Decentralising Indonesian education: the promise and the price

This article examines patterns of decentralisation in education in Indonesia, which were prompted by forces of globalisation and the World Bank in particular. The authors conclude that decentralisation in a country with little experience in local autonomy and democracy is unlikely to produce desirable outcomes in terms of quality schooling, accountability and efficiency. Their study shows that apart from devolution of power and authority, all major models of decentralisation reflect democratic decision-making process and increasing community involvement in managing schools. The authors note a widespread failure of decentralization in education, which helped to consolidate social stratification and rural-urban inequalities in education.