there are a number of on-going experiments worldwide, ranging from devolution of limited functions to intermediate governments and local governments, to community-based management and financing of schools. Issues of how far to devolve decision-making in each of these subsectors, and to whom, continue to be debated. Since the impact of management reforms such as these may take time to unfold, further empirical analysis is needed.Дecentralization of education systems demands harmonization of a complex set of functions, each for primary, secondary, tertiary, and non-formal education. These results are derived from ongoing impact evaluations. In Nicaragua, controlling for similar household background and school inputs, students in schools that make more decisions about school functions perform better in tests. While this type of management does not appear to have improved student performance in tests according to a recent evaluation, it may be just a matter of time before better student attendance translates into higher student achievement. By increasing the participation of parents, community-managed schools in El Salvador show significantly lower rates of student and teacher absenteeism. The initial evidence suggests that decentralization to subnational governments may not be sufficient and that increased autonomy for communities and school actors may be necessary to improve schools and learning. One shortcoming is that central governments have off-loaded responsibilities to local governments and communities without providing adequate targeted support to poorer areas. However, the design of these decentralized systems have been criticized. These results are supported by experiences in Zimbabwe and New Zealand. Chile's experience also suggests that decentralization does not by itself remove inequalities between localities of varying incomes, and quality in poorer communities continues to lag. In Brazil, it has increased overall access (enrollments) but has done little to reverse persistent regional inequities in access to schooling, per capita expenditures, and quality. The evidence about the impact of decentralization on education services is mixed and limited. Some emerging areas of consensus are summarized in this table. The choices of who does what are further complicatedД«ecause each of these functions has to be evaluated for primary, secondary,ДЄnd tertiary education, and often for preschools and adult literacy as well. Student evaluation, textbook production and distribution, teacher recruitmentДЄnd pay, school construction and rehabilitation, education financing, and Set of complementary functions, mainly: curriculum design, teaching methods, The process requires that policy makers rationalize and harmonize a complex In particular, governments with severe fiscal constraints are enticed by the potential of decentralization to increase efficiency.Д«eneficiary cost recovery schemes such as community financing have emerged as means for central governments to off-load some of theДЇiscal burden of education service provision.Дeciding Who Controls What There is ongoing debate about the appropriate locus of decision Provision promises to be more efficient, better reflect local priorities, encourage participation, and, eventually, improve coverage and Transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of service provision compared with centralized systems.

In general, the process of decentralization can substantially improve efficiency, In a world where most governments have experienced the pitfalls of centralized education service provision, mainly: opaqueДecision-making, administrative and fiscal inefficiency, and poor quality and access to services, the theoretical advantages ofДecentralization have become extremely appealing. Reforms, the initial country and sector conditions, and the interaction of various important coalitions within the sector. The path, depth, and ultimately, the outcome of decentralization reforms depend on the motivations for

While there are solid theoretical justifications for decentralizing education systems, the process requires strong political commitment and To much broader transfer of financial control to the regional or local level. The extent of the transfer varies, however, from administrative deconcentration Governments, local governments, communities, and schools. The process transfers decision-making powers from central Ministries of Education to intermediate Most countries are experimenting with or contemplating some form ofД®ducation decentralization.

There is currently a global trend of decentralizing education systems. Education and Decentralization Introduction

What is meant by non formal education