Literature Review toward Political Economy Analysis of Decentralization of the Education Sector in the Republic of Niger

The current situation in Niger's education sector is characterized by several key challenges, including teacher professional development, teacher deployment, teacher absenteeism, and the capacity of local governments to adhere to current policies and procedures for decentralized public financial management. Teacher professional development is a critical issue in Niger's education sector, with the structures, procedures, and resources for teacher training being inadequate. The ability of regional and departmental directorates, inspectors, and pedagogical counselors to reach and engage with schools and teachers is limited, resulting in a lack of effective teacher training. This has led to a shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Teacher deployment is another significant challenge in Niger's education sector. The procedures for deploying and redeploying teachers leave ambiguity and gaps in stakeholder responsibilities, resulting in disparities in teacher deployments. This has led to a surplus of teachers in urban and well-served areas and a shortage of teachers in rural and underserved areas. Teacher absenteeism is a major problem in Niger's education sector, with up to one-third of all instructional hours being lost due to teacher absenteeism. This has a significant impact on the quality of education and the learning outcomes of students. The capacity of local governments to adhere to current policies and procedures for decentralized public financial management of the education sector is also a challenge. The procedures for calculating the student population as the main driver of budget determinations for each school, and consequently for municipalities, departments, and regions, are inadequate. This has led to a lack of transparency and accountability in the financial management of the education sector. Non-state schools, which serve around 27% of secondary and 13% of middle school students, are also a significant issue in Niger's education sector. The engagement with and oversight of non-state schools, including teacher training and professional development, is limited. The role of decentralized inspection offices in regulating non-state schools is also unclear. Despite these challenges, there are several opportunities for improving the decentralization of the education sector in Niger. The functioning of school committees, which include management of grants for maintaining school grounds and educational activities, is a positive development. The World Bank's Learning Improvement for Results in Education (LIRE) project has also reported several successes, including the elaboration of new policies and structures to strengthen teacher professional development, the restructuring of responsibilities regarding teacher deployment, and the further accountability relations between schools and municipal, departmental, and regional offices. The LIRE project has committed a further 230 million USD to Niger's education sector, in addition to the initial 140 million dollars of funding committed in 2020. However, the unfolding political events in Niger, including the recent coup, may have an impact on donor commitments and the potential for primary data collection in the field. The World Bank has issued a statement pausing disbursements for all operations until further notice, and other donors may follow suit.