The Power of Persistence: Education System ... - EQUIP123.net

introduce ideas and practices for change in a receptive environment. The
case studies illustrate a diverse set of influences and driving forces that can
either encourage or block change. In all of the countries, the influence of
international agreements, such as the Education for All declarations in 1990
and 2000, and donor emphasis on such issues as universal primary education,
girls’ education, community participation, and decentralization, had an
important if not definitive impact. Even more than international consensus
and external forces, national events and politics dominated the reform process
in all of the countries, and created or blocked opportunities to introduce and
sustain changes.
Independence in Namibia in 1990 created both the space and the incentive
for major reforms, within the context and ethos of nation building. Attaining
independence and forming a new government elicited a narrative around
national identity, and the resulting commitment to key principles heavily
influenced choices in the education system. Reforms and donor programs that
were aligned with these principles were most likely to gain traction. Needless
to say, this was not a smooth process, with hard political battles over most of
the key policy issues between SWAPO leaders, members of the former white
leadership, and different regional and ethnic groups.
The 1992 Peace Accords that marked the end of the civil war in El Salvador
created opportunity and stimulus for rebuilding the education system, with
critical forthcoming donor support. The Salvadoran education leadership
used this space to engage communities, businesses, unions, and political
rivals to develop a consensus on the direction and importance of education.
This underlying political strategy has been a consistent theme of educational
governance in El Salvador for more than 15 years.
Elections in 1990 initiated recovery from civil conflict in Nicaragua, which
also resulted in donor support and reform initiatives. But unlike the situation
El Salvador, many Nicaraguan education initiatives were specifically designed
to counterbalance differing ideologies, with the result causing the education
system to be a contested terrain.
Transition to multi-party democracy in Zambia in 1990 represented a repudiation
of an old system that was perceived to have failed politically and economically.
The transition created space for the implementation of new policies, including
measures that supported liberalization, cost-sharing, decentralization,
and community participation. During the reform period, Zambia’s debt burden
and the influence of significant donor resource contribution to the education
SECTION 3: SUMMARY fINdINGS ANd CONClUSIONS
141