• Education reform

Education reform

This note on education examines one initiative governments in developing countries have taken in response to the challenge of getting and keeping more children enrolled in school, while simultaneously ensuring that learning outcomes improve: the introduction of policies that emphasise choice, managerial autonomy and accountability for result. The authors argue that contracting in education can be employed for initiatives for varying sizes and across a range of services. For policy-makers, contracting represents an effective means of introducing accountability in the education system. While it remains controversial, contracting can insulate governments from some of the criticisms levelled at privatisation such as the concerns about the sale of state assets. Contracting provides governments with a useful mechanism for targeting initiatives at particular outcomes or groups in society. It can also bring in skills and capital to the education sector, provide greater scope for increasing efficiency and innovation in the delivery of education and provide a means of expanding access to schooling.

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