Catalog

Delegating Decisions
ADB Review [ August-October 2006 ]

ADB supports its developing member countries' efforts at decentralizing control in the education sector, including under a long—standing project in the Philippines

By Eric Van Zant
Consultant Writer

INFORMED PARTICIPATION Decentralization allows people at the field level to make their own decisions

Governments around Asia and the Pacific have been decentralizing control of their education systems in an effort to lower costs, overcome unwieldy central bureaucracies, and, above all, to provide young people a better education. Governments are still setting national goals and retaining control over policies and standards, but have been giving local government officials and schools much greater scope to decide how to meet those goals.

However, this delegation of decision making often has not been accompanied by close enough attention to the capacity or skills within local government and school administration systems to deliver on their new responsibilities. While a clear trend, decentralization of education management is still a work in progress requiring innovation and development assistance.

ADB supports its member governments' efforts to devolve administrative control of education systems and is working to build capacity at the local levels to help make that a reality in several countries in Asia and the Pacific, including in the Philippines.

"Decentralization is recognition of the ability of the people at the field level to chart their own progress," says Lolita Andrada, director of the Philippines' Bureau of Secondary Education. It is an attempt to move away from what she describes as a centrally controlled "memo culture."

Ms. Andrada is the project manager of the Secondary Education Development and Improvement Project (SEDIP), which set out in 1998 with joint financing from ADB (a $53 million loan), Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the government of the Philippines. Among its three main components, the project includes "facilitating decentralized management of secondary education" in 15 Philippine provinces spread throughout the country.

SEDIP has also aimed to improve the quality and access to secondary education in provinces with low rates of enrollment and completion and weak student achievement levels. Training has been provided for school heads in planning and management, and for teachers in subject knowledge and teaching skills. The goal is to improve access in underserved areas by establishing new schools and providing an alternative secondary education program for persons unable to attend regular schools.

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Meeting Needs

In many countries, decentralization has been a simple necessity brought on by events and trends long in motion. For example, in 2001, Pakistan's government embarked on an ambitious plan to transfer political, financial, and administrative responsibility for social services to three levels of local government, under the Devolved Social Services Program. ADB has provided steady, long—term support, including in the education sector.

Similarly in Indonesia, a far—reaching decentralization of social services, launched after the Asian financial crisis and the fall of the Suharto regime, has prompted close and consistent support from ADB.

The $125 million Decentralized Basic Education Project supports the decentralization of basic education management in rural Indonesian districts in Nusa Tenggara Barat province and in poor northern districts in Bali. It targets poor children in primary and junior secondary schools and their communities, largely in remote areas. It involves schools, communities, and parents in rehabilitating school facilities, purchasing and delivering textbooks and school supplies, and reaching out to and helping children complete basic education.

In other areas ADB has supported a gradual shift toward decentralization, including through projects building capacity for such efforts in Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Viet Nam.

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A Slow Process

In the Philippines, SEDIP has served as a test case for the entire school system in what has been an admittedly slow—moving process. "It has been an experimental process. It is important that it serve as a laboratory; that we are able to experiment with schools," says Ms. Andrada.

Decentralization can be a difficult issue in many countries, and slow moving as a result. The people involved may have a vested interest in the status quo and may be reluctant to depart with long—held powers. At the same time, local school district officials are often ill—equipped to take on their new powers and need to be supported.

There is evidence in the Philippines, nonetheless, that after a slow start, the concept of decentralization has begun to take hold under SEDIP. "The project is currently focusing on the promotion of school—based management principles as much as possible to give school heads the skills they'll need," says Ms. Andrada. "And all school heads under the project have been trained in basic school—based management."

All the 650 school heads have also completed learning management plans and are preparing to implement them in school year 2006–2007.

On a visit to Agusan del Sur province in Mindanao, Ms. Andrada paid a surprise visit to one school to find a group of principals poring over school improvement plans with no divisional authority present. Few would have attempted such a task in the past without central approval and presence.

Such improvement planning, which all schools are now implementing and is pushed aggressively under the project as part of school—based management, has also begun to show up in other schools not involved in SEDIP.

As a laboratory for change, SEDIP—with firm ADB support—is encouraging and capturing these developments. Decentralization of education services will work well, says Ms. Andrada, "if it is rooted in the experience of the people in the schools that are most able to make things happen."

Read more about the Secondary Education Development and Improvement Project (SEDIP)

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