The Need for Accountability in Education in Developing Countries

Isaac Mbiti

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2016, vol. 30, issue 3, 109-32

Abstract: Despite the rapid growth in enrollment rates across the developing world, there are major concerns about the quality of education that children receive. Across numerous developing countries, recent learning assessments have revealed that children are not able to develop basic numeracy and literary skills. These low levels of learning are the result of a number of interrelated factors, many of which reflect the low levels of accountability across multiple levels of the education system. In this paper, I document the main education challenges facing developing countries, including the lack of accountability among teachers and school management. I also review recent literature that documents the effectiveness of interventions aimed at addressing these accountability issues. Finally, I assess the potential for the market to improve accountability in the education sector in developing countries.

JEL-codes: H52 I21 I25 I28 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.30.3.109
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (35)

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