Bottom-Up Accountability and Primary Education Provision in the Developing World

International development discourse in education has focused on decentralization and community participation, but the results have been disappointing. A synthesis of 10 empirical studies across India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan highlights challenges such as interlinked incentives, isomorphic mimicry in school-based management, and limited community influence. The studies show the potential for locally developed teaching methods and leveraging local capacity. Debates on education provision, curriculum values, and measurement of learning need to be reopened. Expensive randomized controlled trials have limitations in contexts lacking basic education inputs.