Vouchers for Basic Education in Developing Economies : An Accountability Perspective

Advocates argue that voucher programs can correct the incentive problems of education systems in developing economies. An accountability perspective, based on a principal-agent framework, was developed to clarify the arguments for and against education vouchers. An assessment of findings on voucher programs in industrial countries and a review of voucher or quasi-voucher experiences in Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Czech Republic support the usefulness of the analytic framework. The assessment concludes that the policy relevance of voucher programs for developing economies remains uncertain. Major voucher initiatives have been attempted only in countries with a well-developed institutional infrastructure. Some studies find favorable benefits for at least some population groups, but others find limited effects and evidence of increasing social stratification in schools. Whether vouchers lead to better outcomes or greater stratification appears related to specific contexts, institutional variables, and program designs.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gauri, Varun, Vawda, Ayesha
Format: Journal Article biblioteca
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank 2003-01-01
Subjects:ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, ACADEMIC YEAR, ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACHIEVEMENT SCORES, AFFORDABLE ACCESS, APPROACH TO EDUCATION, AVAILABILITY OF TEXTBOOKS, AVERAGE ENROLLMENT, BASIC EDUCATION, BETTER SCHOOLS, BETTER TEACHERS, CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS, CLASS SIZES, COGNITIVE SKILLS, COMMUNITY GRANTS, CURRICULA, CURRICULUM, DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, DISADVANTAGED STUDENT, DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, DOUBLE-SHIFT, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS, EDUCATION ECONOMICS, EDUCATION EXPENDITURE, EDUCATION POLICY, EDUCATION REFORM, EDUCATION REFORMS, EDUCATION SECTOR, EDUCATION STANDARDS, EDUCATION SYSTEM, EDUCATION SYSTEMS, EDUCATION VOUCHER PROGRAM, EDUCATION VOUCHERS, EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL QUALITY, EDUCATIONAL REFORM, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, EDUCATORS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, ELEMENTS, ELITE SCHOOLS, EMPLOYMENT, ENROLLMENT FIGURES, ENROLLMENT RATES, ENROLLMENT RATES FOR GIRLS, ENTRY REQUIREMENTS, EQUAL TREATMENT, EQUITY IN EDUCATION, ETHNIC GROUPS, ETHNIC MINORITIES, EVALUATION OF EDUCATION, EXAM, EXAM PERFORMANCE, EXAMS, EXPENDITURES, GRADE ENROLLMENT, GRADE REPETITION, HEADMASTERS, HIGH RATES OF TEACHER ABSENTEEISM, HIGHER TEST SCORES, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS, LEARNING, LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT, LEARNING DISABILITIES, LEARNING METHODS, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, LET, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LITERACY, LITERATURE, LOCAL SCHOOLS, LOW ENROLLMENT RATES, LOW ENROLLMENTS, MATH TEST, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, MUNICIPAL SCHOOL, MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS, NATIONAL CURRICULUM, NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, NUMBER OF STUDENTS, NUMERACY, OPEN UNIVERSITY, PAPERS, PARENTAL CHOICE, PEDAGOGICAL TRADITIONS, PEDAGOGY, PLURALISM, POLITICAL SCIENCE, POOR PEOPLE, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY EDUCATION QUALITY, PRIMARY LEVEL, PRINCIPALS, PRIVATE EDUCATION, PRIVATE EDUCATION SECTOR, PRIVATE ENROLLMENTS, PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS, PRIVATE SCHOOLING, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, PRIVATE STUDENTS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOL QUALITY, PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS, PUPIL FINANCING, QUALIFIED TEACHERS, QUALITY OF EDUCATION, QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION, QUALITY OF TEACHER TRAINING, QUALITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, QUALITY STANDARDS, RACIAL SEGREGATION, READING, RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS, REPETITION RATES, RESEARCH FINDINGS, RETURNS TO EDUCATION, RURAL AREAS, RURAL SCHOOLS, SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT, SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SCHOOL BOARDS, SCHOOL COSTS, SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT, SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS, SCHOOL FEES, SCHOOL FUNDING, SCHOOL INSPECTIONS, SCHOOL LEVEL, SCHOOL LOCATION, SCHOOL OWNERS, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, SCHOOL POPULATION, SCHOOL QUALITY, SCHOOL SIZE, SCHOOL STUDENTS, SCHOOL YEAR, SCHOOLING, SCHOOLING FOR GIRLS, SCHOOLS, SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY ENROLLMENT, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SHIFT SCHOOLS, SOCIAL COHESION, SPORTS, STANDARDIZED TESTS, STATE SCHOOLS, STATISTICAL ANALYSES, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, STUDENT ADMISSIONS, STUDENT BODY, STUDENT ENROLLMENT, STUDENT ENROLLMENTS, STUDENT FEES, STUDENT PERFORMANCE, STUDENT SUBSIDY, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, SUPPLY OF SCHOOLS, TEACHER, TEACHER ABSENTEEISM, TEACHER HIRING, TEACHER SALARIES, TEACHER TRAINING, TEACHERS, TEACHING, TEACHING METHODS, TEXTBOOK, TEXTBOOK SHORTAGES, TEXTBOOKS, TUITION, TUITION COSTS, TUTORING, UNIVERSAL ACCESS, UNIVERSAL COVERAGE, UNIVERSITIES, URBAN SCHOOLS, VOUCHER SYSTEM, YOUTH,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/01/17559692/vouchers-basic-education-developing-economies-accountability-perspective
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16410
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Summary:Advocates argue that voucher programs can correct the incentive problems of education systems in developing economies. An accountability perspective, based on a principal-agent framework, was developed to clarify the arguments for and against education vouchers. An assessment of findings on voucher programs in industrial countries and a review of voucher or quasi-voucher experiences in Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Czech Republic support the usefulness of the analytic framework. The assessment concludes that the policy relevance of voucher programs for developing economies remains uncertain. Major voucher initiatives have been attempted only in countries with a well-developed institutional infrastructure. Some studies find favorable benefits for at least some population groups, but others find limited effects and evidence of increasing social stratification in schools. Whether vouchers lead to better outcomes or greater stratification appears related to specific contexts, institutional variables, and program designs.