Lack of accountability affects progress in education sector

New Delhi: The lack of accountability in the education sector risks jeopardising the progress in the area, according to a UNESCO report which recommended that governments adopt mechanisms to fix responsibility.

The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report launched here on Monday highlighted the responsibility of all education stakeholders, primarily government, to provide universal quality education. It emphasised that accountability is indispensable in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

"Millions of children not going to school and many not achieving minimum proficiency levels at school indicate that education systems are not on track," said Shigeru Aoyagi, director and UNESCO representative.

"The report provides clear evidence on accountability tools that are working and that are not," he added. According to the report, disproportionate blame on any one actor for systemic educational problems can have serious negative side effects, widening inequality and damaging learning.

Recommendations in the report include creating an accountability system for schools and teachers that is supportive, avoiding punitive mechanisms especially those based on narrow performance measures, allowing democratic participation, respecting media freedom to scrutinise education and setting up independent institutions to handle complaints.

Developing credible and efficient regulations with associated sanctions for all education providers that ensure non-discrimination and the quality of education and making the right to education justiciable are a few other recommendations made in the report.