Chapter 2. Progress towards the EFA goals - Unesco

PROGRESS TOWARDS THE EFA GOALS
Estimating the cost of achieving Education for All
through increased participation and improved
quality of education at the primary level, with
literate school leavers driving down illiteracy
rates. The residual element, representing about
42% of the necessary decline, is assumed to
occur through adult literacy programmes.
An assumption underpinning the estimates
presented in this Report is that education is
provided at these levels without fees. This is
consistent with the Dakar Framework for Action.
However, in many countries, particularly those
recently involved in conflict, this would represent
a substantial shift in the burden of education
costs from households to the state (see Box 2.27).
Setting targets for the cost parameters
The second step in the exercise is to develop
targets for key parameters using country-level
information on costs. Recurrent costs per capita
and capital costs in education vary across and
within regions, with significant implications for
global cost estimates. Two factors account for
most of the variation. First, differences in average
efficiency associated with prices for important
inputs – such as teacher wages, building materials
and textbooks – inevitably influence cost structures.
Second, countries have different norms and rules
on teacher remuneration, pupil/teacher ratios,
school construction and other inputs. Table 2.9
summarizes targets for the core cost parameters
used in the estimates.
In setting the parameters, several difficult
financing questions were considered. Teacher
remuneration is one of the most significant and
controversial areas in any costing exercise for
education. This is typically the single biggest
component in the education budgets of low-income
countries, often accounting for three-quarters of
total spending. It follows that technical efficiency
gains can dramatically reduce costs: adjusting
salaries in sub-Saharan Africa to levels found in
South and West Asia would cut average costs
by 40%. However, the issues at stake go
beyond considerations of technical efficiency.
Table 2.9: 2015 targets for main cost parameters
Cost drivers
Teacher salaries
Sub-Saharan Africa
Other countries
Pupil teacher ratio
Parameters Pre-primary
Primary Lower secondary
Percentage of non-salary costs in recurrent spending
School building and rehabilitation 1
4.5 times GDP per capita
3 times GDP per capita
20
33%
$ 13,500 per classroom
4.5 times GDP per capita
3 times GDP per capita
40
33%
$ 13,500 per classroom
6 times GDP per capita
3.5 times GDP per capita
35
40%
$ 17,000 per classroom
Teacher salaries
are typically the
single biggest
component in the
education budgets
of low-income
countries
Share of private enrolment
Maintain current levels
10%
10%
School rehabilitation (% of classroom to be replaced)
Low income countries
Conflict affected countries
25%
50%
25%
50%
25%
50%
Targeted programmes for the marginalized
Demand side interventions (e.g. conditional cash transfer
programmes, school feeding programmes)
—
5% of GDP per capita
per marginalized student
7.5% of GDP per capita
per marginalized student
Supply side interventions (e.g. incentives for qualified
teachers to work in remote areas, increased resources
for schools serving marginalized groups)
—
Additional 33% of per
pupil recurrent costs per
marginalized student
Additional 33% of per
pupil recurrent costs per
marginalized student
Effect on per-pupil recurrent costs (constant 2007 US$)
Estimated current unit costs
106
68
119
Per-pupil costs in 2015 with additional policy measures
102
125
162
Notes: Per-pupil costs for 2015 do not include additional costs of demand-side and supply-side interventions for reaching the marginalized.
1. Includes maintenance, estimated at 2% of construction cost. Classroom construction and rehabilitation include the cost of building school infrastructure
(including latrines, offices, water supply, etc.) and providing access for children with disabilities.
Source: EPDC and UNESCO (2009).
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