Government Funding For Education Research Articles

Government Education Funding and Government Higher Education Investment in Uganda

The paper examines the relationships between government funding of education and government investment in higher education in Uganda during the 2005 to 2020 period. The major hypotheses of the study are that government funding of higher education (GHE) depends on government investment in education (GIE) and the reverse is true. During the given period, government spending on education as a percentage of GDP for Uganda was on average 2%, while the world average was 4% (World Bank, 2022). This implies that low levels of government funding are responsible for the low levels of government investment in higher education in Uganda. Therefore, the study aims to estimate the government investment function of higher education and the production function of government funding in Uganda during the given period. The analyses of the relationships between government education funding (GIE) and government investment in higher education (GHE) are conducted by using the generalised least squares (GLS) method. The dataset for the study was obtained from Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Education Sector Plan. The effects of 1% government spending on primary education, secondary education, technical and vocational education training (GTVE) and GHE on GIE were as follows: 0.354%, 0.086%, 0.044% and 0.063% per annum, respectively. This implies that in Uganda, GHE contributes very little (0.063%) to GHF compared to the contribution of GPE to GIE (0.35%). Meanwhile, a 1% increase in GIE might have caused growth in GHE and GTVE to rise by 11.45% and 17.18%, respectively. Hence, the paper suggests increasing GIE, GTVE and GHE adequately.

THE NEED FOR A MINIMAL ACCREDITATION MODEL TO ADVANCE AND MANAGE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN BOTSWANA: A PROPOSAL FOR A DEBATE

Universally, educational reforms are meant to positively impact a country. Botswana has over the years been introducing innovations through government funding of education especially basic education. Reforms have been focused on each level of education including early childhood education (ECE). While a move to develop early childhood education was slow as is started some few years back (2012) with the introduction of the first policy on early childhood education, the government should be applauded for taking this bold step signaling an international move to advance and manage this level of education. Experience has indicated that early childhood programs are mostly operated by none government providers like religious group, private organization and individuals. However, there is nothing in place to regulate their provision in terms of an accreditation model. The absence of such a model can defeat the very efforts to improve, expand and support provision of ECE. This paper argues for the introduction of a minimal accreditation model taking into consideration the nature of provision and the fresh interest that the government has given to ECE. It is suggested that a minimal model can have tremendously benefits for Botswana. It can shape a remarkable trend of regular review, regulate issuance of certificate to practice, formation of national accreditation body, development of standards for compliance and coordinate different provisions. Unquestionably, these milestones would not be achieved with unregulated practices that currently characterize ECE provision in Botswana. The paper support efforts for relevant provision of ECE which can spark renewed interests by all stakeholders including parents, communities and nation at large. Article visualizations:

Mobilizing Resources for Education: The 2012 ‘Great Leap’ in a Province in Western China

The tension between mobilizing resources to meet education-related growth targets and regularizing educational funding for a more stable and sustainable growth is structurally rooted in China’s educational system, which features growth-oriented, centralized mandates and county-based, decentralized financing. It was manifested in 2012, when China experienced a ‘great leap’ in educational expenditure. Based on interviews and school-level data from a province in western China, this article suggests that the ‘great leap’ was real rather than fabricated. Local governments have demonstrated remarkable capacity in resource mobilization involving both formal and informal strategies. It also shows the scarring effects of too much mobilization. The ‘great leap’ has clearly stressed and strained local governments to the extent that there is clear evidence of policy non-compliance and greater irregularity in government funding for education in the aftermath.

The Politics of Walmart Moms: Parenthood and Political Attitudes in the 2012 Election

ABSTRACTThis research uses 2012 National Election Studies data to explore how parenthood shapes the public opinion of women and men. Our analyses show that being a parent shapes attitudes on issues directly connected to children, such as government funding for education and day care, but also on issues less connected to the day-to-day activities of parenting, including the appropriate role of government and abortion. While the label “Walmart Mom” captures the reality that a large and growing number of mothers are struggling economically, the effect of motherhood, on most issues, holds for all women, regardless of socioeconomic status. This article discusses the implications of our findings concerning the politics of motherhood and fatherhood in light of the changing structure of America’s families.

Will Mobile Learning Bring a Paradigm Shift in Higher Education?

In the light of technology-driven social change that creates new challenges for universities, this paper considers the potential of mobile learning as a subset of e-learning to effect a paradigm shift in higher education. Universities face exponential growth in demand for higher education, significant decreases in government funding for education, a changing in understanding of the nature of knowledge, changing student demographics and expectations, and global competition. At the same time untethered mobile telephony is connecting large numbers of potential learners to communications networks. A review of some empirical literature on the current status of mobile learning that explores alternatives to help universities fulfil core functions of storage, processing, and disseminating knowledge that can be applied to real life problems, is followed by an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of increased connectivity to mobile communications networks to support constructivist, self-directed quality interactive learning for increasingly mobile learners. This paper also examines whether mobile learning can align the developing technology with changing student expectations and the implications of such an alignment for teaching and institutional strategies. Technologies considered include mobile computing and technology, wireless laptop, hand-held PDAs, and mobile telephony.

The extent to which teacher attitudes and expectations predict academic achievement of final year students

Competition in the market is a perennial and ever‐increasing problem for independent schools. How schools can meet this pressure and find ways to attract (the best) students is a continuing question and one that will get more onerous as the government funding for education is, in relative terms, decreasing. One of the ways in which schools can show their worth is the attraction of the best teachers and being able to show potential clients how their staff contribute to the academic success of their graduating students. This study considers the relationship between teachers’ attitudes toward their work and the expectations and the extent to which their attitudes and expectations predict the academic achievements of their final year students. Results found that academic achievement is enhanced when school leadership provides an academically oriented context where values and expectations of high academic achievement are part of the school culture. Other teacher variables found to improve academic achievement are the teachers’ need for greater input into decision‐making at their schools; less formalisation of rules, procedures and process; and support through personnel, facilities, finances, equipment and resources.

University-industry interface activities: Awareness of sponsored research among Nigerian academics

Due to the present poor economic conditions and the dwindling government funding of education, most universities all over the world have been making desperate attempts to generate funds from other sources. Involvement of industries in university research activities is one of major proposal that has gained considerable publicity and success especially in the advanced countries. This study therefore assessed the level of awareness of this university-industry interface among scholars in Nigerian federal universities. It also determined the sources through which academics get information on it. A 68-item questionnaire called “Awareness of and sources of information on sponsored research among Nigerian academics (ASISRNA)” was administered on a sample of 563 academics in 13 Federal universities. Mean scores, z-test, and Analysis of Variance were used to seek answers to research questions and to test significant differences among the research variables at 0.05 significant level. The result of the study indicated among others: that although academics in Nigeria Federal Universities are quite aware of industry sponsored research and the benefits associated with it, the level of their involvement in it is low. Direct contact and interaction among scholars and industrial organizations prove to be the most important source of information on sponsored research. Based on these findings, it was recommended among other things that both government and university authorities should develop increased awareness on sponsored research to encourage the involvement of lecturers in it so that they can generate substantial funds as is the case in many countries. Ghana Journal of Development Studies Vol.1(2) 2004: 101-117

Who will keep the public healthy?: educating public health professionals for the 21st century

Bioterrorism, drug--resistant disease, transmission of disease by global travel ...therea (TM)s no shortage of challenges facing Americaa (TM)s public health officials. Men and women preparing to enter the field require state-of-the-art training to meet these increasing threats to the public health. But are the programs they rely on provide the high caliber professional training they require? Who Will Keep the Public Healthy? provides an overview of the past, present, and future of public health education, assessing its readiness to provide the training and education needed to prepare men and women to face 21st century challenges. Advocating an ecological approach to public health, the Institute of Medicine examines the role of public health schools and degree--granting programs, medical schools, nursing schools, and government agencies, as well as other institutions that foster public health education and leadership. Specific recommendations address the content of public health education, qualifications for faculty, availability of supervised practice, opportunities for cross--disciplinary research and education, cooperation with government agencies, and government funding for education. Eight areas of critical importance to public health education in the 21st century are examined in depth: informatics, genomics, communication, cultural competence, community-based participatory research, global health, policy and law, and public health ethics. The book also includes a discussion of the policy implications of its ecological framework.