The aim of this study was to explore and understand the kind of partnership that exists at secondary school level between government, Catholic Church, school administration and parents. And the way these parties perceive and assume their respective duties and responsibilities, and the relationships with one another in the new school decentralised dispensation. By 2000, Rwanda restructured the education system by initiating school decentralisation reforms and devolving more powers and responsibilities to districts, schools and community. The literature on education decentralization, state and non-government provider partnerships in education theories is reviewed to identify the main issues to investigate. This study relies on taped in-depth interviews with school committees‘ members, education officers as well as documents analysis. All this enabled the researcher to answer four research sub-questions: (1) how do school committees perceive and exercise their powers and responsibilities in contributing to school development?; (2) how do school committees and the school administration work together in contributing to school development?; (3) how do Catholic Church authorities contribute to the managerial and/or professional issues and school needs? and; (4) how do the government and the Catholic Church collaborate for school development? The study discovered that, despite the reluctance of school committees to be involved in school financial management, they were eager to be involved in schools governance and school development. They undertook activities aimed at raising school funds, volunteering in school activities requesting their expertise, contributing to some school decision making and attending successfully school meetings. Moreover, results have shown that the school committees and the school community (school principals, teachers and staff) manage to work together to face the challenges of lack of capacity. Even though the Catholic Church financial support to schools has been reduced, the Catholic Church contributes via its teaching to the mobilization of the community for school development, for charitable actions, and collecting funds from aid agencies. The study recommends that the government and Catholic Church continue to collaborate to build the governance capacity of the school committees, that school principals and teachers manage to create a welcoming school environment, that the department establish a system vi support that provides information about schools‘ academic and financial performance relative to other schools, closing the gap in the existing regulations and guidelines on the respective power and responsibilities pertaining to each of stakeholders in partnership for school development. The study recommends further studies on the implementation of school decentralization in remote rural schools; the impact of the socio-economic status of school committee members on their commitment to their children‘s school development; the factors underlying teacher‘s attitude towards their involvement in financial and administrative decision making; and a comparative research of similar non catholic and Catholic schools and how they implement differently school decentralization.

This dissertation examines, both theoretically and empirically, the impact of expenditure decentralization and decision-making in education on education output measured through net enrollment rates, repetition rates, dropout rates, completion rates, and test scores in science at the primary school level. We develop a theoretical model based on a behavioral production function model that investigates the potential direct effects of education decentralization on output, and indirect effects of education decentralization through its impact on family, school and teacher inputs. We develop an unbalanced panel data model of education decentralization by using various econometric estimators on a dataset of fifty-nine countries, developed and developing countries, covering the period 1970-2004 in five-year intervals. The empirical analysis in this dissertation improves upon previous empirical studies of education decentralization by using up-to-date comparative international data over time on measures of education decentralization and various indicators of primary schooling. We find empirical support that expenditure decentralization in education significantly improves repetition rates, dropout rates, completion rates and test scores at the primary school level. We are unable to find a significant effect on primary net enrollment rates. Further, we find that decisions on education planning and personnel management have a greater influence on education output when taken at the intermediate level of government (states and provinces). At the same time we find that allocating decisions on education at the school level can also significantly improve education output. Our empirical results support the hypothesized positive link between education decentralization and education outcomes. Additionally, this study is consistent with the recent trend towards decentralizing education around the world.

ABSTRACT This study examines the implementation of the education decentralisation process and its effect on secondary schools in Botswana in the case of the South Central Region. This topic was chosen against the wide-scale adoption by African countries of the international policy of educational decentralization, which takes different forms in different purposes. Literature on decentralization and school monitoring and support was consulted as well as evidence from different African countries. The study uses a qualitative approach and case study of a region to collect data through interviews and document analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from the Ministry of Education headquarters, national Secondary Education Department and the South Central Region Office. Six Secondary Schools were sampled for the purpose of illustrating the impact of the regional administrative decentralization on different kinds of schools. The research findings reveal that Botswana has adopted the particular form of regional administrative decentralization for the purpose of administrative efficiency and the improvement of its school monitoring and support functions. The study revealed that some benefits, such as speedier response to teachers’ welfare matters, facilitation of distribution of resources in particular, learner- support materials and teachers, did occur. However, contrary to expectations, it surfaced that the process was ridden with more problems than solutions, mainly because many of the preconditions necessary for effective administrative decentralization were not present. For example, there was a lack of common understanding of the form and extent of decentralisation, human and other resources, role clarity and proper accountability lines, resulting in duplication of effort and tension between the regional and national offices as well as misaligned decentralization functions within the education bureaucracy. The main recommendations of the study are that the Ministry of Education should revisit the strategy to take on board and empower the regions to effectively execute their mandate of monitoring and supporting secondary schools in their jurisdiction. This will require increased capacity and resources as well as strategic leadership on behalf of the region.

No description available.

A educação como catalizadora do desenvolvimento humano e econômico é uma ideia já enraizada na maioria das culturas contemporâneas. Todavia, compreender como ela influencia esse desenvolvimento e identificar os fatores influenciadores desse processo ainda é um desafio para os pesquisadores das mais distintas áreas que se interessam pelo tema, sobretudo quando se trata da educação direcionada às minorias. Neste contexto, no Brasil, destaca-se a população do campo que, por muito tempo, não recebeu os devidos olhares. Contudo, avanços são observados, sobretudo, a partir da Constituição de 1988, que possibilitou o surgimento e a evolução das políticas públicas e gestão da educação, incluindo a Educação do Campo. Como forma de contribuir com a evolução dessas políticas, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o perfil socioeconômico e o desempenho das escolas públicas brasileiras que ofertam a educação fundamental (5º e 9º anos) em zonas rurais, ao compará-las com escolas localizadas em zonas urbanas, considerando as Unidades da Federação (UF) e a dependência administrativa (estadual e municipal) como fatores de análise. Os dados utilizados nesta pesquisa são provenientes das bases de dados do INEP: dados da Prova Brasil, Censo Escolar, IDEB e fluxo escolar do ano de 2011. Após a obtenção das bases de dados, estas foram processadas e ajustadas para a realização das análises. Como medida de desempenho, utilizou-se a relação idade-série que permite avaliar a defasagem idade/série, as notas em Matemática e Língua Portuguesa da Prova Brasil, a taxa de aprovação e a taxa de evasão das escolas, e, em alguns casos, o IDEB. Para este trabalho, construiu-se um indicador socioeconômico a partir das respostas dadas pelos alunos ao questionário socioeconômico aplicado juntamente com a Prova Brasil e que está relacionado à posse de bens, ao acesso à cultura, à escolaridade dos pais, entre outros. Construiu-se também um indicador do nível de ruralidade das escolas/anos, obtido a partir da relação entre a proporção de alunos residentes em zonas rurais e a quantidade total de alunos matriculados no ano. Após a construção da base de dados e da definição de indicadores de avaliação, procedeu-se à análise estatística dos dados valendo-se da estatística descritiva, análise de correlação e análise de agrupamento (cluster) para formação de grupos homogêneos de escolas. Os resultados, tanto para o 5º quanto para o 9º ano, evidenciam o pior desempenho das escolas rurais em relação às urbanas, bem como o pior desempenho das escolas municipais em relação às estaduais. Além disso, à medida que aumenta o índice de ruralidade das escolas urbanas (turmas mistas), piora o desempenho destas; nesses termos, os resultados parecem legitimar a centralização das políticas públicas para a educação básica pelo governo federal como forma de assegurar a qualidade e a equidade do ensino, já que a descentralização por si só não tem garantido, principalmente no campo. / Education as a catalyst for human and economic development is an idea ingrained in most contemporary cultures. However, to understand how it influences this development and to identify the factors influencing this process is still a challenge for researchers from different areas who are interested in the subject, especially when it comes to education for minorities. In this context, in Brazil, the rural population has not received proper attention for a long time. However, advances are observed, mainly from the 1988 Constitution that enabled the emergence and evolution of public policies and education management, including education in rural areas. As a contribution to the evolution of these policies, this study aims at analyzing the socio-economic profile and performance of Brazilian public schools that offer Fundamental Education (Primary and Middle Education, 5th and 9th grades in Brazil) in rural areas, comparing them to schools located in urban areas, considering Federation Units (UF) and administrative responsibility (state and cities) as analytical factors. Data used in this research are derived from INEP databases, namely data from \"Prova Brazil\", school census, IDEB and school flow of 2011. Data were processed and adjusted and then analyzed. As performance measure the following factors were used: age-grade relationship for assessing the age versus grade delay; grades obtained in Mathematics and Portuguese at \"Prova Brazil\"; the approval rate and the dropout rate in schools; and in some cases, IDEB. For this study, a socioeconomic indicator was developed from the answers given by the students to the socioeconomic questionnaire at \"Prova Brazil\", including questions related to asset ownership, access to culture, parental education, among others. An indicator of the level of rurality of schools/years was also developed from the relationship between the proportion of students living in rural areas and the total number of students enrolled in the year. Once the database and the evaluation indicators were defined, the statistical analysis was developed, using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and cluster analysis to getter and to analyze homogeneous groups of schools. Results for both 5th and 9th grades (Primary and Middle Education) show worse performances of rural schools compared to urban schools and also worse performance of city schools compared to state schools and as the degree of rurality of urban schools (mixed classes) increases, the performance worsens. Results seem to justify the centralization of public policies for Basic Education by the Federal Government in order to ensure the quality and equity of education, since the decentralization alone has not guaranteed it yet, especially in rural areas.

A educação como catalizadora do desenvolvimento humano e econômico é uma ideia já enraizada na maioria das culturas contemporâneas. Todavia, compreender como ela influencia esse desenvolvimento e identificar os fatores influenciadores desse processo ainda é um desafio para os pesquisadores das mais distintas áreas que se interessam pelo tema, sobretudo quando se trata da educação direcionada às minorias. Neste contexto, no Brasil, destaca-se a população do campo que, por muito tempo, não recebeu os devidos olhares. Contudo, avanços são observados, sobretudo, a partir da Constituição de 1988, que possibilitou o surgimento e a evolução das políticas públicas e gestão da educação, incluindo a Educação do Campo. Como forma de contribuir com a evolução dessas políticas, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o perfil socioeconômico e o desempenho das escolas públicas brasileiras que ofertam a educação fundamental (5º e 9º anos) em zonas rurais, ao compará-las com escolas localizadas em zonas urbanas, considerando as Unidades da Federação (UF) e a dependência administrativa (estadual e municipal) como fatores de análise. Os dados utilizados nesta pesquisa são provenientes das bases de dados do INEP: dados da Prova Brasil, Censo Escolar, IDEB e fluxo escolar do ano de 2011. Após a obtenção das bases de dados, estas foram processadas e ajustadas para a realização das análises. Como medida de desempenho, utilizou-se a relação idade-série que permite avaliar a defasagem idade/série, as notas em Matemática e Língua Portuguesa da Prova Brasil, a taxa de aprovação e a taxa de evasão das escolas, e, em alguns casos, o IDEB. Para este trabalho, construiu-se um indicador socioeconômico a partir das respostas dadas pelos alunos ao questionário socioeconômico aplicado juntamente com a Prova Brasil e que está relacionado à posse de bens, ao acesso à cultura, à escolaridade dos pais, entre outros. Construiu-se também um indicador do nível de ruralidade das escolas/anos, obtido a partir da relação entre a proporção de alunos residentes em zonas rurais e a quantidade total de alunos matriculados no ano. Após a construção da base de dados e da definição de indicadores de avaliação, procedeu-se à análise estatística dos dados valendo-se da estatística descritiva, análise de correlação e análise de agrupamento (cluster) para formação de grupos homogêneos de escolas. Os resultados, tanto para o 5º quanto para o 9º ano, evidenciam o pior desempenho das escolas rurais em relação às urbanas, bem como o pior desempenho das escolas municipais em relação às estaduais. Além disso, à medida que aumenta o índice de ruralidade das escolas urbanas (turmas mistas), piora o desempenho destas; nesses termos, os resultados parecem legitimar a centralização das políticas públicas para a educação básica pelo governo federal como forma de assegurar a qualidade e a equidade do ensino, já que a descentralização por si só não tem garantido, principalmente no campo. / Education as a catalyst for human and economic development is an idea ingrained in most contemporary cultures. However, to understand how it influences this development and to identify the factors influencing this process is still a challenge for researchers from different areas who are interested in the subject, especially when it comes to education for minorities. In this context, in Brazil, the rural population has not received proper attention for a long time. However, advances are observed, mainly from the 1988 Constitution that enabled the emergence and evolution of public policies and education management, including education in rural areas. As a contribution to the evolution of these policies, this study aims at analyzing the socio-economic profile and performance of Brazilian public schools that offer Fundamental Education (Primary and Middle Education, 5th and 9th grades in Brazil) in rural areas, comparing them to schools located in urban areas, considering Federation Units (UF) and administrative responsibility (state and cities) as analytical factors. Data used in this research are derived from INEP databases, namely data from \"Prova Brazil\", school census, IDEB and school flow of 2011. Data were processed and adjusted and then analyzed. As performance measure the following factors were used: age-grade relationship for assessing the age versus grade delay; grades obtained in Mathematics and Portuguese at \"Prova Brazil\"; the approval rate and the dropout rate in schools; and in some cases, IDEB. For this study, a socioeconomic indicator was developed from the answers given by the students to the socioeconomic questionnaire at \"Prova Brazil\", including questions related to asset ownership, access to culture, parental education, among others. An indicator of the level of rurality of schools/years was also developed from the relationship between the proportion of students living in rural areas and the total number of students enrolled in the year. Once the database and the evaluation indicators were defined, the statistical analysis was developed, using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and cluster analysis to getter and to analyze homogeneous groups of schools. Results for both 5th and 9th grades (Primary and Middle Education) show worse performances of rural schools compared to urban schools and also worse performance of city schools compared to state schools and as the degree of rurality of urban schools (mixed classes) increases, the performance worsens. Results seem to justify the centralization of public policies for Basic Education by the Federal Government in order to ensure the quality and equity of education, since the decentralization alone has not guaranteed it yet, especially in rural areas.

This study provides an empirical picture of the ways in which the New Public Management doctrine has been implemented in the context of post-Soviet states in Central Asia. Specifically, the data present evidence on the extent of school autonomy along six dimensions in the three states. The implications of the shift towards education decentralisation have been studied and explained. Based on a mixed method this evidence is drawn from three sources: surveys, interviews, and legislative analysis. With the research limitations in mind, based on the analysis undertaken, it is possible to identify some important messages regarding academic theory and education management practice. The first message is that neo-institutional theory, particularly historical institutionalism, has been supported by the evidence from the post-Soviet states. Despite quite diverse trajectories of the countries' political, economic and public sectors development over the last two decades, the policies promoted in education appear to be converging in both outputs and outcomes across the region. The three countries demonstrated persistent path-dependency through their inability to overcome institutional inertia, so that operational policy and structure dimensions have not been decentralized, combined with the effect of declining fiscal and bureaucratic capacity at the centre, so that managerial matters have been delegated to a school level. This trend was regional. The second message is that, the patterns observed in the three post-Soviet states displayed similarities to the patterns observed in education systems of the developed western democracies. Hence, the view that the structure of the post-communist welfare states is problematic, and that the particularities of their transition with budget cuts on top of the communist legacy and a hodge-podge of different approaches do not allow these states to be classified (cf. Orenstein 2008), has not been supported by the evidence. Education institutions in the three post-Soviet countries investigated conformed to a general West European pattern, although for different reasons.