Newsletter Vol. 9 No. 4: Pan-African Seminar on the Financing and the Financial Management of Education

Most working groups took advantage of the presence of numerous Ministers and education specialists in Dakar to host fringe meetings. Following is a summary of the Pan-African Seminar on the Financing and Financial Management of Education jointly organized by the Working Group on Finance and Education and the International Institute for Educational Planning.

A more detailed account of the Seminar will be given in the next issue of the ADEA Newsletter (January-March 1998) which will focus on the topic of education finance.

Capacity-building within ministries of education in sub-Saharan Africa and the sharing of practical experiences related to the financing and the financial management of education are among the working group's main objectives. These objectives can only be reached if training and research institutions in Africa and in other parts of the world collaborate closely. The Pan-African Seminar on the Financing and the Financial Management of Education which took place in Dakar, October 12-14, was an example of such a collaboration.

The joint organization of the seminar with the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) was decided by WGFE's Steering Committee during its second meeting which took place in Dakar, in January 1997. The idea was welcomed both by WGFE and IIEP and arrangements were made for the planning of the seminar.

The economic and financial constraints faced by most developing countries, including sub-Saharan countries, have compelled most countries to apply strict budgetary policies or structural adjustment programs. These policies have put a strain on public expenditure in general, in particular funds directed to education. This depressed economic climate has prompted countries to diversify sources of funding, to use available funds more efficiently (as a result, budget preparation and execution procedures have become a major concern), and to improve their control over costs.

The objective of the seminar was to reflect collectively on issues related to the financing and financial management of education.

Decision-makers and experts in financing and budgeting shared the results of recent studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa related to: (i) strategies and mechanisms of educational finance; and, (ii) budgetary management in ministries of education.

The seminar was also an opportunity for participants to exchange views on problems encountered and solutions implemented in various countries.

Fifty participants attended the seminar. Participants included a majority of executive staff in charge of policy formulation and financial management in African ministries of education coming. Sixteen African countries were represented. Other experts in educational finance and budgeting were present as well as agency representatives.

Three main topics were covered during the three-day period: (i) the financing of education; (ii) the costs of education; and, (iii) budgetary management within ministries of education. Mornings were devoted to presentations. Workshops organized in the afternoon were intended to deepen the understanding of issues discussed in the morning sessions.

The seminar was officially opened by Mr. André Sonko, Minister of Education of Senegal. The first day was presided by Mr. Sibry Tapsoba, Regional Director of the International Development Research Center (IDRC). Various mechanisms for the financing of education were explored.

The second day was presided by Ms. Linda English, economist at the World Bank. Presentations focused mainly on the topic of education cost analysis. A presentation was given by the Working Group on Education Statistics (WGES) concerning education costs within the NESIS (National Education Statistical Information Systems) framework. The third day was presided by Mr. Jacques Hallak, Director of the International Institute for Educational Planning and Assistant-Director General of UNESCO. Discussions focused on budgetary management and procedures within ministries of education.

A more detailed account of the Seminar will be given in the next issue of the Newsletter which will focus on the topic of education finance.

Rémi Coffi Noumon
Coordinator of the ADEA Working Group
on Finance and Education
Council for the Development of
Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)