This article aims at depicting practical hypotheses of the concept of decentralization in the Romanian pre-university education system, from both financial and administrative perspectives.It shall comprise aspects related to territorial decentralization and decentralization of services.It uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods and underlines the complex advantages which multi-level-governance -related principles can bring to the Romanian education and, within a wider framework, to the overall administration.Definitions and approaches to the decentralization process clearly show an evolution in both the concerns of practitioners and specialists.This evolution must be understood in the context in which even the process of decentralization is not a static reality, suffering transformations depending on the geographic, historical, socio-economic context etc.When talking about decentralization, we must consider both the basic and intermediate level of the local public administration.Therefore, an evolutionary presentation of decentralization also logically includes regional decentralization or regionalization.
Open access
Education in Diverse Contexts
Education, Management, Technology, Human Resources
Francisco López Rupérez, Isabel García García, Eva Expósito Casas
The territorial organization of Spain into regions (autonomous communities) involves a remarkable decentralization. Therefore, it is interesting to make a comparative efficiency analysis of the public spending in education among regions that can to shed light on both the educational policies at the regional level, and the corrective state actions of inter-territorial imbalances. Furthermore, equity of the results of the education system is an indisputable goal of any society that aspires to justice and social cohesion. This research poses, firstly, an estimation of educational effectiveness and efficiency of public spending using a secondary analysis of PISA 2015 data that takes into account the value of ESCS. Subsequently, two educational equity parameters are estimated. The triple empirical categorization of autonomous communities, according to the efficiency and equity results, allows the derivation of policy recommendations of interest both at the regional and central government levels.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is an academically challenging self-funded high school program which is recognized by the world’s leading universities. It was introduced in one of the regions of Russia (Permskii krai) by the local government with the aim to ensure access to high quality education and to improve regional educational system overall. High school students get international IB diploma while this process is largely financed by the regional government. The aim of this paper is to examine how effective this scheme is and to give recommendations for its improvement.In order to answer the research question different major stakeholder groups were surveyed: students, school-leavers, and teachers. Official documents, underlying the implementation of this program, were analyzed. Analysis of the findings was made with the help of institutional approach.The results of this paper represent benefits and shortcomings for each stakeholder group of the project. The recommendations given in the paper deal with the increase of efficiency of this scheme: additional incentives should be created and introduced to increase benefits for the regional part of the contract. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n11p527
This research set out to explore the financial management by SGBs in public primary schools. The challenges as they were experienced by SGBs were identified. This study revealed that some public schools SGBs are dysfunctional with regard to the management of finances. The understanding of roles and responsibilities pertaining to the management of finances is insufficient. SGBs are still battling to understand the roles especially of the chairperson, treasurer and the secretary. There is a lack of monitoring and understanding of roles. Understanding of the financial legislative framework is still a challenge to rural public schools. Knowledge and interpretation of the other policies and regulations, Acts and prescripts is a major concern. There are transgressions of, and non-compliance with the financial legislative framework. The study further found that the SGBs’ perceptions, experience, feelings and thoughts with regard to management of finances are such that their lack of knowledge and skills in finance due to inadequate training makes them feel uncertain and unsure of their competence to manage finances. The quality of the training that they have received does not adequately empower them to manage finance successfully as it is offered by incompetent people. The contents of the prescripts, circulars, manuals and Acts are not clear at all to them. The English language used in the documents makes it especially difficult for SGB members, especially the parent component, to grasp what is needed. In some of the schools investigated, budgeting processes are done unilaterally by the principals who dominate every sphere of governance and relevant stakeholders are not involved. The PED should bear in mind that an investment in SGB training is an investment in their empowerment and decentralization of finances to public schools. If well trained SGBs could render a better service in managing public finances. A procurement management system should be developed, monitored and evaluated from the circuit level. Schools must be encouraged to create procurement clusters or budget clubs. Lengthening the time in office for the SGB from three to four or even five years will add value for money in the form of human investment. The issue of continuity must be ensured after each and every election or four years of re-election, especially in the portfolio of treasurers. This will enable governors to develop their experience over a longer period. During this time there should be continuous training as stipulated in section 19 of SASA. The PED should consider incentive programmes or honoraria for SGB members as a sign of acknowledgement, based on performance, to improve the quality of their effectiveness and efficiency in the management of school finances. The department must develop a financial assessment programme and remediation initiatives to decisively respond to schools that are dysfunctional in terms of financial management. Copyright
The thesis focuses on higher education as an economic good and identifies its characteristics in relation to the method of financing. The main objective is to analyze the system of financing post-secondary education in Canada. The focus of this paper is mainly evaluation of decentralization and thus participation rate of federal and provincial governments for funding. Then it looks at issue of tuition fees and financial aid for students. On the basis of the analysis are evaluated the pros and cons of the system. The last section is devoted to the current lack of funding tertiary education in Czech Republic and proposed concept of tuition fees.
The paper addresses the development of higher education in the Czech Republic after 1989, with special emphasis on the relevant legislation, institutional settings, financing, & enrollment. Czech higher education has changed profoundly since 1989. Universities were granted almost full autonomy as early as in 1990. They have reformed their curricula, expanded programs in the humanities & social sciences, & eliminated political criteria from admissions policies, both for faculty & students. However, the structural changes were not as quick & profound as obtaining & mastering the freedom was. The most significant structural changes in the Czech tertiary educational system addressed in the paper are decentralization & diversification. With regard to financing, the authors argue that universities have remained dependent on the state to a high degree. Several attempts to expand multi-source financing by introducing cost-sharing features (tuition fees, loans, student allowances) failed. The reliance on the public budget led to a severe financial crisis in public universities. As far as enrollment is concerned, the authors demonstrate that, although the number of students rose by almost 60% between 1989 & 2001, the offer of educational opportunities was too low to meet the steeply rising demand for tertiary education. The chance of being admitted hovered around 50%. Owing to the combined effect of a drop in the size of the relevant age cohort & the growing proportion of students admitted to bachelor programs, the chance of enrollment started to increase in 2001. In spite of this recent change, the transition from secondary to tertiary education still remains the most critical moment in an educational career.
Switzerland is a federal state with a surface area of 4I,288 km2 and a population of about 6.4 million (I976) of which about I million are foreigners; it consists of 26 cantons and half-cantons with different cultures, languages and religious persuasions. As in many other branches of public life, education in Switzerland is decentralized. Besides, most of the cantons share their charges with the communes. So, although each canton and its communes is autonomous as far as education is concerned, be it compulsory attendance at school, which is generally from 8 to 9 years, or secondary or university education, the Confederation essentially looks after the tasks that cannot be satisfactorily undertaken by the local or regional authorities. It particularly plays a compensating role when the financial charges and the possibilities of education are not equally divided among all the cantons. This is the reason why it is turning its attention in particular to vocational training: professional apprenticeships and technical schools. In this way, vocational training forms a homogeneous part of our educational system. In connection with this the Confederation is able partly to protect the interests of those cantons with no university. It also regulates medical studies; furthermore, this competency has led to a harmonization of 'maturity examinations' (secondary school leaving examinations) in the whole country. Primary school education is compulsory and free of charge in state schools. Each canton has its own laws and regulations. This diversity in school systems is a hindrance to the migration of families. For this reason there have been attempts made to harmonise the system; in French Switzerland a common programme for the six French-speaking cantons for the first four years of primary school has been established. Thanks to the agreement on school co-ordination, made by the cantonal Directors of education, the age of entrance to primary school (6 years) and the duration of compulsory attendance at school (g years) will soon be uniform in Switzerland. The communes play an important part in this sector of education. They intervene in particular through the local school committees. Primary schools are financed by the communes and the cantons. Private schools also