The Mismatch Between World Bank Actions and the Decentralization of Educational Systems in LMICs

Abstract

The World Bank’s (WB) growing emphasis on decentralizing educational systems has sparked widespread discussion in the literature. This study examines whether WB reforms are indeed associated with decentralizing educational systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as commonly assumed. Using unique, untapped country-level panel data on 30 LMICs from 1990 to 2019, I do not find a significant association between the WB’s actions and changes observed in educational systems. Employing the institutional logics perspective, I argue that the WB’s diffusion of “homogeneous” educational reforms may clash with “heterogeneous” socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts, thus hindering the direct translation of reforms into tangible outcomes on the ground.