2017年-世界发展银行全球_Mauritania_Engaging_the_Private_Sector_in_Education___SABER_Country_Report_2016_34页_1mb

Summary of MAURITANIA: Engaging the Private Sector in Education

Core Content

This document presents an analysis of the current policies in Mauritania regarding the engagement of the private sector in basic education (primary and secondary). It is part of the SABER-Engaging the Private Sector (EPS) framework, a World Bank initiative aimed at improving education outcomes through evidence-based policy guidance.

Main Policy Goals and Status

1. Encouraging Innovation by Providers

• Status: Advanced (for independent private schools), Emerging (for government-funded private schools)
• Key Points:
  • Independent private schools have autonomy in determining salary levels, teacher standards, and curriculum delivery.
  • The government sets a maximum class size of 50 students.
  • Government-funded private schools also have autonomy in decision-making but are not subject to the same level of regulatory oversight.

2. Holding Schools Accountable

• Status: Advanced (for independent private schools), Emerging (for government-funded private schools)
• Key Points:
  • Independent private schools are subject to regular inspections, but the frequency is not specified.
  • There is only a standardized examination for entry into secondary school, with no other assessments during other grades.
  • Government-funded private schools are not required to undergo inspections or face sanctions based on performance.

3. Empowering All Parents, Students, and Communities

• Status: Advanced (for independent private schools), Emerging (for government-funded private schools)
• Key Points:
  • Parents have the right to be informed and involved in school operations.
  • However, schools only provide ad-hoc information on examination results.
  • Students and parents are not interviewed during inspections.
  • Independent schools can select students based on geography, which may limit equity.
  • Government-funded schools prioritize enrollment of children from nearby areas and require compulsory monetary contributions, which restricts parental choice.

4. Promoting Diversity of Supply

• Status: Advanced (for independent private schools), Emerging (for government-funded private schools)
• Key Points:
  • The government allows not-for-profit, faith-based, and for-profit providers to operate schools.
  • Certification standards for land and facilities restrict the entry of new schools, limiting diversity.
  • Schools receive information on their allocations 4 to 6 months before the academic year begins.

Education System Overview

• Country Profile:

  • Mauritania is a low-income country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • GDP per capita was $1,174 in 2012.
  • Ranked 155th out of 185 countries in the 2013 UNDP Human Development Report.
  • Experiences economic fluctuations, with GDP growth reaching 18.6% in 2006 and a recession in 2009.

• Education Levels:

  • Primary: 6 years starting at age 6
  • Lower-secondary: 4 years starting at age 12
  • Secondary: 3 years starting at age 16

• Challenges:

  • Demographic expansion and urbanization have increased demand for education.
  • Significant disparities in access and completion rates between urban and rural areas.
  • Large income-based differences in educational access and outcomes.
  • Learning outcomes are poor, with students scoring below the regional average in French and math.

Private Sector Engagement in Education

• Private School Types:

  • Independent private schools: Operated without government funding, with full autonomy.
  • Government-funded private schools: Receive government support, often to address illiteracy and poverty, and are community-oriented.

• Enrollment Trends:

  • Between 2002 and 2012, primary enrollment in private schools increased from 12,391 to 71,104 students.
  • Secondary enrollment in private schools increased from 6,955 to 37,994 students.
  • Private schools account for a quarter of secondary enrollments and a growing share of primary enrollments.

• School Fees:

  • School fees vary significantly, creating barriers for poorer families.
  • In 2008, average annual fees were $97 for primary and $173 for secondary schools.

Key Recommendations

1. Improve the regulatory environment to support a greater supply of post-primary schools in underserved areas.
2. Strengthen accountability measures by regularly collecting and disseminating comparable performance data, while increasing school autonomy.
3. Provide additional support to poor and marginalized students attending independent and post-primary schools.

Policy Options

• Option 1: Establish a regulatory framework for government-funded private schools and increase accountability.
• Option 2: Ensure information is easily accessible to parents and prohibit schools from using inequitable entrance selection criteria.
• Option 3: Provide greater incentives to support a diverse number of private school providers.

Methodology

• SABER-EPS uses standardized questionnaires and rubrics to assess the extent to which policies support innovation, accountability, empowerment, and diversity of supply.
• Each policy goal is scored on a scale from 1 (latent) to 4 (advanced), based on the performance of individual indicators.
• The overall score for a policy goal is calculated by averaging the scores of its indicators.

Conclusion

The report highlights that while the private sector is playing an increasingly important role in Mauritania's education system, especially in primary and secondary levels, there are significant challenges in ensuring equity, quality, and accountability. The SABER-EPS framework provides a useful tool for benchmarking and guiding policy reforms to better integrate the private sector into the education system, with a focus on improving access, learning outcomes, and fair practices.