2014年-世界发展银行全球_Assessing_the_Role_of_the_School_Operational_Grant_Program_in_Improving_Education_Outcomes_in_Indonesia_60页_1mb

Summary of the School Operational Grant Program (BOS) in Indonesia

Core Content

The report Assessing the Role of the School Operational Grant Program (BOS) in Improving Education Outcomes in Indonesia evaluates the impact of the BOS program on education access, quality, and household participation. It is part of a broader effort to understand how school grants and school-based management reforms can contribute to improved education outcomes, particularly in Indonesia.

Main Objectives of the BOS Program

The BOS program was introduced to:

• Reduce the financial burden on households for education.
• Support school-based management (SBM) reforms.
• Improve the quality of education by providing operational funds directly to schools.

The program was established after the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and has since expanded to cover all levels of education from early childhood education (ECED) to tertiary. By 2014, it had become a national school grants program with around a third of local governments implementing similar initiatives.

Key Findings

1. Impact on Household Education Spending

• The introduction of BOS was initially associated with a drop in household education spending, particularly for poorer households and those in government schools.
• This drop was temporary, with spending increasing again by 2009.
• The program appears to have reduced the cost burden for some households, especially the poorest, but the overall impact was relatively small compared to the per-student grant amounts.
• For primary schools, the reduction in household spending was about 5% of the BOS grant value, while for junior secondary schools it was about 30%.

2. Impact on Education Participation

• Enrolment in junior secondary education increased significantly, especially for the poorest households.
• Between 2005 and 2013, junior secondary enrolment rates for the poorest 20% of households rose by 26 percentage points.
• However, the effect on transition rates from primary to junior secondary education was not as pronounced, indicating that BOS may not have significantly improved the likelihood of children moving through the education system.

3. Role of School-Based Management

• BOS has played a key role in supporting school-based management reforms, which aim to give schools and communities more autonomy.
• School committees have a strong role in decision-making related to BOS funds and school finances.
• School principals typically have the final say in school planning and budget decisions, with involvement from teachers and school committees in many cases.
• School committees are less involved in pedagogical decisions but play a central role in financial oversight.

4. Challenges and Weaknesses

• School committees are not always effectively involved in BOS fund allocation decisions. In practice, decisions are often made by school principals and teachers, with the committee chair merely approving them.
• The requirement for a separate BOS management team weakens the role of school committees, as parents are explicitly excluded from these teams.
• There is a lack of detailed time-series data on school funding, making it difficult to fully assess the program's impact on overall school finances.

Policy Suggestions

The report proposes several ways to strengthen the BOS program:

• Enhance focus on education quality: Align BOS funding with quality improvement initiatives.
• Strengthen the poverty focus: Ensure that BOS continues to support the most disadvantaged households.
• Better align with other school funding sources: Coordinate BOS with existing school funding to avoid overlaps and inefficiencies.
• Revitalize the role of BOS to empower schools and communities: Improve the involvement of school committees and parents in decision-making processes.
• Look ahead: Consider future reforms to ensure the program remains effective and responsive to the needs of students and schools.

Key Information

• The BOS program is funded by the central government and allows schools to use funds for authorized expenditures.
• BOS allocations have more than doubled since 2005, with an average of US$10,000 (US$20,000) per primary (junior secondary) school in 2014.
• The program has been associated with improved resource allocation and teacher attendance, which in turn can lead to better learning outcomes.
• There is a need for greater transparency and involvement of school committees and parents in the BOS program's implementation.

Conclusion

The BOS program has contributed to increased education access, particularly for poor households, and has supported school-based management reforms. However, its impact on reducing household education costs has been limited, and its role in improving education quality and transition rates remains uncertain. The report recommends further reforms to enhance the program's effectiveness and ensure that it continues to support the goals of improving education outcomes in Indonesia.