Vouchers for Basic Education in Developing Countries : A Principal-Agent Perspective

Gauri, Varun ; Vawda, Ayesha

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: VOUCHERS;    BASIC EDUCATION;    PARENT SCHOOL RELATIONSHIP;    INCENTIVES;    SCHOOL ENROLLMENT;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-3005
RP-ID  :  WPS3005

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Voucher programs consist of threesimultaneous reforms: (1) allowing parents to chooseschools, (2) creating intense incentives for schools toincrease enrollment, and (3) granting schools managementautonomy to respond to demand. As a result, voucheradvocates and critics tend to talk past each other. Aprincipal-agent framework clarifies the argument foreducation vouchers. Central findings from the literature,including issues related to variance in the performancemeasure, risk aversion, the productivity of more effort,multiple tasks, and the value of monitoring are foundrelevant for an analysis of vouchers. An assessment offindings on voucher programs in industrial countries, aswell as a review of voucher or quasi-voucher experiences inBangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, and theCzech Republic support the usefulness of the analyticframework. The authors conclude that vouchers for basiceducation in developing countries can enhance outcomes whenthey are limited to modest numbers of poor students in urbansettings, particularly in conjunction with existing privateschools with surplus capacity. The success of more ambitiousvoucher programs depends on an institutional infrastructurechallenging to industrial and developing countries alike.