Abstract
Arguing that the politicisation of decentralisation appreciably reduces educational quality and efficient resource allocation and negatively affects matters of equity in and delivery of education, the present study provides a critique of decentralisation and privatisation in education in Africa with special reference to Nigeria. On the basis of the experiences of other nations, the author suggests that both decentralisation and privatisation in education – especially the introduction of user fees – have created a new dimension of educational inequality in Nigeria as well. In this case, it can be seen that indicators of efficiency declined significantly in line with negative trends in national-government appropriations to sub-national governments and the education sector. The author concludes that no linkage can be asserted to exist between decentralisation and educational improvement.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ladipo Adamolekun (1991) ArticleTitlePromoting African Decentralization Public Administration and Development 11 IssueID3 285–291
Dominic K Agyemang et al. (2000) Primary Review of Education Sector Analysis in Ghana 1987–1998 UNESCO Paris
Nancy Birdsall Francois Orivel (1996) ArticleTitleDemand for Primary Schooling in Rural Mali: Should User Fees be Increased Education Economics 4 IssueID3 279–296
Daniel J. Brown (1994) Decentralization in Educational Governance and Management Husen Torsten T. Neville Postlewaite (Eds) The International Encyclopedia of Education Pergamon Oxford 1409–1412
Nicholas. Burnett (1996) ArticleTitlePriorities and Strategies for Education – A World Bank Review: The Process and the Key Messages International Journal of Educational Development 16 IssueID3 215–220
Nazir Carrin Tshoane. Margeret (2000) ArticleTitleThe Holy State Values, Legitimating and Ideological Closure in South African Education. Quarterly Review of Education and Planning in South Africa 7 IssueID4 29–35
Christopher. Colclough (1996) ArticleTitleEducation and the Market: Which Part of the Neoliberal Solutions are Correct World Development 24 IssueID4 589–610
Conyers, Dianne. 2001. The Zimbabwean Experience: A Local Perspective. http://www.uncdf.org/capetown/docs statements/zimbabwe.html, accessed 15 January 2004.
Evans, David, et al. 1996. Overview and Analysis of the Case Studies – Lessons for Education Policy Formation. In: Formulating Education Policy Lessons and Experience from Sub-Saharan Africa. Paris: ADEA.
Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria. 2003. A Handbook of Information on Basic Education in Nigeria. UNESCO.
Edward. Fiske (1996) Decentralization of Education: Politics and Consensus The World Bank Washington, DC
Macleans A. Geo-JaJa Mangum. Garth (2002) ArticleTitleOutcome-Based Education and␣Structural Adjustment Policies: Nigeria World Studies in Education 3 IssueID2 81–102
Macleans A. Geo-JaJa Mangum. Garth (2003) ArticleTitleEconomic Adjustment, Education and Human Resource Development in Africa: The Case of Nigeria International Review of Education 49 IssueID3–4 293–318
Alec Gershburg Winkler. David (2003) Education Decentralization in Africa: A Review of Recent Policy and Practice. Draft Report (August) The World Bank Washington, DC
Eric. Hanushek (1994) Making Schools Work: Improving Performance and Controlling Costs Brookings Institution Washington, DC
Keith. Hinchliffe (1989) ArticleTitleEconomic Austerity, Structural Adjustment and Education: The Case of Nigeria IDS Bulletin 20 IssueID1 5–10
Keith. Hinchliffe (2002) Nigeria: Public Expenditures on Education: Issues, Estimates, and Some Implications The World Bank Washington, DC
InstitutionalAuthorNameInter-American Development Bank [IDB] (1994) Special Report: Fiscal Decentralization. Economic and Social Progress in Latin America IDB Washington, DC
Victor. Lavy (1992) Investment in Human Capital: Schooling Supply Constraints in Rural Ghana. LSDMS Working Paper No. 93 The World Bank Washington, DC
Jon. Lauglo (1995) ArticleTitleForms of Decentralization and Their Implications for Education Comparative Education 31 IssueID1 5–29
Jennie Litvack Ahmad Junaid Bird. Richard (1998) Rethinking Decentralization in Developing Countries The World Bank Washington DC
Nigeria, Federal Republic of. 2001. Education for All in Nigeria. Lagos: Federal Republic of Nigeria.
InstitutionalAuthorNameOxfam (2001) Education Changes: A Tax on Human Development. Oxfam Briefing Paper No. 3. Oxfam Oxford
Juan. Prawda (1993) ArticleTitleEducational Decentralization in Latin America: Lessons Learned International Journal of Educational Development 13 IssueID3 253–264
Remy. Prudhomme (1995) ArticleTitleThe Dangers of Decentralization World Bank Research Observer 10 IssueID2 201–220
Francis. Stewart (1994) Education and Adjustment: The Experience of the 1980s and Lessons for the 1990s Commonwealth Secretariat, mimeo London
Francis. Stewart (1996) ArticleTitleGlobalization and Education International Journal of Educational Development 16 IssueID4 327–333
Anthony Sweating Morris. Paul (1993) ArticleTitleEducational Reform in Post-War Hong Kong: Planning and Crisis Intervention International Journal of Educational Development 13 IssueID3 201–216
Peter. Watkins (1993) Pushing Crisis and Stress Down the Line: The Self-Managing Schools Smyth John (Eds) A Social Critical View of the Self-Management School Falmer East Sussex 137–152
Hans. Weiler (1990) ArticleTitleComparative Perspective on Educational Decentralization: An Exercise in Contradiction Educational Analysis and Policy 12 IssueID4 433–448
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe World Bank (1986) Financing Education in Developing Countries The World Bank Washington DC
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe World Bank (1993a) The East Asian Miracle: Economic Growth and Public Policy Oxford University Press New York
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe World Bank (1993b) Ghana: Primary School Development Project. Staff Appraisal Report No. 11760 The World Bank Washington DC
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe World Bank (1995) Priorities and Strategies for Education: A World Bank Review The World Bank Washington DC
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe World Bank (1999a) Nigeria: Consultations for Improved Primary Education. No. 130. World Bank African Region The World Bank Washington, DC
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe World Bank (1999b) Decentralization: Rethinking Government The World Bank Washington DC
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Geo-Jaja, M.A. Decentralisation And Privatisation Of Education In Africa: Which Option For Nigeria?. Int Rev Educ 50, 307–323 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-004-2625-3
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-004-2625-3