Centering equity in scaling educational innovations in Bhutan's education systems

• In Event: Equity considerations when scaling for impact

Proposal

As Bhutan's school education system increasingly relies on its national Education Management Information System (EMIS) and the associated data system (called Motherboard) to inform policy and practice, the potential of EMIS and Motherboard to ensure fairness and justice in scaling educational innovations is both significant and promising. Equity—defined as fairness and justice— involves recognizing that not all students and schools start from the same place and therefore making adjustments to address imbalances. This paper examines how EMIS in Bhutan can be better monitor key summative indicators—such as student-teacher ratios, infrastructural capacity, and student outcomes—to ensure that scaling innovations are fair, just, and inclusive for all learners and educators.

The research informing this paper adopted a mixed-methods action research approach that combines quantitative and qualitative surveys with stratified random sampling to focus on 285 schools out of the total from 574 schools in Bhutan. The study also involved various EMIS stakeholders in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how scaling innovations impact diverse educational contexts across Bhutan. The study additionally is designed to ensure that all stakeholders are well-informed and aware of the current EMIS situation, with a particular focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups.

The study evaluated Bhutan's EMIS capacity to produce and disaggregate data on critical indicators, particularly concerning diverse learner groups such as children with disabilities, ethnic minorities (including indigenous and nomadic communities), out-of-school children, and those at risk of dropping out because of socioeconomic challenges. The study assessed whether educational innovations are equitably scaled across these groups by analyzing student-teacher ratios, average classroom sizes, and student success rates. For example, disparities in resource allocation between urban and rural schools and infrastructural inequalities affecting children with disabilities were analyzed. The paper also investigated how different aspects of educators' backgrounds and working conditions—such as teacher age, teaching experience, gender, socioeconomic status, and location—can account for the privileging of equity. This analysis provides insights into how equitable scaling can account for educators' diverse needs and circumstances, ensuring they can access the necessary resources and support to prioritize equity in their work. Drawing on these equity indicators, the study also focused on inclusive and culturally relevant pedagogy and classroom environment characteristics. This includes availability of anti-racist learning materials, contextualizing content to local cultures, and incorporating home-grown educational practices in schools. These elements can protect against scaling innovations replicating existing inequities, instead actively working to overcome them so as to make all learners feel valued and respected.

The paper closes with a set of practical recommendations and interventions for integrating equity into the scaling process using EMIS data in any country. It aims to improve data-informed decision-making by effectively utilizing EMIS and the Motherboard system in educational policies, interventions, and resource allocation. Overall, the research illuminates how the integration of EMIS and the Motherboard system can increase knowledge sharing, collaboration, and cross-country knowledge transfer among stakeholders in order to advance data-informed practices in education around more equitable learning.

Author

• Gembo Tshering