A decade ago, the structure of primary school administration in Africa started to change from a centralised bureaucracy to a more decentralised management approach. The aim was to bring education closer to the ‘user’, and to give citizens at the local level -particularly parents- a greater stake in management. The change coincided with the Education for All target of achieving 100 per cent enrolment of school-age children by 2015. The goal of Transparency International’s (TI) Africa Education Watch programme is to assess whether these new management systems are effective, whether they control corruption and are accountable to their constituents.

To do this, 8,500 parents, head teachers, heads of Parent Teacher Associations and district education officers were surveyed in seven countries: Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda. Africa Education Watch: Good governance lessons for primary education brings together the findings from this research. The report identifies where the transfer of funds and supplies from central governments to schools can be diverted. It shows that most schools do not keep complete or even basic information about school finances, and that overall head teachers and those responsible for managing school budgets lack training in financial management.

In most African countries, and in all that were surveyed by TI, primary education is supposed to be provided free of charge. This has accounted for the steady rise in enrolment. Unfortunately, as the report shows, parents who can ill-afford it are often faced with illegal fees. Overall 44 per cent of those surveyed said they had paid fees.

The project's results form the basis for Ministries of Education and civil society organisations to improve governance and accountability, and will support further advocacy work in the participating countries.

Despite great progress in enrolling children in primary school in sub-Saharan Africa, during the past decade, countries are still far from meeting the Education for All goal of 100 per cent enrolment by 2015. In 2007, 124 million children were enrolled in school, up by 42 million since 1999, but one in four of the primary school age population was not. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for nearly 45 per cent of the global out-of-school population.

According to UNESCO one of the most important requirements for sustained progress towards better quality in education is an improved learning environment, which includes better school infrastructure, textbook availability, and good teaching.

Lack of basic good governance creates an opportunity for corruption and jeopardises the delivery of quality education. Further, it exacerbates the disadvantages faced by some of the poorest people in the world as they try to better their lives and those of their children. In 2010, funding for education in developing countries is facing a significant shortfall. Governance of scarce resources is, therefore, one of the most important factors to guaranteeing the realisation of EFA goals.

The following country facts are available for download in PDF in either English or French:

An overview of political and socio-economic indicators for all seven countries included in the AEW report is available here.

Download PDF (English)
Download PDF (French)

Florent Andriamahavonjy talks about the results of the Africa Education Watch programme in Madagascar (in English and French below).

In English	En français
Florent Andriamahavonjy talks about the results of the Africa Education Watch programme in Madagascar (in English).	Florent Andriamahavonjy présente les résultats du programme Africa Education Watch à Madagascar (en français).”

Overview of Transparency International’s education-related work:

• Anti-corruption education
• Corruption in the education sector
• Publications on corruption in the education sector

Further useful resources:

• The UNESCO education website is a good start to investigate all aspects of education in Africa and the developing world.
• The Education for All section includes country specific reports and general information on the Millennium Development Goals and education funding.
• The World Bank youthink! pages has a section on education and corruption.
• For funding issues the World Bank Fast Track Initiative provides details of global education development grants.

In the Media:

Lack of transparency undermining primary education in Africa
The Guardian

Download

---

Download Questionnaires:
Household Questionnaire
Provider Questionnaire 1
Provider Questionnaire 2: SCHOOL BUDGET DATA SHEET
Provider Questionnaire 3: DISTRICT LEVEL
Provider Questionnaire 1 bis

Lack of transparency undermining primary education in Africa
The Guardian, 23 February 2010

UPE schools still charging illegal fees
New Vision, 23 February 2010

Corruption stifles learning in Africa, report finds
Deutsche Welle, 23 February 2010

Report: African schools' money mismanaged
United Press International, 23 February 2010

Deutsche Welle radio interviews in French and German
Deutsche Well, 23 February 2010

Contact:
Frédéric Lesné
Assistant Programme and Research Coordinator
Africa and the Middle East department
flesne@transparency.org