Why is free education not working?

In Southeast Asia, close to 7 million children are not in school

In Southeast Asia, close to 7-million children of both primary and lower-secondary school age are not in school, have dropped out or have never been to a school. Despite provisions of free and compulsory education, there are still significant pockets of children who are not in school. They have dropped out from the formal system or have never been in school, even though some of these countries have reached or are within reach of achieving universal primary education. As a diverse region, Southeast Asia is home to complex challenges when it comes to providing access to education.

While primary school participation in most countries is universal, the quality of learning is often low for a variety of reasons. The problem is worsened as primary school education is no longer adequate to meet the demands of today's economy. According to Professor M. Ramesh of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, universal secondary school education is essential and the quality and relevance of education at this level is paramount.

Millions of poor parents make difficult choices about whether to educate their children. This cost-benefit assessment forces parents to choose between school or having their children support the family needs by working. It determines their children’s enrolment, grades, and learning outcomes. It has been observed that the highest proportion of out-of-school children belong to the poorest households. The children from the lowest quintile in Indonesia are almost 5-times more likely to be out of school than those from the highest quintile. Out-of-school children of lower secondary school-age in all countries follow the same trend.

Another deterrent is the quality of educational services provided in rural areas. The proportion of primary school-age out-of-school children in Indonesia are 3-times higher in rural than in urban areas. Of those who are not in school, around 2-in-3 children of primary school-age in the Philippines live in rural locations. The trend is the same among lower secondary school-age children.

Education plays a key role in eradicating poverty. A review of more than 60 studies reveals that greater education coverage is associated with substantial reductions in the income gap between households across the income distribution. When a country goes from a primary level enrolment rate of 50% to 100%, an 8% rise in the share of income goes to households in the poorest decile.

Enrolment in primary school however, is not the same as completion. According to the 2018 World Development Report by the World Bank, only about a quarter of the poorest children in low-income countries—compared with three quarters in the richest—complete primary school. Children from the poorest families are less likely to start school. Those who do start school are more likely to drop out early.

For some children, staying in school has failed to translate into effective learning. According to World Vision, despite rising levels of school attendance across the world, many children have yet to master the basics of reading. To improve the education system in Southeast Asia, World Vision has developed Literacy Boost, an innovative programme that makes reading a social and cultural activity that is stewarded not only by teachers in schools but also by volunteers in the heart of village life. The method includes training teachers in new techniques to teach reading, evaluating initial proficiency and starting up after-school activities such as reading clubs, mobile libraries and training workshops for families, which are all run by community members.

In this photo-essay, we explore the conditions of these out-of-school children in five Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Information for this photo-essay originated from:

To get to school, children from this fishing village near Yangon travel by boat

INDONESIA

Indonesia is the world's fourth populous and fourth largest education system in the world. In a landmark education report of 50 nations however, it ranked last.

Despite the progress made in improving access to basic education, a 2014 UNICEF report states that there are more than 6 million out-of-school children, of 7 to 18 years of age in Indonesia.

Aside from geography, the level of income or economic background in the household remains the most significant reason for non-attendance. Despite the provision of school operational assistance funding to primary and junior secondary schools, or subsidies for the poor students, children from poor households are still more likely to be out of school.

A UNESCO report estimates that children in the rural areas are 3-times more likely to be out-of-school compared to those in the urban areas. Those in the poorest quintile in Indonesia are almost 5-times more likely to be out of school than those from the highest quintile.

Another factor in non-attendance is the distance to schools in which the lack of facilities is much more felt in remote areas, particularly in eastern Indonesia. Teacher absenteeism is another reason for the low enrolment rates in remote areas.

To go to school, these two young girls in West Aceh have to cross a river with sling bridges

MYANMAR

Data from two reports in 2014 revealed that in Myanmar, there are an estimated 2 million children aged 5 to 16, who have never enrolled in or have dropped out of school.

Poverty has caused children to drop out of school in order to earn money for their families or to care for their younger siblings when parents are at work. Other factors raised in the reports include unaffordable school expenses and lack of interest. The other reasons for non-attendance in schools include illness, family obligations, and agricultural work.

Child labourers in Myanmar have a low enrolment rate of only 11.6% as compared to the general enrolment rate of other children at 78%.

In Myanmar, many of the stateless children in Rakhine state are also unable to attend school. Children who have been living in government-designated camps in Rakhine, numbering more than 20,000, are not able to access the schools outside the camps due to existing tensions between communities and the attendant safety issues. Teachers being hired to work in the camps are reluctant to do so for fear of being harassed.

Young children at a village school in Myanmar busily writing in their school books

The PHILIPPINES

In terms of education policy, the Philippines stands out among its neighbours as the only country to have legislated for 5-year-olds to take up a year in kindergarten in preparation for entry to Grade 1 and mandating compulsory education to include the upper secondary level.

Despite these policies, out-of-school children number around one million in 2013, according to UNICEF estimates. The prevalence of out-of-school children—due to a confluence of factors, such as poverty, natural disasters and climate change, child labour and armed conflict—is a major challenge for the government to address.

Public education in the Philippines is free, but many children do not attend school due to the “hidden costs” involved, such as transportation, supplies, and daily allowance. Malnutrition caused by poverty also leads to poor attendance and performance in school and to shorter attention spans.

Of more than 3 million child labourers who are in hazardous labour in the Philippines, those aged 5 to 14 who are not attending school constitute 22.3%.

The 2011 Survey of Children reveals that out of an estimated 5.5 million working children aged 5 to 17, around 58.4%, or 3.2 million, are considered to be child labourers. Of these, 98.9%, or around 3 million, are exposed to hazardous environments.

A street vendor having lunch with her child at a street market in Manila

THAILAND

A government-initiated survey of household economic and social conditions reported that not all children had studied through the compulsory education level, particularly those in impoverished circumstances. In addition, there were also 160,000 children living in remote areas of the country who lacked opportunities for quality education.

Thailand is reported to be one of the countries with the highest number of stateless people. According to UNHCR, there are over half a million stateless people in Thailand, many of whom are children. It is estimated that around 1.2 million people are part of the 20 different ethnic groups in the western and northern parts of Thailand, known as hill-tribes. Plan International approximates that around 37% of these people lack citizenship and are thus denied many of their rights.

In 2010, the Ministry of Education estimated that of the 260,000 stateless children in Thailand, only 60,000 were enrolled in public schools. The International Organization for Migration reports that there are approximately 375,000 migrant children in Thailand.

Among the migrant children in Thailand, around 200,000, or over 60%, are out of school. These children face high risks of being excluded from the formal system and its attendant benefits and services. They are also vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and trafficking.

Children living along the railroad tracks in Thailand

VIETNAM

Since 2000, Vietnam has advanced considerably in education as a national priority. By 2012-2013, the net enrollment rate was 98% for primary education and 88% for lower secondary education. In a country of close to 12 million school-going children, about 950,000 children are not attending school.

According to the International Labour Organisation, 2.8 million children aged 5 to 17 are engaged in economic activities. Of these children, 86% live in rural areas. Around 4-in-10 do not attend school, while around 2% have never attended school.

At the macroeconomic level, the loss in productivity of these out-of-school children is estimated to cost the economy around 0.3% of GDP, or US$474 million.

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