Person:
Bashir, Sajitha

Global Practice on Education, East Africa, The World Bank

Fields of Specialization

Education policy, Economic development

ORCID

0000-0003-1960-3875

Departments

Global Practice on Education, East Africa, The World Bank

Last updated January 31, 2023

Biography

Sajitha Bashir is manager for the East Africa region in the World Bank’s Education Global Practice, where she oversees a large portfolio of education projects and analytical work in 20 countries. She has more than 25 years of experience leading policy dialogue, projects, and research in education and other social sectors from her work for the Bank in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America; in India’s national and state governments; and in various donor agencies. She catalyzed the creation in 2013 of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (PASET), which is mobilizing African governments, new development partners, and the private sector to strengthen skills development, higher education, and research. She has published widely in education and related fields. Before joining the World Bank, she was chief consultant for research and evaluation with the government of India’s national primary education program. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the London School of Economics.

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Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Equity in Tertiary Education in Central America : An Overview

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-08) Bashir, Sajitha ; Luque, Javier

This paper analyzes the evolution in socio-economic and ethnic disparities in tertiary education attainment, participation, and completion and labor market outcomes in the six countries of Central America. There is evidence of differential progress, with Costa Rica, a middle-income country, and Nicaragua, a low-income country, having improved participation of low-income students in tertiary education, while this continues to be negligible in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Wide differentials in salaries linked to socio-economic background can signal differences in the quality of tertiary education or prior educational experiences. The analysis distinguishes between long-term and short-term constraints and the key transitions in the education cycle that impede access to tertiary education. The main obstacle to accessing tertiary education for poor students is the failure to either start or complete secondary education, suggesting different priorities for different countries in addressing long-term constraints. However, problems also arise within tertiary education, as in all countries the average tertiary education completion rate is below 50 percent, with even lower rates for students from low-income families and indigenous backgrounds. The paper uses an OECD framework for public policies for promoting equity in tertiary education to assess policies in Central American countries and concludes that many of them currently lack the policies, instruments, and institutional mechanisms to promote greater equity in tertiary education. The paper highlights how valuable insights can be obtained from analysis of household survey data in the absence of comprehensive data on tertiary education which is typical of many developing countries.
The Imperative of Skills Development for the Structural Transformation of Sub-Saharan Africa: Potential for China-World Bank-Africa Collaboration

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-05) Bashir, Sajitha

This paper proposes three ways in which China and the World Bank could collaborate in the area of skills development in Africa, building on the experience of both and recent efforts at collaboration. First, under the PASET initiative, China and the World Bank could undertake joint analytical work to assess the skills needs for different sectors in individual countries, continue the benchmarking of African universities piloted with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, share the development experience of China through targeted learning visits, and share experiences in skills development through regional forums. Second, China could support the regional initiatives of the PASET such as the establishment of the Regional Scholarship Fund for postgraduate studies in applied sciences, engineering and technology; the proposed regional TVET centres of excellence; and co-financing of the regional Africa Centres of Excellence project, currently financed by the World Bank. This would supplement China’s on-going investments, which could also benefit from the experience of well-designed programs with strong monitoring and evaluation. Third, China could co-finance country-level projects which are being prepared with World Bank assistance, focusing on technical/vocational and higher education. This will enable Chinese Ministries and institutions to learn from the experience of the World Bank and contribute to the development of the education and training system in Sub-Saharan African countries, while also contributing China’s experience in a concrete fashion.
Skill Use, Skill Deficits, and Firm Performance in Formal Sector Enterprises: Evidence from the Tanzania Enterprise Skills Survey, 2015

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-05) Tan, Hong ; Bashir, Sajitha ; Tanaka, Nobuyuki

Inadequacies in Tanzania's education and training systems compromise the quality of workforce skills, giving rise to skill shortages, and constraining the operations and growth of formal sector firms in the country. This study addressed these concerns using data from a unique Enterprise Skills Survey that asked Tanzanian employers about the education, training, and occupational mix of their workforce, the skill gaps in cognitive, noncognitive, and job-specific competencies affecting their operations, and the strategies they are using to overcome these skill gaps. The study investigates the consequences for firm productivity of employers' choices about their optimal skills mix, and their strategies to mitigate shortfalls in skills supply. Compared with noninnovators and firms primarily serving the domestic market, exporters and innovators face greater skill demand and suffer from skill shortages that are more likely to constrain their operations in such areas as quality assurance, use of new technology, and introducing new products and services. In analyzing firm performance and its relation to skill mix, the study found that firms with higher shares of tertiary-educated workers are more productive; it found no impact, however, from secondary education and technical vocational education and training qualifications, possibly reflecting the universally acknowledged poor quality of secondary education in Tanzania. Employers use a range of strategies to address skill deficiencies, from hiring new workers, to training current workers in-house or externally, using high-skill expatriate workers, or outsourcing professional services. Almost all were associated with higher labor productivity. The exception, employer provided in-house training, had no measurable impact on productivity.
Developing the Workforce, Shaping the Future : Transformation of Madagascar's Post-basic Education

(World Bank, 2009) Bashir, Sajitha

Sub-Saharan African countries are increasingly recognizing the contribution of post basic education to economic growth and social development. However, policy makers in many poor countries struggle to balance expansion and upgrading of post-basic education reform against competing development priorities. They must consider how and sometimes whether, to fund post-basic education in the face of demographic growth, limited public resources, and political and social imperatives. In its new poverty reduction and growth strategy, the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP), the Government of Madagascar made the transformation of its education system one of the key pillars of its development agenda. An important decision was the reform of basic education, covering primary and junior secondary education, including extension of the basic education cycle to 10 years. The Government's new Education for All (EFA) plan provides the policy framework and operational strategies for basic education, covering changes to curricula and learning materials, teaching methods and student assessment. The EFA plan was endorsed by donors and the reform of basic education launched in 2008.The main purpose of this report is to provide analytical inputs for the development of post-basic education reforms. Specifically, the report identifies and prioritizes: (i) the need for change in the structure, content and delivery of Madagascar's post-basic education and training system, and (ii) the key reforms in financing, governance and sub-sector management required to support changes to the structure, content and delivery of the post-basic system.
Changing the Trajectory : Education and Training for Youth in Democratic Republic of Congo

(World Bank, 2009-06-01) Bashir, Sajitha

This report, Changing the Trajectory: education and training for young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, provides an analysis of the current educational attainment and current school enrollment of youth in the 12 to 24 years age group and the educational opportunities and training available to them in the formal and informal sectors. Using the results of a simulation model that incorporates enrollment in alternative education programs and the educational level attained by out-of-school population, the report explains the various scenarios for the development of the post-primary sector. The results of each scenario are evaluated according to their impact on the human capital accumulation of young people and sustainability of public expenditures. The report offers various options for rapidly raising the educational achievements of young people who will enter the labor market in the next two decades, including expanding opportunities for alternative education and training for school children, extension of the primary cycle and the reorganization of secondary education and technical/vocational education to reduce early specialization. This study is of interest to other African countries, education professionals and staff development organizations struggling to grapple with the challenge of expanding access to post-primary education in a context of low primary achievement and limited resources.
The Converging Technology Revolution and Human Capital: Potential and Implications for South Asia

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021-09-08) Bashir, Sajitha ; Dahlman, Carl J. ; Kanehira, Naoto ; Tilmes, Klaus

South Asia is heavily impacted by the devastating loss of lives and human capital from the COVID-19 pandemic and the converging technology revolution sweeping the globe. The Converging Technology Revolution and Human Capital: Potential and Implications for South Asia looks at how the region could capitalize on these technologies to accelerate its development of human capital and promote adaptability and resilience to future shocks. The convergence of technological breakthroughs spanning biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science is driven by artificial intelligence, data flows, computing power, and connectivity. These breakthroughs can improve service delivery, productivity, and innovation, but they can also exacerbate inequalities and eliminate people’s agency and empowerment. This report analyzes these trends in the region, offering a comprehensive agenda to exploit the opportunities offered by converging technologies while minimizing the risks to vulnerable populations. It proposes strategies for building public sector capacity and promoting data and technology governance frameworks in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018-09) Bashir, Sajitha ; Lockheed, Marlaine ; Ninan, Elizabeth ; Tan, Jee-Peng

This book lays out a range of policy and implementation actions that are needed for countries in sub-Saharan Africa to meet the challenge of improving learning while expanding access and completion of basic education for all. It underscores the importance of aligning the education system to be relentlessly focused on learning outcomes and to ensuring that all children have access to good schools, good learning materials, and good teachers. It is unique in characterizing countries according to the challenges they faced in the 1990s and the educational progress they have made over the past 25 years. The authors review the global literature and contribute their extensive new analyses of multiple datasets from over three dozen countries in the region. They integrate findings about what affects children's learning, access to schooling, and progress through basic education. The book examines four areas to help countries better align their systems to improve learning: completing the unfinished agenda of reaching universal basic education with quality; ensuring effective management and support of teachers; targeting spending priorities and budget processes on improving quality; and closing the institutional capacity gap. It concludes with an assessment of how future educational progress may be affected by projected fertility rates and economic growth. The primary audience for this book are policy makers in Africa, practitioners, and partners concerned about building the knowledge capital of sub-Saharan Africa.
Connecting Africa’s Universities to Affordable High-Speed Broadband Internet: What Will it Take?

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-12-11) Bashir, Sajitha

Connecting African universities to affordable, high speed broadband internet is essential for attaining the goals of the digital economy for Africa moonshot, which aims to ensure that all African individuals, businesses, and governments are digitally enabled by 2030. Access to the Internet promotes economic growth, improvements to education and knowledge dissemination, and overall human development. The advanced digital skills of high quality, that are needed to adapt and exploit digital technologies, will need to be produced through reformed university programs and rapid skills development programs. Intermediate level digital skills that are needed on a broad scale for the diffusion of technologies will be produced on a large scale when all African tertiary level students (not just those in science and engineering courses) acquire adequate levels of digital competence. African universities need broadband in order to expand coverage, through blended and online learning; improve the quality of higher education; encourage the use of technology in higher education; and provide access to the enormous wealth of digital education resources available in the world and enable Africans to contribute their own digital content. Connecting Africa’s universities will also have spillover effects on the broader education system, especially secondary schools and technical-vocational institutions, where teachers and students need to acquire intermediate and basic digital skills.
Digital Skills: Frameworks and Programs

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-04) Bashir, Sajitha ; Miyamoto, Koji

Digital skills constitute one of the five foundational pillars of the Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A) initiative, launched by the World Bank, and are needed to mobilize digital innovations to transform economies, societies and governments in Africa. The other foundational pillars are digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital financial services and digital entrepreneurship. African economies require both a digitally competent workforce as well as digitally literate citizens who could reap the benefits that the digital society brings. This paper presents a framework for digital skills, based on a review of international frameworks. It discusses the demand and supply of digital skills as well as a mapping with formal education programs at different levels of the system that could produce these skills. It also gives examples of programs outside of formal education programs that could be used for imparting skills training. Finally, it suggests indicators that could be used to better measure progress towards the objectives of the DE4A initiative.