1. Juan Diego Alonso February 26, 2010
To consolidate or not to consolidate…. that is the question A recap of the workshop
Juan Diego Alonso
February 26, 2010

2. It’s been two long days of work…..
8 Powerpoint presentations
12 hours of training
23 speeches
Isn’t it time to CONSOLIDATE all we learned so far?

3. How are we going to consolidate our collective knowledge?
5 key messages
5 next steps

4. 5 KEY MESSAGES It’s all about the quality of education….
but optimization can help!

5. Quality was at the forefront of Bulgaria’s decision to consolidate
TIMSS 2007 = 464

6. Consolidation of the school network picked up speed especially after 2007 (!)

7. 5 KEY MESSAGES It’s all about the quality of education….
but optimization can help!
Get it right: Optimization ≠ School closure(!)

8. Optimization implies finding the “right size”
Optimization of a school network = the process by which the “right size” of a school network is found
Right size?  the one that maximizes the school outcomes of a country, given its resource constraints
It can involve:
a) school closures;
b) new schools (e.g. hub);
c) changing the status of schools (e.g. “affiliate”);
d) rehabilitation of existing schools;
“Consolidation” or “Rationalization” are sometimes used as synonyms, but may be misnomers

9. 5 KEY MESSAGES It’s all about the quality of education….
but optimization can help!
Get it right: Optimization ≠ School closure(!)
Don’t miss the opportunity
 no time to waste!

10. 40% fewer children of primary and secondary education age (7-16) than a decade ago (!)
Source: UN World Population Prospects (2008 Revision, Medium Variant Forecast)

11. …and the decreasing trends will continue for some time
0-9
10-19

12. …but you will need to sort out a key trade off:
Proximity vs. Quality

13. Past: Proximity was prioritized
But maybe at the expense of quality?

14. Present reality: Quality needs to be prioritizedx +
Certainly at the expense of proximity…

15. 5 KEY MESSAGES It’s all about the quality of education….
but optimization can help!
Get it right: Optimization ≠ School closure(!)
Don’t miss this opportunity
 no time to waste!
Don’t underestimate implementation
 optimization has lots of challenges!

16. Challenges of optimization implementation
Will savings be retained in the sector or not?
How is 100% access to be ensured?
How is the size of the teaching force to be adjusted?
Is there enough political will in the Government?
What is and will be the level of funding for this initiative?
How is this initiative going to be communicated ?
What arguments will be used for convincing the society in general, and parents in particular, about the change?

17. Challenges of optimization implementation (cont.)
Who is going to provide transportation, and who is going to pay for running costs?
What about the infrastructure? Are roads adequate?
Is it useful to create educational districts?
Is it useful to change the legal entity of schools to create “hub schools” and “affiliates” so as to speed up consolidation?
How special needs are going to be addressed (including ethnic minorities)?

18. 5 KEY MESSAGES It’s all about the quality of education….
but optimization can help!
Get it right: Optimization ≠ School closure(!)
Don’t miss this opportunity
 demographics are playing in your favor!
Don’t underestimate implementation
 optimization has lots of challenges!
Per capita financing is an excellent tool
so use it!

19. Per capita financing (PCF) in education: A very important tool
In comparison with the system it replaces (input-based financing), PCF improves:
Efficiency
Equity
Transparency
Accountability
But let us not forget that this is a just an instrument, PCF alone can’t solve all problems!
And let us not forget that several elements need to be in place, most notably: a) a comprehensive formula; b) adequate school autonomy

20. 5 NEXT STEPS Comprehensive analysis of the situation
Design of a national and regional strategy for optimization of the school network
Get key political support for the reform
Undertake an extensive consultation and “social marketing” process with all stakeholders in the sector
Be creative! (especially if you can’t introduce necessary changes in the legislation)
(status of beyond-retirement-age teachers, teaching loads and class size norms that determine school staffing, etc.)