The Local as Client: Educational Decentralization and Partnership in Nicaragua
Roland, Eric S.
2006
- Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Abstract: What has characterized the educational landscape of the developing world perhaps more poignantly than any other trend in recent history is a definitive march towards decentralized school management. A succession of events has unmistakably placed the power of ... read moredecision-making in the hands of local and regional in-country authorities, replacing in irreversible fashion the bureaucratic and bloated management schemes of yesteryear. Developed and developing world governments have learned to incorporate such a trend into daily operations as they realize the veritable power of local actors to reform educational practice. The decentralization movement, spurred on by a variety of motivating factors, holds serious promise for education systems worldwide. The prospect of empowering schools and surrounding communities to serve as decision-makers and formulators of policy is a powerful one indeed. Nicaragua serves as the ideal nation upon which to focus an analysis of the decentralization movement. For decades, the state has struggled through perilous, centralized planning of its education sector. In recent years, though, the nation has witnessed a transformation of sorts with respect to educational management. School leaders and local citizens have been targeted as the heirs of the education policy domain. Initiatives aimed at decentralizing educational authority have introduced the possibility of a political power shift from the center to the periphery. Citizens find themselves in a greater position of authority, as school directors and local politicians are scrutinized by community members. Efficiency and accountability represent the desired hallmarks of modern day pedagogical practice. Implementing such change, though, has not been without its notable challenges. In the developing context, political instability represents an unfortunate reality. Sustainable educational policy becomes difficult to implement, as turnover in governmental administrations prevent long-term strategic approaches from coming to fruition. As well, nations such as Nicaragua struggle to provide the needed resources, financial and otherwise, to meet the demands of a decentralized management scheme. Local leadership capacity must be strengthened if citizen participation is to serve as the paradigm for the future. A gap in the capacity to carry out decentralization reform has arisen across communities. With these pressing issues in mind, an innovative partnership is offered between local communities and the international organization. Although seemingly opposite with respect to political engagement, the two entities together offer much towards resolving the decentralization divide. Three viable avenues are suggested as a means of uniting the local and the global and improve educational practice both in Nicaragua and throughout the developing context. Global networks of viable information sharing ought to be in place. Local educational challenges need to be legitimized on the world stage. Fundamentally, though, local educational agents, their needs, and best practices must serve as the focus of any educational management reform. It is through the power of these communities, and the parallel support of international organizations, that the global decentralization campaign depends.read less
- Organizations
- Sustainable development
- Education
- Technology transfer
- Community development
- Technology and State
- Internet (Computer network)
- Information technology
- Regional planning
- Globalization
- MALD Thesis
- International agencies
- International relations
- Non-governmental organizations
- Privatization
- Nicaragua
- North America
- ID:
- j098zp89z
- Component ID:
- tufts:UA015.012.DO.00132
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
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