Evaluation and Accountability in Asian and Pacific Countries

Abstract

The use of both evaluation and accountability in education systems has been of long standing, although the ways in which they are used have changed markedly over the past century. Where schools and universities are run as private, fee paying organisations, the clients, who are the students and their parents, must make their own judgments of the effectiveness and value of the education provided. However, where schools and universities are paid for out of public funds the need arises to evaluate and account for the spending of public monies. With the expansion across the world of the education systems in each country, province and municipality, the call for evaluation and accountability of those systems has increased, because of the substantial and rising expenditures involved. Over the past 100 years, not only has the size of the school-aged population grown markedly, but the demand has also grown, initially for universal primary education, subsequently for widespread secondary and technical education, and more recently for greatly increased provision of higher education and training in technology and commerce. The costs of providing these services are substantial and often relatively larger in those countries that can least afford to provide such services, but have the greatest need. This article considers the nature of both evaluation and accountability and examines how they are practised and developed in the region.