Towards Greater Accountability: Challenges and Policy Recommendations

1. Towards Greater Accountability:Challenges and Policy Recommendations presented by: Harry Anthony Patrinos Lead Education Economist World Bank Round-table Discussion on Achievements and Challenges of the Bulgaria School Autonomy Reforms Sofia, September 13, 2010

2. Accountability: Outstanding Challenges • Relationships of accountability for education results are underdeveloped and not sufficiently aligned with school autonomy framework • Participation of parents did not increase with reforms • Weak sense of municipal ownership over the school network

3. Relationships of Accountability: School Principals - Parents

4. Parental participation through school boards • Further reforms should lead to strong relationships of accountability between principals and parents • New School Education Act retains school boards statute of voluntary organization • Roles and responsibilities of the school boards should be designed to stimulate quality and relevance of education

5. Parental Participation: International Experience • Lessons from the OECD: Decentralized Decision-Making Can Improve School Quality • Netherlands: A Strong Version of School-Based Management • England: The Statutory Position on the role of Governing Bodies • Mexico:Reform to Increase Parental Participation

6. Recommendations: School Boards • Clear guidelines for the role of school boards in school-level decisions • Formal procedures for parents communication with principals and municipalities on school matters • Guidelines and tools for information dissemination to parents • Building adequate capacity of school boards by providing training and awareness campaigns

7. Relationships of Accountability: School Principals - Municipalities

8. Outstanding Challenges: Insufficient Accountability Instruments for Municipalities • With reforms, decision-making powers were transferred from municipalities to schools without providing sufficient accountability tools for the local governments • Tensions between central and local governments affect adversely delivery of education services

9. Municipal Role: International Experience • England: Significant powers of school governing bodies and Local Authorities • Netherlands: Supervision and Employment of Principals within the jurisdiction of Municipalities or the competent authority

10. Policy options to eliminate the disconnect between funding and management of schools • Option 1: Empower the council of the school boards to appoint the school principal • Option 2: Empower municipalities to appoint school principals • Option 3: Keep current distribution while boosting municipal accountability tools • 1st step: Implement decentralization program of government, envisioning equal participation of REIs, municipalities and school boards in selecting principals

11. Recommendations for strengthening school based management • Strengthening school leadership through robust school principal certification process • Raising thecapacity of School Boards

12. Relationships of Accountability: School Principals - Inspectorates

13. Outstanding challenges: functions of the Regional Inspectorates • Political influence • Wide ranging responsibilities, limited number of staff • Many legally defined responsibilities are either formally or simply not implemented

14. Recommendations for the National Inspectorate on Education • Independence from agencies defining education policies (MEYS) • Coordination between agencies in charge of common objective of monitoring and assuring quality of education • Consultation with different stakeholders in definition of functions for institutions that are in charge of assuring quality • Establish mechanisms of accountability for agencies that are in charge of assuring quality

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Harry Anthony Patrinos Lead Education Economist, World Bank, Human Development Network hpatrinos@worldbank.org