This study examined perceptions and utilization of Web 4.0 technologies among Technical Vocational Education and Training lecturers in Nigerian universities in South-South geopolitical zone. Two research questions were formulated for the study. A descriptive survey design was used. Population consisted of 128 lecturers. Sample size was 105 lecturers (75 males, 30 female). A structured questionnaire with 30 items was used. Experts validated the instrument. Reliability testing produced Cronbach alpha values of .78. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Findings showed that lecturers expressed positive perceptions of Web 4.0 tools such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual reality, augmented reality and semantic web systems for teaching and learning. Responses indicated acceptance of interactive learning, skill demonstration and learner engagement. Utilization results showed moderate use of Web 4.0 technologies in teaching activities, with AI tools and virtual reality recording partial application. Blockchain and semantic web tools showed mixed usage patterns. Limited access to infrastructure and training influenced application levels. Gender pattern showed close mean values for male and female respondents. The researchers recommended the need for adequate digital infrastructure, regular lecturer training, improved internet connectivity and curriculum integration of Web 4.0 tools in TVET programmes, with support from government and institutional management for sustained implementation and capacity development.
Nepal?s federal transition has shifted major responsibilities for basic and secondary education to local governments, including rural municipalities. This paper examines how they are using this mandate and what it implies for education equity. Using qualitative analysis of constitutional and legal texts, national sector plans, and municipal education policies and budgets, it focuses on three domains: governance capacity, fiscal capacity, and the alignment of policy and practice. Rural Municipalities (RMs) are beginning to institutionalize their role through education sections, local acts and annual plans, and, in some cases, substantial budget allocations to education. However, legal ambiguities, reliance on earmarked federal grants, limited administrative capacity and politicized teacher management restrict their room for maneuver. These constraints create a gap between rights-based commitments and everyday schooling, especially for disadvantaged children in remote areas, and highlight the need for clearer roles, stronger local capacity and more equitable, flexible financing and accountability.
Charry Mae Grepon, Eloiza Tagarda, Maricel Ugat, Ray Butch Mahinay · 6 authors
The Alternative Learning System (ALS) plays a critical role in expanding access to education for out-of-school youth and adults in the Philippines. However, persistent governance and financing constraints continue to challenge the program’s capacity to deliver equitable learning opportunities. This study examines ALS financing within the context of the 2026 EDCOM II reform to understand how national and local funding mechanisms are structured to support program equity and implementation. The study employed a qualitative policy analysis using document review of official policy reports, fiscal allocations, and reform frameworks related to ALS financing. This study does not evaluate implementation outcomes, learner-level effects, or empirically observed program impacts, and is limited to policy-documentary analysis of financing structures and reform intent. Key sources included the FY 2026 proposed national ALS budget, formal EDCOM II reform documents, DEPED-DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 1 (s. 2025) on the Special Education Fund (SEF), and related governance issues. A results-chain conceptual model was used to analyze the expected and policy derived relationships between financing inputs, intended program outcomes as reflected in policy logic, rather than empirically validated effects. The documentary analysis suggests that a significant portion of the ALS budget is allocated to direct learner subsidies, reflecting a learner-centered and equity-oriented financing design. Policy reforms under EDCOM II also introduce governance and financing mechanisms, such as decentralization, dedicated ALS budget lines, and SEF co-financing, designed to support more equitable resource allocation. However, persistent bottlenecks, including infrastructure gaps, uneven regional access, and service-delivery capacity constraints, may constrain implementation effectiveness. The study concludes that coordinated national and local financing mechanisms may provide enabling conditions for strengthening ALS implementation. Integrating Program Support Funds and SEF allocations may support more responsive resource distribution and locally responsive service delivery. The findings provide policy-documentary analysis that may inform ALS financing reforms and future efforts toward more equitable resource allocation.
This text analyzes and evaluates the educational financing policy, at the municipal level, whose thematic is the financing of education: School Autonomy Program (PAE) in EMEIEF Governador César Cals de Oliveira Filho, at Maracanaú-CE. Documentary and bibliographical research was used to carry out a brief history of how Brazilian education and educational financing developed, highlighting in each period the economic, political and social conditions of the time, giving a brief report of these policies, seeking to highlight the relationship between educational financing policies and democracy, presentation of the financial decentralization process as a promoter of social inclusion and presentation of the PAE in the social context in which this policy is inserted and its effects on strengthening democratic management, increasing pedagogical, administrative and school finances, in favor of quality education. In the methodology that was used in the search to respond to the proposed objectives, qualitative research was chosen, from the perspective of an in-depth evaluation, with a case study of the research and data collection instruments. This dissertation sought to understand the social, cultural, economic and political facts that influence policy, promoting an approximation with the object of study, promoters or not of a social inclusion of the subjects involved in decision-making and improving the quality of education.
This paper does an empirical study on the impact of decentralized school management system on the student's math achievement in rural compulsory education with the method of hierarchical linear model and the data of Rural Compulsory Education Survey launched by China's Education Finance Research Institute in 2007.Results show that the decentralized personnel management system has a statistically significant positive effect on the student's math achievement,but the decentralized school finance system has a statistically mixed effect on the student's math achievement.Based on the above conclusion,this paper proposes the following policy recommendations to improve the quality of math teaching in the compulsory education in mid-east china and advance the implementation of the reform of New Mechanism: giving the autonomy of the use of certain expenses and personnel management for teachers to principals in rural primary and secondary schools,and strengthening the monitoring mechanisms for the process of the use of public expenses in schools.
A gestão democrática, a autonomia e a participação popular nos processos decisórios são elementos que sintetizam as características das relações sociais que fundamentam um tipo de sociedade pautada em relações transparentes e solidárias. Nesse sentido, a escola pública é local privilegiado para o estabelecimento de relações sociais dessa natureza. A instituição de canais de participação e a oferta de condições institucionais, materiais e humanas para as escolas públicas são elementos indispensáveis para que isso se realize. A implementação de políticas públicas comprometidas com as classes trabalhadoras sugere que o Estado, por intermédio de suas instituições, se aproxime dos usuários dos bens e serviços públicos, provendo-lhes os meios necessários que garantam condições dignas para o exercício da cidadania. No caso das escolas públicas municipais de São Carlos, a regularidade na disponibilização de recursos financeiros para os gestores escolares foi uma forma de descentralização adotada pela Administração Municipal de São Carlos, no período 2001-2004 para garantir as condições materiais de funcionamento das escolas, com a participação popular. A análise dos dados demonstrou que essa política pública é um instrumento importante para atender as necessidades materiais e de serviços mais imediatos das escolas públicas. O desenvolvimento do trabalho mostrou que a prioridade dos gastos foi com a manutenção predial e aquisição de materiais pedagógicos, contudo as características históricosociais da cidade de São Carlos são elementos dificultadores para que as intenções democratizantes da gestão estudada, com a instituição de canais de participação popular e outros mecanismos de aproximação do Estado dos usuários dos bens e serviços públicos fossem apropriados. Como instrumento indutor da gestão democrática, a análise reafirmou o tecido social da cidade e mostrou que a organização interna, na maioria das escolas públicas, não tem favorecido a participação popular. Como proposta, o estudo sugeriu o aprimoramento dos critérios utilizados para a descentralização de recursos financeiros para as escolas municipais e o fomento às ações que possam contribuir para que haja a ruptura com práticas tutelantes.
This paper has analyzed the reasonable compulsory education financial system arrangement under the public financial system,and the main question of the present compulsory education financial system in our country,In this foundation,this paper proposed the basic train of thought of further improving our country compulsory education finance system,that is: under the major premise of the moderate decentralization of compulsory education finance,besides increasing the financial transfer payment of a few poor counties,more importantly,the Central authorities and the province government should solute the drive insufficiency of county government in the compulsory education expenditure through the effective intervention mechanism.
In response to the nation’s economic and agricultural system reform, Chinese agricultural schools have begun the transformation from academic institutions to vocational and technical education. Significant efforts have been made to reform the curricula, as it is the key element needed for the formation of the new educational system. Prior to the nation’s reform starting in 1978, the curriculum in agricultural schools was theoretical information based and the instruction was teacher-centered. Students usually had little involvement in teaching and learning. In addition, the value of practical “hands-on” experiences in agricultural education had been neglected. During the past decade new ideas and approaches in curriculum development and instruction have been gradually incorporated into the agricultural vocational education through new policy initiatives and a pilot project launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations during 1994-1998. The decentralization is one major feature of these changes. Introduction/Background China is undergoing a large transformation as its economic system is shifting from a centrally planned to a market-driven system (State Council, 1999). Agriculture the traditional foundation of Chinese society faces an especially great challenge in restructuring its system to meet the needs of the market economy. In particular, agricultural education is playing an important role in preparing people for a new phase of rural development. During the past decade, agricultural schools have started to take actions to reform their existing educational systems and to strengthen their vocational programs (Ministry of Agriculture, 1997). There are 360 agricultural schools distributed among the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities throughout China. Agricultural schools are typically resident schools that require students to pass standardized admission exams. Schools usually enroll graduates from junior secondary schools and each program lasts for three or four years. The average enrollment for each school ranges from 1000-3000 students. One-third of agricultural schools are governed at the provincial level, while two-thirds are administered by prefectures. None of the schools falls directly under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). However, the Ministry undertakes the function of guidance and macro-management for all agricultural schools. In the past, agricultural schools were academic institutions classified as secondary specialized schools. The mission of these schools was officially described as to train intermediate-level specialists who were political and technical experts. Students were required to master basic theory, to have specialized knowledge, and to develop practical technical skills. Graduates from these schools were graded as “middle-level specialists” (Henze, 1984). Students were usually trained theoretically and narrowly. Most subjects studied in the schools were academic and usually had little relevance to the students’ workplace and reality. Upon leaving school, graduates were often assigned jobs according to a centrally organized plan. Just like graduates from higher education institutions or at least in theory every graduate would be assigned to a job position that could be characterized as “white collar.” In recent years, significant changes have taken place to reflect the continued reform and the development of the “socialist market economy.” Today, jobs for graduates are no longer guaranteed and the government can only hire approximately 50% of agricultural graduates (Chen, 2000). As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for an agricultural graduate to find a job in the public sector. Accordingly, graduates need to find their employment in the private sector or they need to be self-employed. Students’ education has become more purposive and selective, since it now must relate to their training and to employment opportunities in the labor market. Moreover, the feedback to schools has indicated