Vouchers for Basic Education in Developing Economies : An Accountability Perspective
Advocates argue that voucher programs can correct the incentive problems of education systems in developing economies. An accountability perspective, based on a principal-agent framework, was developed to clarify the arguments for and against educa...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Journal Article |
Language: | English en_US |
Published: |
World Bank
2013
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/01/17559692/vouchers-basic-education-developing-economies-accountability-perspective http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16410 |
Summary: | Advocates argue that voucher programs
can correct the incentive problems of education systems in
developing economies. An accountability perspective, based
on a principal-agent framework, was developed to clarify the
arguments for and against education vouchers. An assessment
of findings on voucher programs in industrial countries and
a review of voucher or quasi-voucher experiences in
Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, and the
Czech Republic support the usefulness of the analytic
framework. The assessment concludes that the policy
relevance of voucher programs for developing economies
remains uncertain. Major voucher initiatives have been
attempted only in countries with a well-developed
institutional infrastructure. Some studies find favorable
benefits for at least some population groups, but others
find limited effects and evidence of increasing social
stratification in schools. Whether vouchers lead to better
outcomes or greater stratification appears related to
specific contexts, institutional variables, and program designs. |
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