Fiscal Decentralization and Gender Parity in Developing Asia

The traditional fiscal decentralization theorem claims that decentralized government can provide the goods and services at local level more efficiently. However, empirically it is still to explore that how fiscal decentralization affects gender parity. This study empirically investigates the impact of fiscal decentralization on gender parity in developing economies of Asia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand and Turkey. The study used dynamic penal da ta technique namely system GMM over the period of 2006-2020. The multidimensionality of fiscal decentralization is captured through three measures of fiscal decentralization i.e. Expenditure decentralization, revenue decentralization and composite decentralization. Further, it also examines the complementarity between fiscal decentralization and control of corruption to increase the gender parity. The results of the analysis show that expenditure decentralization is increasing the gender parity in developing economies of Asia. Additionally, control of corruption is a necessary reform to get the desired fruits of fiscal decentralization. Countries must focus on corruption aspect of local governments in implementing the expenditure, revenue and composite decentralization.

The Nature of Involvement of Adism Graduate As Head Teachers in Providing Professional Support to the Teachers

In the current literature, the role of the head teacher in teachers' professional development has became a foremost concern as compared to the past where head teachers were considered as Fullan says, ;gatekeepers' and administrators of policy. Mostly, professional development was hijacked by external agencies such as educational institutions, donors and other initiators without acknowledging head teachers' role in the initiation. The current literature says that the head teacher plays a key role in teachers' professional development in the school but the question still remains in my mind: is it so in reality? Keeping the question in view, this study was carried out to explore the nature of head teachers' involvement in teachers' professional development. The study was conducted in a government and private system of education in Karachi Pakistan. A qualitative paradigm was followed with a sample of thirteen ADISM (Advance Diploma in School Management) graduate head teachers from the government and the private systems. In this study a small-scale survey for baseline information and follow-up interviews were conducted to collect adequate data. The findings of the study show that almost all the research participants were involved in teachers' professional development in some way. However, there is a difference in their nature of involvement in professional development activities. In the private school the head teachers are providing professional support to the teachers through scheduled [formal] and unscheduled [informal] activities, whereas, in the government system the head teachers are providing professional support to the teachers through informal activities. Further, the study found out some similar issues in both systems The findings show that the head teachers in government system do not have autonomy to go beyond what is stipulated in the policy. They cannot institutionalize any professional development activity without the permission of a higher authority in the system Thus I have recommended for there to be a change in the government policy to empower head teachers to take initiatives to address the needs of the school.