2017年-世界发展银行全球_Zambia_Engaging_the_Private_Sector_in_Education___SABER_Country_Report_2016_31页_1mb

Summary of Zambia's Private Sector Engagement in Education (SABER Country Report, 2016)

Core Content

This report analyzes Zambia's policies for engaging the private sector in basic education, using the SABER-Engaging the Private Sector (EPS) framework. It evaluates how well current policies support four key goals: encouraging innovation by providers, holding schools accountable, empowering parents, students, and communities, and promoting diversity of supply. The report also presents policy recommendations to enhance private sector engagement in education to improve access, quality, and equity.

Main Policy Goals and Their Status

1. Encouraging Innovation by Providers

• Independent Private Schools:

  • Status: Established
  • Key Points:
    • Schools have legal authority to appoint, deploy, and dismiss teachers, and set their own salaries.
    • Schools can set their own curriculum, with final review by the Ministry of Education.
    • The Education Board has authority over classroom resource allocation, with central authority for final review.
    • School leaders have autonomy in key managerial areas such as teacher qualifications, class size, and budget management.

• Government-Funded Private Schools:

  • Status: Emerging
  • Key Points:
    • Schools have some autonomy in managing budgets and teacher appointments.
    • The central government retains control over curriculum delivery and instructional standards.
    • Grant-aided schools have more autonomy in teacher management compared to community schools.
    • Community schools may have teachers appointed by the Ministry when qualified staff is lacking.

2. Holding Schools Accountable

• Independent Private Schools:

  • Status: Emerging
  • Key Points:
    • The government sets learning standards and requires annual standardized exams.
    • Standard term inspections are conducted, and reports highlight areas for improvement.
    • No sanctions are applied based on inspection or exam results.

• Government-Funded Private Schools:

  • Status: Emerging
  • Key Points:
    • Similar accountability mechanisms apply as in independent schools.
    • Schools must report on the use of public funds, which is a condition for continued funding.
    • There is no systematic way to ensure accountability, and sanctions are not used.

3. Empowering All Parents, Students, and Communities

• Independent Private Schools:

  • Status: Latent
  • Key Points:
    • Parents and students are not provided with information on exam results or inspection reports.
    • No surveys are conducted involving parents or students during inspections.
    • No tax subsidies or cash transfers are given to families attending private schools.

• Government-Funded Private Schools:

  • Status: Emerging
  • Key Points:
    • Ad hoc information is available on exam results and inspection reports.
    • No systematic surveys are conducted involving parents or students.
    • Schools may select students based on academic performance and geography.
    • Parental choice is limited by non-monetary contributions (e.g., in-kind labor or goods).

4. Promoting Diversity of Supply

• Independent Private Schools:

  • Status: Established
  • Key Points:
    • The government allows various types of providers (community, not-for-profit, faith-based, and for-profit) to operate schools.
    • Registration and certification guidelines are public and accessible from multiple sources.
    • Schools must pay registration and renewal fees.

• Government-Funded Private Schools:

  • Status: Established
  • Key Points:
    • All types of providers are allowed to operate.
    • Aided schools must pay a fee to apply for aid.
    • Budgets for academic and non-academic expenses are equivalent to those in public schools.

Key Information

• Education Context in Zambia:

  • A lower-middle-income country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • GDP per capita is US$1,469, with an average annual growth rate of 6.3% from 2004 to 2012.
  • High incidence of financial deprivation, with 75% of the population living below the international poverty line in 2010.
  • Low Human Development Index (HDI) score, ranking 141st out of 187 countries in 2014.
  • Education expenditures range from 15.3% to 20.5% of total government spending, translating to 3.7% to 4.4% of GDP.
  • Adult literacy rate is 61%, similar to the regional average in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Learning outcomes are below regional averages, with grade 6 students performing 0.75 standard deviations lower in reading and mathematics.

• Private Education in Zambia:

  • Non-government schools account for a significant portion of education provision.
  • In 2009, 22% of students in grades 1–9 were enrolled in private schools.
  • Community schools make up the largest share of non-government schools, followed by private/church schools.
  • There are three types of non-government schools: private, community, and grant-aided.

• Policy Recommendations:

  • Strengthen the inspection system to ensure accountability and provide follow-up actions, particularly for underperforming schools.
  • Increase the availability of information on school quality to parents through school report cards.
  • Prohibit the use of inequitable entrance selection criteria to ensure fair access for all students.

Conclusion

Zambia has made progress in engaging the private sector in education, particularly in promoting diversity of supply and allowing some level of school autonomy. However, there is a need to improve accountability mechanisms, empower parents and students with information, and ensure equitable access to education services. The SABER-EPS framework provides a useful tool for benchmarking and improving policies to enhance learning outcomes for all children.