L'éducation en Afrique subsaharienne. Les indicateurs d'efficience et leur utilisation politique

This paper challenges the opinion that educational systems in Africa suffer less from a lack of resources than from an inefficient use of resources. This idea is based on two arguments. The first derives from the results of international comparisons in schooling efficiency. An indicator such as the ratio of the average schooling period to the share of educational expenditure in GDP does not measure efficiency adequately. The second builds on estimates of educational production functions, the results of which have led to erroneous interpretation. Such debatable arguments act to limit substantial increases in foreign aid and foster the expansion of systems where limited resources produce mediocre outcomes that will be increasingly hard to put right.