Abstract:
This case has two parts, a text-based case and a supplemental PowerPoint presentation. The case traces the evolution of an evidence-based research study on the education sector in Pakistan. In 2003, Atish (fictionalized character), a Pakistan-born, Harvard educated economist returns to his native Pakistan to help reform a lagging education system. But Atish unearths conflicting information on the state of education in his country. Despite large investments, government-run schools are failing to provide quality education. And international media coverage asserts that the educational void in Pakistan is rapidly being filled by madrassas, or religious schools, that are designed to train children in extremism. Upon closer scrutiny, Atish finds holes in the madrassa enrollment numbers. Similarly, Atish learns that affordable private schools have sprung up across the country, yet no nationwide analysis on the quality of education they provide exists. In rural Pakistan, he also learns to suspect conventional wisdom regarding parental involvement and interest in educating their children. Before he can develop policy recommendations, Atish will have to separate fact from anecdotal information to understand the education landscape in Pakistan.
Learning Objective:
Using sound empirical data is crucial to developing effective policy. Atish's experience in Pakistan brings to the forefront the importance of seeking and using valid data as the building blocks of evidence-based policy. The case enables students to understand key factors of high-quality data such as reliability, validity and measurability and teaches them to apply an analytical framework when trying to influence policy spheres.
