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

CASE ANALySIS: DIMENSIONS OF REFORM
Technical Dimensions
Numerous technical interventions have been applied at the pre-primary, primary,
and secondary levels such as: curriculum development and revision; textbook
distribution; student assessment; professional development system revision;
parent and community participation; and health and technology programs.
However, a unique feature of El Salvador’s reform is the role that technical
programs such as EDUCO played in creating momentum for other educational
policies. Initially created out of necessity—and reinforced by the national
emphasis on democratization, the global discourse on access and community
participation, and the almost unflagging support from donors—these programs
became foundational to Salvadoran education reform.
Between 1991 and 1998, EDUCO schools grew from 8,416 to 206,336 students,
representing 25 percent of total public sector enrollment and 40 percent of rural
enrollment (Cuéllar-Marchelli, 2003). Studies conducted at repeated intervals,
many by the World Bank, maintained the focus on EDUCO, informed MINED,
and helped to adjust policy and communications as necessary. EDUCO received
the World Bank Presidential Award for Excellence in 1997 and was highlighted
by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a successful experience of
community education management. These well-publicized successes created
space for dialogue at the national and local levels thereby amplifying the sense of
common ownership among MINED, NGOs, international agencies, opposition
political parties, the teachers’ union, schools, and communities. The recognized
technical success of the EDUCO program enhanced MINED’s credibility and
expanded the Minister of Education’s political power to initiate new reforms.
Institutional Dimensions
At the beginning of the reform period, a World Bank sector assessment
concluded that “the principle constraints to reforming the education system in
El Salvador [were] not economic—[but rather] institutional and cultural.” (Peña,
1995) Over time, the perceived success of technical interventions helped build
confidence in the institutions—schools, ACEs, CDEs, and MINED—and created
a virtuous cycle that provided greater latitude for other MINED projects. These
initial steps were reinforced by corresponding changes in the legal framework
governing education management and finance and further strengthened
through capacity building programs for personnel at all levels of the system.
Institutionally, the sector was generally able to keep pace with the technical and
organizational demands.
SECTION 2: lESSONS fROM COUNTRY CASE STUdIES
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