Presentation note

The traditional model of schools’ organization, mainly characterized by the rigidity of its hierarchical structures, with very small margin for autonomy, is being questioned question because of its limits in terms of performance (due to education generalization), policy evolution and school environments.

Several countries across the world have moved towards other governance methods, by giving more autonomy to schools in terms of teaching strategy, pupils distribution, human and financial resources management, partnerships, programs etc. Yet, in order to establish these processes, schools have to be at the centre of the educational system. of the management style, the existing educational environment as well as the relationships between the different actors and evaluation methods will certainly affect the quality of education. It has become a necessity to establish reliable tools for follow-up and assessment of the schools.

Seeking more efficiency, fairness and effectiveness in education systems requires focusing on schools as a standalone unit, which might bring the change required. Therefore, we should look for School Effectiveness or for what determines School Improvement.

Several results underline the fact that some schools perform better than others. School autonomy has become an improving tool for the entire educational system with decentralization policies.  Over time, schools have to get some autonomy in order to respect teaching freedom, and enhance local school democracy in order to improve decentralization.

Does school autonomy, implemented at different degrees in several countries, contribute to the improvement of students’ performances? Is there a good governance mode for schools? What lessons can be learnt from different experiences? What are the baselines to be adopted, the strategies and the methods to be implemented? What actors should we associate and involve, with what type of governance? How can we evaluate and for what purposes?

The National Authority for Evaluation at the Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research is addressing these questions, by organizing, with UNICEF, on November, 23 & 24th 2021 an international symposium on “ School governance: Determinants & Assessment”.

This symposium aims at presenting the different school governance modes, and determine how these modes respond to the requirement of improving education system performances.

These are the different questions this symposium will address.

  1. Present the state of the art and international trends in the field of evaluation of schools through presentations and recent results of some international advanced practices ;
  2. Invite decision makers and actors in the field of education, Moroccan and foreigners, to think collectively on the different factors linked to school and which impede school efficiency and quality or encourage it.
  3. Discuss different school governance assessment modes and actors positioning in this assessment process.

Presentations will be made according to three major dimensions:

  1. The contribution of international research and comparison between the different experience on the role that school plays in the educational system ;
  2. The role of actors and stakeholders in school functioning ;
  3. Devices & tools for school assessment.