Newcastle University Research Project: Education Vouchers in Pakistan

This project, conducted by a student at Newcastle University, investigates the impact of education vouchers on the "education community" in Pakistan. The research involves assessing 400 students (200 voucher recipients and 200 non-recipients) across EVS schools in Punjab through Urdu, English, and Math exams, IQ tests, and questionnaires. The study aims to understand the effectiveness of education vouchers, focusing on government officials, school owners, teachers, parents, and children. The student seeks permission to conduct research at schools, emphasizing confidentiality through anonymized data and restricted access. The project also includes teacher interviews and parental consent forms, outlining the study's benefits, confidentiality measures, and voluntary participation. The research aims to contribute to improving education in Pakistan and potentially expanding voucher programs, with findings shared in a user-friendly report, ensuring debriefing and contact details for participants.

87-B1, Gulberg III, Lahore,
Pakistan.
My name is Farrah Khan and I am currently a student at Newcastle University, England. I am
researching education vouchers in Pakistan, with a keen interest in improving education in Pakistan.
The project is organised through Newcastle University. The aim of the research is to investigate the
impact of education vouchers on an “education community” within a developing country setting.
The education community includes government officials, school owners, teachers, parents, and
children. The investigation will also take place around the implementation of the EVS scheme,
currently in place at your schools.
I am hoping to conduct the research at your school. I hope to carry out examinations of 400
students, 200 who receive vouchers and 200 who do not, across EVS schools in Punjab. These exams
will consist of Urdu, English and Maths, followed by a questionnaire and IQ tests, aimed at children
between 10-12 years of age. I am hoping to conduct the research at your schools with your
permission. The research will help us gain a better understanding of education vouchers and ways
we can improve education in Pakistan, to ensure every child has access to quality education. I will in
the end, come back and talk with you about what we have found in the study.
There are many benefits to the study. This involves helping improve education, providing quality
education for all, and ways we can extend (if needed) access to education vouchers to encompass a
wide range of backgrounds. No direct benefits to the children are expected from participation.
However, others may benefit in the future from the information we find in this study, as the main
benefit from the study will arise in the research results.
We will take the following steps to keep information about the children confidential, and to protect
it from unauthorised disclosure, tampering, or damage. All results will be given numbers or letters–
they will have no names and there will be no way of finding out who did what. All results will be used
solely for the purpose of this study and will not be passed on to a third party. Results will not be
shared with other students, parents or teachers. We need to protect who you are and your results
so all the information will be kept on a computer that is protected.
The study will take place during school time, where the children have the option of opting out of the
study if they wish. Additionally, I am hoping to gain a better understanding of the vouchers, it would
be my pleasure if I could interview some of the teachers at your school and yourself, the school
manager, during this time too.
If you have any other further questions please do not hesitate to contact me on the information
provided above.
Thank you,
Farrah Khan
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Participant Information Sheet
The project is organised through Newcastle University. The aim of the research is to investigate the
impact of education vouchers on an “education community” within a developing country setting.
The education community includes government officials, school owners, teachers, parents, and
children. The investigation will also take place around the implementation of the scheme. Issues
around scalability and sustainability of such a programme in a developing country setting will
therefore be investigated and policy implications discussed.
All participants who will engage in the research will be free from any form of coercion. Parents and
children will be given the option of opting out. Children will also be given the option of opting out
immediately prior to the classroom intervention. In relation to the interviews, all participants will
be given an information sheet and talked through the aims and objectives of the project. There will
be no identifiable data and the project will not withhold information prior to the research. No names
will be used to identify participants at any stage of the research, including dissemination. Once the
results have been analysed all participants will be debriefed. The teachers, education officers and
parents will be provided with a short user-friendly report that also provides details about the
project. All debriefing materials will contain contact details of the researcher. During the workshops
it is hoped that children will develop debriefing toolkits for other children who they are peer
teaching.
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Parental Consent Form
Project Title: Investigating education vouchers in a poor area of Pakistan.
Introduction: My name is Farrah Khan and I am currently a student at Newcastle University, England.
I am researching education vouchers in Pakistan, with a keen interest in improving education in
Pakistan. Newcastle University has been involved in research work for over two decades and are
committed to generating knowledge and understanding research that can be used with other
researchers, government officials, and policy makers.
What is the study about? It is a privilege for me to work with your child in this study. The research
will help us gain a better understanding of education vouchers and ways we can improve education
in Pakistan, to ensure every child has access to quality education. I will in the end, come back and
talk with you about what we have found in the study, so the decision for your child to join or not to
join, is up to you and can withdraw them at any time.
What is involved in the study? If you allow your child to participate, this will involve your child
taking a Math, English, and Urdu test followed by an IQ test. The tests will be conducted on the
school premises in small groups, with help available upon request.
Benefits of the study: There are many benefits to the study. This involves helping improve
education, providing quality education for all, and ways we can extend (if needed) access to
education vouchers to encompass a wide range of backgrounds. No direct benefits to the children
are expected from participation. However, others may benefit in the future from the information we
find in this study, as the main benefit from the study will arise in the research results.
Confidentiality: We will take the following steps to keep information about your child confidential,
and to protect it from unauthorised disclosure, tampering, or damage. All results will be given
numbers or letters– they will have no names and there will be no way of finding out who did what.
All results will be used solely for the purpose of this study and will not be passed on to a third party
or used for additional studies without your consent. Results will not be shared with other students,
parents or teachers. We need to protect who you are and your results so all the information will be
kept on a computer that is protected.
Additionally, all results from the study are confidential, used only for the purpose of the research.
Parents will not be told the outcome of the results and this information will not be shared with other
parents, students, or teachers.
Please note that participation is voluntary and that you are free to withdraw your child at any time,
without giving a reason. The children have the option of opting out of the study if they wish too.
This includes immediately before the study. If you have any other further questions about the study
please contact me on the information provided above.
Thank you.
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