Edward Ampratwum, Mohammed Awal, and Franklin Oduro
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780198835684
- eISBN:
- 9780191873201
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198835684.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Public and Welfare
Despite series of reforms designed to improve the basic education system in Ghana, the quality of education remains low. This chapter uses a political settlement analysis to explore why this is the ...
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Despite series of reforms designed to improve the basic education system in Ghana, the quality of education remains low. This chapter uses a political settlement analysis to explore why this is the case. Focusing on the issue of teacher accountability and performance, we argue that a key reform—decentralization—remains a highly contested process. The current system generates insufficient incentives for effective forms of policy implementation and accountability to emerge at scale. The evidence suggest that improving educational quality depends on reform-minded coalitions made up of state and non-state actors, and a stable political settlement at the district level. We conclude that where good practice is experienced, it is as a result of efforts by these coalitions to devise and enforce local-level solutions to local problems.Less
Despite series of reforms designed to improve the basic education system in Ghana, the quality of education remains low. This chapter uses a political settlement analysis to explore why this is the case. Focusing on the issue of teacher accountability and performance, we argue that a key reform—decentralization—remains a highly contested process. The current system generates insufficient incentives for effective forms of policy implementation and accountability to emerge at scale. The evidence suggest that improving educational quality depends on reform-minded coalitions made up of state and non-state actors, and a stable political settlement at the district level. We conclude that where good practice is experienced, it is as a result of efforts by these coalitions to devise and enforce local-level solutions to local problems.
Manisha Priyam
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198098874
- eISBN:
- 9780199085217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198098874.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This chapter examines two distinct methodological approaches inspired by economics and sociology in the study of policy reforms in India, particularly educational reforms. In the analysis done using ...
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This chapter examines two distinct methodological approaches inspired by economics and sociology in the study of policy reforms in India, particularly educational reforms. In the analysis done using the concepts of formal political economy and rational choice, a series of dilemmas mark the working of existing policies—teacher accountability cannot be enforced due to teacher-politician linkages, patronage opportunities, and political power of unions. Educational decentralization and appointing para-teachers on contract is seen as one way of breaking the centralized power of teachers. It argues that this is a technical view to policy reforms—more grounded approaches are needed to understand the contested process of policy change, especially as they are implemented at the local level. It outlines the methodology by which schools, decentralization, teachers and their unions can be examined at the local level, and a ‘bottom-up’ view of policy implementation obtained. The research design enables viewing educational reform as a complex chain of policy decisions and its implementation, including both central and more local variables within the Indian federal system. Viewed in this manner the picture of change that emerges is that of an interactive and contested process.Less
This chapter examines two distinct methodological approaches inspired by economics and sociology in the study of policy reforms in India, particularly educational reforms. In the analysis done using the concepts of formal political economy and rational choice, a series of dilemmas mark the working of existing policies—teacher accountability cannot be enforced due to teacher-politician linkages, patronage opportunities, and political power of unions. Educational decentralization and appointing para-teachers on contract is seen as one way of breaking the centralized power of teachers. It argues that this is a technical view to policy reforms—more grounded approaches are needed to understand the contested process of policy change, especially as they are implemented at the local level. It outlines the methodology by which schools, decentralization, teachers and their unions can be examined at the local level, and a ‘bottom-up’ view of policy implementation obtained. The research design enables viewing educational reform as a complex chain of policy decisions and its implementation, including both central and more local variables within the Indian federal system. Viewed in this manner the picture of change that emerges is that of an interactive and contested process.
Vijay Joshi
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- March 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190610135
- eISBN:
- 9780190610166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190610135.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
This chapter examines the state of education and health care services in India and makes recommendations for reform. The abysmal quality of education in primary and secondary education arises ...
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This chapter examines the state of education and health care services in India and makes recommendations for reform. The abysmal quality of education in primary and secondary education arises principally from lack of teacher-effort in government schools, arising from a near-complete lack of teacher-accountability. There is, therefore, a pragmatic case in India for introducing genuine competition between government and private schools, driven by an education voucher system. In health care, the case for state intervention is decisive in ‘traditional public health’, strong in state insurance for secondary care, and weak for primary care. In primary care, the evidence shows that though government doctors are better qualified, they provide worse care than private doctors because they put in very little effort. This argues in favour of primary care being bought by people choosing between public and private providers, with the poor enabled to purchase by income transfers from the state.Less
This chapter examines the state of education and health care services in India and makes recommendations for reform. The abysmal quality of education in primary and secondary education arises principally from lack of teacher-effort in government schools, arising from a near-complete lack of teacher-accountability. There is, therefore, a pragmatic case in India for introducing genuine competition between government and private schools, driven by an education voucher system. In health care, the case for state intervention is decisive in ‘traditional public health’, strong in state insurance for secondary care, and weak for primary care. In primary care, the evidence shows that though government doctors are better qualified, they provide worse care than private doctors because they put in very little effort. This argues in favour of primary care being bought by people choosing between public and private providers, with the poor enabled to purchase by income transfers from the state.
