Publication: Malawi Engaging the Private Sector in Education: SABER Country Report 2015
Loading...
Published
2017-06
ISSN
Date
2017-09-08
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This report presents an analysis of how effectively current policies in Malawi engage the private sector in primary and secondary education. The analysis draws on the engaging the private sector (EPS) framework, a product of the World Bank’s systems approach for better education results (SABER). SABER-EPS research in Malawi found that the net enrollment rate for primary education has increased significantly, to 89 percent, while secondary net enrollment rate remains low, at only 11 percent as of 2013 (the latest available data). At both the primary and secondary levels, quality, and equity are challenges. The private sector plays an increasingly significant role in education at both levels. Based on a review of existing policies, SABER-EPS offers the following recommendations for enhancing private sector engagement in the education sector in the country in order to meet the challenges of access, quality, and equity: (1) concentrate on improving the quality of learning outcomes by encouraging continuous improvement at the school level by means of school improvement planning and incentives; (2) empower parents by ensuring that they are given information on school quality that enables them to make informed choices and are not hindered by restrictive school selection criteria; and (3) create a regulatory environment that encourages greater supply of school places to help overcome constraints, particularly at the secondary level. The report provides an overview of SABER-EPS, followed by a description of the primary and secondary education system in Malawi with a focus on the private sector and government policies related to the private provision of education. The report then benchmarks Malawi’s policy environment utilizing the SABER-EPS Framework and offers policy options to enhance access and learning for all children in primary and secondary school.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Baum, Donald Rey; De Brular, Laura Lewis. 2017. Malawi Engaging the Private Sector in Education: SABER Country Report 2015. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28257 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Ghana Engaging the Private Sector in Education(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-06)Systems approach for better education results (SABER) - engaging the private sector (EPS) research in Ghana has found that enrollment rates for primary and secondary education have increased significantly. At both the primary and secondary levels, quality, and equity remain challenges. The private sector plays an increasingly significant role in education at both levels. Based on a review of existing policies, SABER-EPS offers the following recommendations for Ghana to enhance private sector engagement in education and meet the challenges of access, quality, and equity: (1) strengthen policies to ensure independent private schools are more accountable for learning outcomes; (2) provide greater incentives to support a diverse number of private school providers while ensuring equitable access; and (3) encourage innovation in schools by ensuring greater flexibility in managing schools, services, and staff. This report presents an analysis of how effectively policies in Ghana engage the private sector in basic (primary and secondary) education. The report provides an overview of the SABER-EPS tool, followed by a description of the basic education system in Ghana that focuses on the private sector and government policies related to the private provision of education. The report then benchmarks Ghana’s policy environment utilizing the SABER-EPS framework and offers policy options to enhance access and learning for all children in primary and secondary school.Publication Zambia Engaging the Private Sector in Education(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-06)This report presents an analysis of how effectively the current policies of Zambia engage the private sector in basic (primary and secondary) education. The analysis draws on the engaging the private sector (EPS) framework, a product of the World Bank’s systems approach for better education results (SABER). SABER-EPS research in Zambia has found that despite impressive gains in enrollment, education quality remains a serious concern, as does equity - especially beyond the primary level. School providers in Zambia include private schools, community schools, and grant-aided schools. Non-government schools account for a sizable share of education service provision in the country. Based on a review of existing policies, SABER-EPS offers the following recommendations for Zambia to enhance its engagement with the non-state sector in education and to meet the challenges of access, quality, and equity: strengthen system accountability measures; consider a needs-based inspection system where underperforming schools receive greater scrutiny and support; and increase the information available to parents on school quality, including via school report cards. The report provides an overview of SABER-EPS, followed by a description of the basic education system in Zambia, with a focus on the non-state sector and government policies related to the private provision of education. The report then benchmarks Zambia’s policy environment utilizing the SABER-EPS framework and finally offers policy options to enhance learning for all children in primary and secondary school.Publication What Matters Most for Engaging the Private Sector in Education(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-07)This paper provides an overview of what matters most for engaging the private sector in basic education. In many countries, private schools educate a substantial and growing share of the student population. The goal of this paper is not to advocate for private schooling, but to outline the most effective evidence based policies that governments can use to orient these non-state providers toward promoting learning for all children and youth. Systems approach for better education results (SABER) engaging the private sector (EPS) builds upon the framework for effective service delivery outlined in the World Bank's World Development Report 2004, making services work for the poor, as well as in the World Bank's education sector strategy 2020, learning for all. To assist countries in improving their policy frameworks for private education, SABER EPS analyzes and benchmarks four policy goals that, according to the global evidence, can strengthen provider accountability and promote learning for all. These policy goals are: (1) encouraging innovation by providers; (2) holding schools accountable; (3) empowering all parents, students, and communities; and (4) promoting diversity of supply. Each of these policy goals is benchmarked across four common models of private service delivery: (a) independent private schools, (b) government funded private schools, (c) privately managed schools, and (d) voucher schools. In its country level application of the framework and tools, SABER EPS assesses only the modes of private delivery that already exist in each country.Publication The Role of the Private Sector in Providing Basic Education Services in Kasoa, Ghana(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015)Despite significant government investments in the public education system, population growth and migration have led to an undersupply of school places, especially in urban centers, leading to an increase in private education enrollments in Ghana. Ghana has nearly doubled enrollment at the primary and junior high school levels since the introduction of free and compulsory universal basic education. Ghana’s primary net enrollment rate of 86.8 percent in 2013 is still slightly below the average for lower-middle-income countries, which was 87.3 percent. Its net rate of secondary enrollment (including junior and senior high school), 51 percent, is also lower than the 58 percent average for lower-middle-income countries (EdStats). Ghana’s public spending on education is comparable to that of other middle-income countries and the government is currently focusing its attention on upper secondary education (senior high school), with plans to build more schools to increase access. Rising enrollment rates have not been accompanied by gains in student learning; some parents are choosing private schools due to their perceived higher quality. The education system in Ghana is currently facing fiscal pressures due to low levels of accountability, inefficient allocation of resources, and plans to expand upper secondary provision. Although the Ghanaian government has made progress in improving equitable access to education through new programs and policies, government resources are currently unevenly distributed across regions in terms of spending per pupil as well as the allocation of teachers. Ghana currently has a budget deficit, with teacher salaries forming a large part of recurrent costs in education. The country also plans to expand education at the senior secondary level to meet the needs of the economy. The construction of 200 schools will put further pressure on government budgets.Publication Swaziland Engaging the Private Sector in Education(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-06)This report presents an analysis of how effectively the current policies in Swaziland engage the private sector in basic (primary and secondary) education. The analysis draws on the engaging the private sector (EPS) framework, a product of the World Bank’s systems approach for better education results (SABER). SABER-EPS research in Swaziland has found that at both the primary and secondary levels, quality, and equity are challenges. The private sector plays an increasingly significant role in education at both levels. Based on a review of existing policies, SABER-EPS offers the following recommendations for Swaziland to enhance private sector engagement in education in order to meet the challenges of access, quality, and equity: (1) empower parents to make informed educational choices, while providing additional support to disadvantaged groups; (2) strengthen accountability mechanisms to ensure that all students receive a quality education; and (3) strengthen the policy environment for the non-state sector to promote transparency and an adequate supply of school places. The report provides an overview of SABER-EPS findings, followed by a description of the basic education system in Swaziland that focuses on the private sector and government policies related to the private provision of education. The report then benchmarks Swaziland’s policy environment utilizing the SABER-EPS Framework and offers policy options to enhance access and learning for all children in primary and secondary school.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication World Development Report 2017(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-01-30)Why are carefully designed, sensible policies too often not adopted or implemented? When they are, why do they often fail to generate development outcomes such as security, growth, and equity? And why do some bad policies endure? This book addresses these fundamental questions, which are at the heart of development. Policy making and policy implementation do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they take place in complex political and social settings, in which individuals and groups with unequal power interact within changing rules as they pursue conflicting interests. The process of these interactions is what this Report calls governance, and the space in which these interactions take place, the policy arena. The capacity of actors to commit and their willingness to cooperate and coordinate to achieve socially desirable goals are what matter for effectiveness. However, who bargains, who is excluded, and what barriers block entry to the policy arena determine the selection and implementation of policies and, consequently, their impact on development outcomes. Exclusion, capture, and clientelism are manifestations of power asymmetries that lead to failures to achieve security, growth, and equity. The distribution of power in society is partly determined by history. Yet, there is room for positive change. This Report reveals that governance can mitigate, even overcome, power asymmetries to bring about more effective policy interventions that achieve sustainable improvements in security, growth, and equity. This happens by shifting the incentives of those with power, reshaping their preferences in favor of good outcomes, and taking into account the interests of previously excluded participants. These changes can come about through bargains among elites and greater citizen engagement, as well as by international actors supporting rules that strengthen coalitions for reform.Publication Wealth Sharing for Conflict Prevention and Economic Growth : Botswana Case Study of Natural Resource Utilization for Peace and Development(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-12)There are countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and even a few such countries in Africa that are using non-renewable resources to drive development and have not experienced conflict. South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia are such typical cases in Africa. Instead, the presence of significant minerals in Botswana is associated with economic development and democracy as well as peace. This paper applies the "resource curse", thesis to the case of Botswana, a country that is rich in minerals, yet it has realized positive development thus avoiding conflict and 'the resource curse'. The focus of this study is to examine the experience of Botswana in using natural resources to promote equitable development and thereby avoid conflict which often results from selfish private or ethnic group interests that elsewhere have used natural resources to the exclusion of other groups in society. This study specifically looks at the conditions and factors that facilitated the absence of internal conflict in the extraction of natural resources in Botswana. The key questions answered are: what contextual conditions and factors facilitated the peaceful extraction of natural resources in Botswana?; and were these factors unique to Botswana or can they be replicated elsewhere?. The first chapter gives introduction. The second chapter deals with the socio-political setting of the chiefs' rule during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. The third chapter discusses Botswana's democracy and how it has evolved not only to democratize society but also to become a management culture of good governance for defining how the natural resources will be utilized for the country's development. Chapter four outlines the mineral resource base of Botswana and the policies and strategies used by government in ensuring that such resources were used for public good rather than the self-interest of either the leaders or mining houses. Chapter five focuses attention on cases of local conflicts relating to mineral and other natural resources around different parts of the country. Chapter six brings the issues together to explain Botswana's democratic and mineral dividends in attaining a high development success rate. Chapter seven presents conclusion.Publication Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System : A Handbook for Development Practitioners(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2004)An effective state is essential to achieving socio-economic and sustainable development. With the advent of globalization, there are growing pressures on governments and organizations around the world to be more responsive to the demands of internal and external stakeholders for good governance, accountability and transparency, greater development effectiveness, and delivery of tangible results. Governments, parliaments, citizens, the private sector, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), civil society, international organizations, and donors are among the stakeholders interested in better performance. As demands for greater accountability and real results have increased, there is an attendant need for enhanced results-based monitoring and evaluation of policies, programs, and projects. This handbook provides a comprehensive ten-step model that will help guide development practitioners through the process of designing and building a results-based monitoring and evaluation system. These steps begin with a 'readiness assessment' and take the practitioner through the design, management, and importantly, the sustainability of such systems. The handbook describes each step in detail, the tasks needed to complete each one, and the tools available to help along the way.Publication Tanzania Jobs Diagnostic(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018)Tanzania has just entered a phase of growing dependency rates that will put pressure on job creation so that the larger number of dependents do not fall into poverty. However, the new millions of jobs that will be needed in the next decade is only part of the challenge. It is important to create better jobs. An economy that produces plenty of good jobs is the most direct way to continue the trajectory toward lower poverty rates. Challenges to creating more and better jobs for the poor and vulnerable groups stem from both labor demand and supply issues. On the demand side, large firms in a few sectors dominate. Possibly because of that dominance, micro and small firms find it difficult to grow and provide new jobs. Firms’ relatively restricted market access may also be a crucial factor in explaining comparative low productivity and employment. Trade expansion and a well-connected economy would address issues of comparative low-productivity and employment. On the supply side, urban areas have high unemployment. In rural areas, underemployment is on the rise. The fall in unemployment rates may be largely explained by discouraged workers withdrawing from the labor force. Where there is willingness to work—like with women and young workers—disparities in the access to quality employment is an obstacle. Finally, the rise in educational attainment was insufficient to address labor market challenges likely due to the fall in the quality of education. The objective of the Jobs Diagnostic (JD) is to identify the main challenges to job creation and to improve the quality and inclusiveness of employment. The JD is a data-driven exercise that looks at macroeconomic and demographic factors, as well as labor supply and demand to pinpoint the main constraints for a jobs-rich growth path. The fact that JDs are data-driven allows for international comparisons based on standardized datasets.The JD covers three main areas: macro and demographic trends, labor supply, and labor demand. The first section looks at the relationships between employment growth, labor productivity, and economic growth to set the macro context to later examine labor supply and demand. The second section cover labor supply. It aims to identify trends in labor supply to understand the population’s needs for employment, the unemployment challenges, underemployment, and waged and informal employment. These trends include working-age population (WAP), labor force, and inactivity. Once identified, international comparisons are based on a global harmonized household database (International Income Distribution Dataset— ‘I2D2’). The labor supply section in JDs employs a set of harmonized variables that are comparable across countries and time. The third section covers labor demand. It aims to identify the links between sectoral productivity, size, age, and other characteristics to assess the constraints for employment growth, productivity, and wages. Firm-level datasets such as Enterprise Surveys, (which allow for some international benchmarking), or censuses of enterprises are used to do this. The demand for labor is derived from the production of goods and services by entrepreneurs to meet the demand for products in an economy. The analysis also highlights who gets the jobs created in the economy and what variables determine earnings and employment. A JD analyzes a country’s economic transformations in relation to other experiences. There are three important aspects of such transformation: Structural transformation (the movement of labor across sectors); Spatial transformation (or “urbanization”; the movement of labor across places); and Organizational transformation (or “formalization”; the movement from informality to formal work, and from self to waged employment). A JD also identifies the characteristics of individuals that can access jobs in the economy, and those who are left behind.Publication World Development Report 1984(New York: Oxford University Press, 1984)Long-term needs and sustained effort are underlying themes in this year's report. As with most of its predecessors, it is divided into two parts. The first looks at economic performance, past and prospective. The second part is this year devoted to population - the causes and consequences of rapid population growth, its link to development, why it has slowed down in some developing countries. The two parts mirror each other: economic policy and performance in the next decade will matter for population growth in the developing countries for several decades beyond. Population policy and change in the rest of this century will set the terms for the whole of development strategy in the next. In both cases, policy changes will not yield immediate benefits, but delay will reduce the room for maneuver that policy makers will have in years to come.