Role of District Education Officials in Quality Education in Nanguan and Shikarpur Districts: A Comparative Study Between China and Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to understand the role of district educational official(s) in bringing quality in education in schools at district level with respect to the educational objectives at ministry of education level, provincial education department level and at local district level. Two districts; Nanguan district (China) and Shikarpur district (Pakistan) are studied and compared with each other because of the convenience for researcher and good friendship between these two countries. This is comparative study, which adopts descriptive type of research, and qualitative research design. Semi-structured interview and observation report; are used as research tools for data collection. Purposive sampling type is adopted as to make this study possible to complete and having strong relationship of district educational officials’ interventions with quality in education in variety of schools. District educational official(s) and four schools (primary, junior secondary, countryside and city) in each district are visited. Results of the study show that district educational officials of both districts are aware about the educational objectives at these three levels of educational administration. They perceive quality in education differently with respect to their local and contextual environment. Arranging different trainings for school heads and teachers and calling meetings are the only two similar interventions among these two district educational officials that they take to achieve quality in education; rest interventions are totally different. There seems more implication of the interventions of the Nanguan district education bureau official in the schools than the implication of the interventions of Shikarpur district educational officials in schools; as to achieve their perceived quality in education in their respective districts.