Rwanda, being a small and landlocked country with little natural resources, it seems unlikely that the country has any advantage for economic development. Moreover, the tragic incident of genocide in 1994 had left the country in the verge of collapse....
Rwanda, being a small and landlocked country with little natural resources, it seems unlikely that the country has any advantage for economic development. Moreover, the tragic incident of genocide in 1994 had left the country in the verge of collapse. Despite these difficulties, however, currently Rwanda is one of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that has achieved rapid economic growth. Among other factors, strong determination of Government of Rwanda to invest in human resource is widely accepted as the main force of its economic development.
Since the Government of Rwanda has decided to abolish primary school fees in 2003, there was great increase in number of students attending schools. Moreover, as Rwanda’s basic education has been expanded to nine years in 2007 and to twelve years in 2012, Rwanda was successful in ensuring ‘access to education’. Nevertheless, Government of Rwanda was not so successful in enhancing ‘quality of education’ although various efforts were made. What was the problem?
This study attempts to provide an answer by analyzing the relationships of accountability between government, schools, teachers, and parents. The analytical framework for service provision, which was proposed in 2004 World Development Report, was used in this study. Applying this framework into Rwanda’s education sector, several factors are examined to figure out what are the achievements and challenges for each accountability relationships.
First of all, existence of clear national objective and education budget allocation are assessed in the relationship of accountability between parents and government (voice). Second, national assessment system and decentralization are scrutinized in the relationship of accountability between government and schools (compact). Third, teachers’ capacity and motivations are measured in the relationship of accountability between schools and teachers (management). Last, parents’ participation and its barriers are discussed in the relationship of accountability between parents and teachers (client power).
Findings reveal that Government of Rwanda has implemented various education plans and policies to strengthen the relationships of accountability. Although government’s effort has facilitated some improvement in quality of education through effective accountability measures, however, there are still several challenges that needs to be addressed. Moreover, this study goes further to point out that teachers are the central figure within this analytical framework and strengthening the accountability of teachers could be a starting point for improving the overall relationships of accountability. Finally, the implication of this study could be applied to other countries in the Sub-Saharan region as they face similar challenges regarding relationships of accountability and struggling to enhance quality of education.