From NGOs to CSOs - Social Citizenship, Civil Society and “Education for All” - An Agenda for Further Research

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

The paper examines how development aid policy frames “civil society” in the pursuit of Education for All, focusing on why universal basic education has not been achieved in poor countries. It critiques the narrow limits of official donor conceptions and proposes a “social citizenship” lens to understand civil society’s role. Drawing on a study of CSOs across four African countries, it analyzes governance reform agendas, especially short-route accountability measures, and contrasts them with marginalized long-route democratic accountability mechanisms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Social citizenship and the problem of “Education for All”

Education for All governance reforms and civil society engagement

Short-route versus long-route accountability in education

Civil society consultation in donor documents

From NGOs to CSOs: Social Citizenship, Civil Society and “Education for All” – An Agenda for Further Research Karen Mundy Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto Adecdebaaaagn, wdeen CICelopmeEntpubpolliicshyeddisitscusfisirstonsissue “Arewere focusNedGoOnstOverrated?he expandin”g otolaplcadayeemid bcy NGOs in the developing world. Today the language has changed – and so too, in some ways, has practice. In this article, I want to look atthe new turn to“civil society”in development discourse. In particular, I want to answer the question: What does civil society have to do with the achievement of education for all – particularly in poor countries where universal access to basic education has not been achieved? Below, I look first at how civil society engagement is being constructed in the official policy discourse of development aid organizations, raising questions about the narrowness and limitations of this conceptualization. I then argue for using a “social citizenship” lens when thinking about civil society and its role in the achievement of education for all. Throughout, I introduce examples from a recent study of civil society organizations (CSOs) and their interactions with internationally funded sector programs in education in four African countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya and Tanzania ([Mundy et. al](Mundy et. al)., 2007). Education For All Governance Reforms: The Core Agenda Over the past two decades, reforms to the way in which educational systems are managed and governed have been attempted across a large number of developing countries. These reforms typically draw upon an “ideal” governance agenda that includes decentralization, the creation of public-private partnerships, and a variety of efforts to enhance participation and local level oversight. The notion of engaging civil society is a central feature of this governance reform agenda. The governance reforms that occupy the greatest space in officially sponsored educational development programs and policies revolve around the call for greater local accountability mechanisms and decentralization of governance. The common sense view that emerged in the 1990s is typified in the 1990 Jomtien declaration on Education for All: Partnerships at the community level…should be encouraged: they can help harmonize activities, utilize resources more effectively, and mobilize additional financial and human resources where necessary (WCEFA secretariat, 1990, p. 58) . More recently, this agenda has been incorporated by the World Bank in its agenda for improving“short route accountability.” “Short route” forms of accountability emphasize the power of client-citizens as the main form for political agency in the education sector. As summarized in documents like the World Bank’s 2004 World Development Report Making Services Work for the Poor and the report of the Millennium Development Project’s Task Force on education, key short route accountability reforms include: decentralization of educational management and financing; the involvement of parents in school based management; the provision of better information on © 2008 Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Current Issues in Comparative Education, Vol. 10(1/2): 32-40. Karen Mundy school performance and student achievement to parents and communities; the introduction of school choice mechanisms (including demand-side mechanisms); and the expansion of NGO and public-private service provision to stimulate competition and efficiency among schools, as well as broader access. To get a sense of the scale of support for such reforms, one only need look at the World Bank’sown lending portfolio, where a large majority of current projects in primary education include two reform goals: financial decentralization to local government (80%) and the introduction of school level management mechanisms (90%) (WB/IEG, 2006, p. 43) .

FAQs

How does the paper connect civil society to achieving Education for All?

It asks what civil society has to do with Education for All, especially where universal access to basic education has not been reached, and argues for rethinking civil society through a social citizenship lens.

What governance reforms are discussed as central to Education for All?

The paper describes reforms such as decentralization, public-private partnerships, participation, local oversight, and mechanisms intended to strengthen accountability in education systems.

How do “short route” and “long route” accountability mechanisms differ in the paper?

Short-route accountability emphasizes client-citizens’ political agency through decentralization, parental involvement, better information to communities, and school choice and service provision. Long-route accountability, involving national aggregation of interests and formal democratic politics, is portrayed in donor documents as marginalized.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo