2012年-世界发展银行全球_Senegal___School_Autonomy_and_Accountability_13页_933kb

Senegal School Autonomy and Accountability Summary

Core Content

Senegal has been working on the decentralization of its education system since 1972, with a significant acceleration in 1996. The country implemented a ten-year education and training development program (PDEF) starting in 2000, which emphasized school-based management (SBM) as a means to enhance educational quality. In 2002, school management committees (CGEs) were established to represent the interests of parents, the community, and other stakeholders in school governance. However, the implementation of school autonomy and accountability in Senegal remains limited, with many policies still in the latent or emerging stages.

Main Indicators and Status

1. School Autonomy in the Planning and Management of the School Budget

• Status: Latent
• Key Points:
  • Primary school operational budgets are managed by the Departmental Inspection Offices (IDENs) and local authorities.
  • School directors do not directly manage the budget.
  • Teacher salaries are determined by the central government.
  • Non-teaching staff are managed by local authorities.
  • CGEs have limited involvement in budget planning and management.

2. School Autonomy in Personnel Management

• Status: Latent
• Key Points:
  • Both school directors and teachers are appointed by the Ministry of Education.
  • CGEs do not participate in teacher appointments or deployments.
  • Teacher transfers are managed by IDENs and IAs (Inspectors of the Regions).
  • School directors are selected based on central government criteria and deployed by the Ministry's Human Resources Department.

3. Role of the School Council in School Governance

• Status: Latent
• Key Points:
  • CGEs are not involved in the preparation, approval, or implementation of school budgets.
  • There is no operational manual for CGEs to guide their participation in school finances.
  • CGEs supervise the implementation of the "School Project" grant, but this is limited in scope.
  • Budgets are prepared at the central level without CGE involvement.

4. School and Student Assessments

• Status: Established
• Key Points:
  • There are two types of standardized assessments: one at the national level (SNERS) and one at the departmental level (quarterly assessments for each primary school grade).
  • SNERS assessments are conducted every two years, while quarterly assessments started in the third phase of PDEF (2008–2011).
  • Results are analyzed by IDENs for pedagogical reflection and shared publicly with schools.
  • The CFEE (Certified Examination of Primary Education) is conducted annually for all students.
  • However, the dissemination of results is not yet widespread, and the use of these results for school improvement is limited.

5. Accountability

• Status: Latent
• Key Points:
  • The Ministry of Education analyzes student assessment results and shares them with IDENs.
  • There is no manual or guidelines for using these results for accountability.
  • CGEs have no role in school audits or financial accountability mechanisms.
  • Accountability mechanisms are not yet fully integrated with school autonomy and assessment systems.

Education System Structure

• Pre-primary: Ages 3–6
• Primary: Ages 7–12 (Grades 1–6)
• Lower Secondary: Ages 13–16 (Grades 7–10)
• Upper Secondary: Ages 17–19 (Grades 11–13)
• Undergraduate: Ages 20–23 (Grades 14–17)
• Graduate Studies: Ages 24+ (Grades 18+)

Educational Expenditure (2009)

• Public expenditures on education as % of GDP: 6.0%
• Public expenditures on education as % of total government expenditure (2008): 19.0%
• Distribution of public expenditure by education level (2009):
  • Pre-primary: 0.0%
  • Primary: 44.0%
  • Secondary: 30.0%
  • Tertiary: 24.0%
  • Other: 2.0%

Key Challenges and Findings

• Low Primary Completion Rate: Remained at 57% in 2009, due to both supply-side (incomplete school cycles, distance) and demand-side (low parental and community regard for education) issues.
• Assessment Performance: In 2009, only 20% of sixth-grade (CM2) students met the desired level in French, and 10% in math, according to SNERS.
• SBM and System Closure: School-Based Management (SBM) is a form of decentralization that involves school councils, but in Senegal, it is not yet fully effective. For system closure, there must be a balance between autonomy, assessment, and accountability.
• PISA Insights: Countries with more autonomy and standardized assessments tend to have better student performance. However, in Senegal, the link between autonomy and accountability is weak.

Conclusion

Senegal has made progress in decentralizing education and promoting school-based management, but the implementation of school autonomy and accountability remains in the latent or emerging stages. The country has established standardized assessments and is investing heavily in education, but these assessments are not yet fully utilized for accountability or school improvement. The role of school councils is limited, and there is a lack of clear guidelines for using assessment results to drive performance. To achieve better educational outcomes, Senegal needs to strengthen its school autonomy and accountability mechanisms, including the involvement of school councils in budget and personnel decisions, and the use of assessment data for improvement.