEHE budget is the second largest (after the Ministry of Interior and National Security which represents approximately 25% of total PNA annual expenditure) the allocation is insufficient to cater for the majority of the development needs of the education sector, which are largely funded by donor countries through extra-budgetary projects.

 

The lack of a formal budget in 2006 and the reduction of donor assistance to the MoEHE since the formation of the 10th government have decreased the MoEHE capacity to execute many of its planned development activities for 2006.  Also, the financial deficit of the MoEHE has increased.  The following examples illustrate the effects of lack of budget and international funding on education services:

 

·        MoEHE is unable to implement the majority of planned school expansions, which will worsen the problem of over-crowded classrooms.

·        MoEHE is unable to provide supplies for science labs in most public schools, rendering these labs virtually useless.

·        Most schools cancelled the pre-high school diploma exams for lack of budget to buy “answer books”.

·        MoEHE had to train 9,000 teachers on the new curriculum without carrying out the customary training needs assessments.

 

Despite the fact that a PLC decision to allow appropriation of funds in 2006 in line with the 2005 budget gives the MoEHE room to spend, there are many limitations on spending in practice:

 

·        Irregularity of transfers from MoF to MoEHE: MoEHE received three equal payments totaling only US$ 308,000 (0.58% of MoEHE budget).  These transfers are not only inadequate in amount but were also not timed to meet the cash flow requirements of the MoEHE. 

·        The transfers are insufficient to allow MoEHE to pay its debts to certain key suppliers, including the Palestinian Telecommunication Company.  The MoEHE accumulated large amounts of arrears and anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the MoEHE suppliers are refraining from dealing with MoEHE as a result of outstanding payments due to them.  Some suppliers have been quoting the MoEHE higher prices because they expect delays in payments.

·        Foreign suppliers are refraining from dealing with MoEHE because of the international embargo against the 10th government.

 

It should also be noted here that number of teachers providing “Islamic education” has witnessed a noticeable increase from previous years in all districts.  This is largely attributed to the Minister’s decision to increase the number of Islamic education classes from three to four per week, at the expense of civic education classes.  The GGI views this decision to be dangerous from a governance perspective as it carries unexamined long-term financial implications (about 1,000 new teachers specializing in Islamic education will be needed to cover the additional classes next year), and because it comes at the expense of civic education classes which are the main classes taught to students to promote the principles of democracy and a civil society.  

3.3.2 Transparency

The MoEHE has not made any significant progress with respect to transparency in performance and use of resources during the period under review.  The MoEHE has not published its plans for the education sector or the public education policies, with its publications being limited to periodic statistical reports on the education sector.   Whilst records of Cabinet discussions suggest that the MoEHE was among the ministries that prepared an emergency plan that was subsequently approved by the Cabinet, this has not been made public. This is despite the fact that the Cabinet decision number 10/01/06, taken on April 5th 2006, stipulated that "the members of the Cabinet shall prepare their respective ministries' plans covering the period extending from May to December 2006 and, in accordance with the government program, these shall be presented to the PLC”.  In fact, anecdotal evidence clearly suggests that this plan was not even communicated within the ministry.

 

The MoEHE has recruited approximately 1,800 employees including 1,261 teachers (797 in the West Bank and 464 in Gaza Strip).[1]  While the MoEHE did not advertise several of the vacant, non-teaching positions since the new government was sworn in, the appointment process of new teachers was highly transparent.  The majority of teaching positions were advertised in the local newspapers, competitions were held, the selection criteria and standards of selecting candidates were published, and the names and ranking of successful and unsuccessful candidates were announced.  However, the new appointments of teachers from “special category candidates” (i.e., ex-detainees, households with hardship cases, etc.), which constitutes approx. 5% of the total new teachers, did not exhibit the same level of transparency.  This was largely due to the change in the selection procedures related to “special category candidates”; the nature of and rationale behind these procedural changes were not publicized leading to speculation that such appointments were made on the basis of the applicant’s political affiliation.

3.3.3 Planning, coordination, participation

MoEHE is currently operating without a strategic plan as the existing five-year plan of 2001-2005 is out-of-date.  MoEHE worked on a review of the education sector with support from the World Bank with a view to using the findings in the development of a new five year plan from 2006-2010. The review included detailed studies about education in Palestine, the cost of education, policies to increase efficiency and effectiveness of education, and provided recommendations on how to deal with the problems that emerged during the review.  However, neither previous government nor the current government have done any further work to develop the new five year plan.

 

MoEHE activities during the period under review did not reveal any evidence of any strategic, participatory planning and coordination; no meetings or workshops were held with CSOs to obtain their views and suggestions. Coordination with CSOs has been limited to dealing with logistics such as distribution of schoolbags on pupils.  Also, largely due to the embargo on the 10th government, only one meeting was held by the Education Sector Working Group (a body consisting of a number of public institutions and donor countries to coordinate aid and technical assistance).

 

Also, internally within the MoEHE, the Educational Committee held only one meeting. This committee, whose membership includes the Minister, Directors General and senior employees at MoEHE, is responsible for setting the general policies and annual plans of the Ministry and discussing the educational issues on regular basis.  Furthermore, the Higher Education Council, a body chaired by the Minister and responsible for coordination with the Universities, did not meet.  These developments indicate a serious reduction in participation in decision-making and coordination internally within the Palestinian health sector.

3.3.4 Commitment to rules and regulations

The review of MoEHE commitment to rules and regulations was limited to appointments, promotions and staff transfers due to lack of access to information regarding other decisions and actions.  New appointments are covered in section 3.3.2 above.  In relation to promotions and transfers, many school principals were appointed as directors of regional education offices without going through the job ranking process, in violation of the Civil Service Law, and without any internal announcement to identify the best candidates. The Minister also promoted a number of employees without interview by a special committee, as stipulated by the Ministry’s internal regulations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published by Good Governance Initiative - 2006

 


[1] The number of people working in the Palestinian education sector at schools reached 58,816 by the start of the new school year. The figure includes 39,867 employees at public schools; 9,286 at UNRWA schools; 5,573 at private schools; and 4,090 at kindergartens.


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