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Political economy analysis of education in the context of Central Asia: The PEER network projects

Wed, February 22, 1:30 to 3:00pm EST (1:30 to 3:00pm EST), Grand Hyatt Washington, Floor: Constitution Level (3B), Constitution D

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The periods of conflicts are usually followed by complex education reforms, which are often highly politicized. Due to varying political motives and internal power dynamics, the education system as well as curriculum might be manipulated by both state and non-state groups. Even educational aid in such post-conflict areas is politically motivated and instead of serving the fundamental learning needs of children, curriculum is often biased, and minority groups are excluded from decision-making. In these contexts, political economy analysis (PEA) plays a crucial role in education reform and development by investigating the political processes that are at work between global and national actors. It can help to understand the political, economic or evidence based sources of influence on decision-making. Various stages of the policy cycle, such as agenda setting, policy formulation and policy implementation can also be explored. It also addresses important quality and policy outcome issues, which could be influenced by people who are responsible for these policy decisions, and the likely distributional effects of such policy measures. Such analysis can help to inform the local, national and international decision-making actors delivering education in conflict zones or post-conflict areas.
The political economy of education research (PEER) Network was established with the primary goal of informing about the importance of socially just education provision for the young population in contexts of conflict and long-lasting crises. In partnership with academics, policymakers and practitioners in post-conflict and conflict-affected countries the PEER Network - a three-year initiative led by universities of Ulster, Cape Town, Nazarbayev and Sussex aims at improving the quality of political economy analysis of education. The core objective of the PEER Network is to help national and regional level policymakers and practitioners make socially just decisions about education reforms and policies based on locally grounded approach to Political Economy Analysis (PEA) of Education in contexts of conflict and crisis.
Supported by funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) the Network commissioned research studies in two regional hubs of Central Asia and Africa, where researchers and practitioners are undertaking political economy analysis of education systems in the respective contexts. In this panel, we are submitting research in progress from the Central Asia hub, particularly two studies from Kazakhstan, a study from Uzbekistan and one from Tajikistan.
The first research from Kazakhstan is on Political economy of Soviet education in Kazakhstan: a critical review. As one of the countries that gained its independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan experienced dramatic socio-economic transformation over the last 30 years of independence. However, the formation and restoration of the national identity remains as one of the main socio-political challenges. Although, during the Soviet era there was an unprecedented increase in literacy rates in the country, the highly politicized education system led to the wide notion of national identity loss, which might take decades to be rebuilt. This research intends to contribute to the ongoing discussion of ‘national identity’ and ‘nation building’ in Kazakhstan from the political economy of education perspective, and to enrich existing literature on the topic in Central Asia.
The next study is on the politics of languages in education: issues of access to education and labour market participation of minority ethnic groups in Kazakhstan. The case of Uzbeks. Due to the tumultuous history of the country as part of the Soviet Union, modern Kazakhstan is a multi-ethnic state with the third of the country's population represented by non-Kazakh ethnic groups. Apart from Slavic ethnicities, Uzbeks are the third most populous ethnicity in Kazakhstan. There is substantial evidence which shows that ethnic minority groups persistently experience inequalities in the labour market. The issue of equality of opportunities in education, pre- and within the labour market determine the extent of human capital application, socio-economic well-being of minority population, interethnic harmony and political stability in any country. The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the relationship between the educational and occupational levels of ethnic Uzbek population in Kazakhstan through the lens of language skills and within the framework of 4Rs (Representation, Recognition, Redistribution and Reconciliation).
The third paper is on political economy analysis of factors influencing the expansion of Russian IBCs in Uzbekistan. The International Branch Campus (IBC), as part of transnational education, is the fastest expanding higher education (HE) sector in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has more IBCs than any other post-Soviet countries, which makes it fertile ground for researching the internationalization of HE. This research aims to understand the factors influencing the expansion of Russian IBCs in Uzbekistan through a critical discourse analysis of relevant policy documents and interviews with Ministry of Education officials, university administrators and faculty at 4 IBCs in Uzbekistan. It will bring a critical political economy perspective in a field that is largely framed within a knowledge economy paradigm, as well as highlighting the under-researched perspective of the Central Asia region with a focus on Russian IBCs.
The last paper is on equity-minded assessment from the perceptions of university stakeholders in Tajikistan. The National Education Strategy of Tajikistan until 2030 in alignment with SDG 4.5 put forward in its vision and mission statement an aim to eliminate gender disparities and ensure equal access to education for the vulnerable, indigenous and persons with disabilities at all levels of education in Tajikistan. Assessment as one of the most important elements of education can become an effective instrument/route that will ensure the achievement of this objective. This research is on the perceptions of teachers and students about assessment in universities in Tajikistan. It is based on the concept of “equity-minded assessment” with the social justice theory of Nancy Fraser. Employing a political-economy analysis of education, the paper focuses on how the assessment policy design and implementation considers and/or does not consider the voices and perspectives of students and teachers, the voices of those historically silenced (ethnic, gender, language, disability) minority groups.

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