Non-Conventional Implementation Mechanisms

Applying Decentralization to Develop Education in Oena governorate

In order to apply the governorate vision of developing education, and improving the quality of the educational process, a greater degree of both administrative and financial decentralization, plus enhanced community participation, were implemented at the school level. Several procedures were undertaken to establish boards of trustees for schools, aiming at greater levels of decentralized decision making, plus enhanced community participation:

o Schools boards of trustees were established in all the schools of the governorate.

o Board of trustees were formed of 18 members comprising: parents, teachers, businessmen, pedagogy and education experts, women from the community, and the members of the university graduates society, and members of local councils and syndicates.

o Boards of Trustees presidents were chosen from amongst public figures who do not work in the school.

o The accounts of the parents councils were revoked and replaced by the special accounts for the boards of trustees.

o A decree was issued to regulated the financial matters for the board of trustee- including the right granted to the board in collecting fees and annual subscription; and accepting donations and grants, and that the fiscal year for the board of trustees accounts starts at the beginning September of every year and ends on the end of August of the following year, and that each school represents a separate entity.

o The authority to fill the gap in the teaching staff by recruiting administrative personnel- headmasters, deputy headmasters and supervisors- to teach the different subjects.

o The authority to appoint university graduates to work as teachers on a temporary basis but with full remuneration.

The authority to appoint service staff for the schools and pay their wages the schools' accounts.

o The authority to repair and refurbish the buildings and purchase the required furniture and other educational equipment from the school's account, as needed.

o The authority to open the school gates all day starting 7 am until 11 pm, and make the school premises available for students to study, use the library or computers, or play sports in the playgrounds after school hours.

o The authority to organize extra enhancement groups instead of private lessons.

o The authority to develop the school's resources and collect revenues and withdraw from them in accordance with the laws and regulations made by the school and not the governmental laws and regulations.

- Many educational projects, financed by international development agencies were implemented. For example, the Educational Improvement Project was jointly financed by the European Union and the World Bank. The project was implemented in 30 schools, primary and preparatory, located within Qena City Educational Administration. It was titled the "Effective Schools Program". There is also the UNICEF "Active Schools Project" which was applied in 30 schools. Finally, the "Educational Improvement Project" in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which will be applied in Deshna city educational administration.

Procedures Taken to Monitor Youth loans and Ensure their Success

The governorate prepared the feasibility studies needed by the different projects financed through the village funds.

The governorate required that the projects should be implemented by groups not individuals, and that funds should be granted to youth as representatives of their families.

The projects were monitored closely by different committees that were responsible for the preparation of bi-monthly reports.

The loans granted were guaranteed by the projects themselves.

Any citizen desiring to get a loan had to submit a request to the Head of the local municipality of the city or the village, then all requests were collected by the loan officials in the city or village, and recorded according to the date of its submission. Next, all the requests submitted were reviewed by the relevant committees.

All the projects' equipment was purchased by the project owners under the supervision of the committee of the city or village, and with the participation of the beneficiary.

Encouraging Investment

- Within the industrial zone, land plots with fully functional utilities (water supply, sanitary drainage, electricity and telephones) were handed over to investors free of charge. Moreover, the investors enjoyed a ten year term of tax exemption.

- Roads connecting between villages were paved, and linked with transportation routes to encourage investment.