Asian Research Thesis Index

Abstract

Pakistan faces multiple challenges in education, which include poor infrastructure, availability of basic facilities, high drop-outs, low enrollment, teachers' absenteeism, ghost schools, ghost teachers, lack of community participation in school activities, lack of teacher professional development opportunities etc. Though the government is responsible for providing free quality education to every citizen, but in the presence of such challenges, the government alone cannot have a significant impact. Therefore, the government requires support from private sector actors to overcome these challenges. The Government of Pakistan has been placing high value on Public Private Partnership (PPP) in education to address to educational challenges and various programmes of PPP are in practice with various claims of success. This study aimed to explore the kinds of changes and improvements (infrastructure, community participation, teaching and learning and coordination among the partners that have been brought about in an adopted public school in Karachi. Looking at the aim of the study, qualitative research methodology under interpretivists research paradigm was used in which exploratory case study design was employed. Individual interviews, focus group discussions, overall school observations and document analysis were used as sources of data collection. Data was analyzed using Creswell (2009) model of qualitative data analysis. The study has found that adopt-a-school program of PPP has improved school infrastructure by providing all the basic facilities, such as clean drinking water, toilets furniture, desks, library, laboratory, maid and peon. Secondly, teacher's punctuality has been improved and students' enrollment has been increased. However, less attention has been paid to teaching and learning, coordination among the partners and community mobilization. Study explored that various professional development opportunities are provided by the adopter but government teachers, due to one or multiple reasons, do not avail them. Therefore, overall role and contribution of adopt-a-school program in bringing about change in adopted public school has become debatable. The findings of this study suggest that there should be some amendments in the charter of partnership, whereby adopters may have more say in making decisions about teachers so that proper teaching and learning environment can be ensured.

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