Decentralization of education : experience in Nicaragua and El Salvador

By way of context, the opening sections of the report discuss levels of decentralization (from minimal to complete) as well as six factors identified by scholars as favorable to educational decentralization: existence of a national policy and of political will to implement it, stakeholder involvement, a systemic approach to reform, an open process of information sharing and dialogue, and creation of administrative mechanisms to translate policy into programs. In Nicaragua, the decision to reform the educational system originated in the government and was supported by significant leadership and commitment from the Minister of Education and senior officers. A system-wide reform was implemented, targeting on three areas: institutional strengthening, teacher training, and curriculum development. Initially, the government established two models of decentralization: the autonomous school and the municipal councils; the first model gained greater acceptance and was later adopted. Management information and financial management systems enabled ministry officials to retrieve current information on a regular basis and enhanced their ability to manage a decentralized system and make policy decisions. On the down side, the numerous personnel changes in the senior ministry have worked against the establishment of management norms and development of a common management culture. In El Salvador, the reform followed a participatory approach that promoted policy dialogue. By the time the educational reform was enacted, several events had taken place that were instrumental in identifying and analyzing the country"s pressing educational needs. Numerous assessments and studies show the government"s political will and leadership in ensuring that reform policies responded to actual educational needs. A concerted effort was made to incorporate study recommendations into policy decisions. Likewise, early experiences with rural educational programs, such as EDUCO, had mobilized communities and created an atmosphere of policy dialogue involving diverse sectors of the community at the regional and local levels. A demand for reform was born from the direct needs and concerns of the community. As in Nicaragua, the need for education reform in El Salvador has been supported and forcefully articulated by the government. A comprehensive bibliography and selected readings of major evaluations and studies on educational reform, particularly on decentralization of educational systems, is included, with emphasis on documents issued since 1990.