The Role of Civil Society in National Education Policy in the Global South
Despite the prominence of civil society advocacy on education since the 1990s, there is limited consensus about the nature of its role in shaping national policies in the global South. Changes in civic space in the past decade are likely to have altered the terms of civil society engagement in education policy. Drawing on a longer literature review on the role of civil society in national education policy (Gebremedhin, Hevia, and Hossain, 2023), this Accountability Brief takes stock of the evidence about how civic action has shaped education policy in the past, to understand the possible impacts on national education policymaking should the space for civil society advocacy on education be restricted in the future. The key takeaways from the literature review are as follows:
1. The presence of diverse non-state actors in civil society advocacy for education has shaped national education policy in the global South. Beyond variation between the types and agendas of such groups, we know relatively little about their dynamics and how they interact with more established and often donor-funded national education coalitions.
a. Takeaway for international donors: There is limited evidence on how some increasingly important civil society actors shape national education policy. This includes, in particular, teachers’ unions, youth-led organizations, and rightwing and corporate-backed movements.
b. Takeaway for national-level civil society activists: In order to continue to prioritize equitable access to quality education for all, and counter the growing influence of rightwing and corporate-backed movements, greater collaboration with progressive groups outside formal national education coalitions is needed.
2. Civil society organizations (CSOs) and advocacy-based non-governmental organizations gained prominence as influential actors in education policy at a historically specific moment: during the post-Cold War expansion of civic space, democratization, and the neoliberal push for active non-state actors. Their initial focus was on promoting Education for All, aided by the transnational advocacy of donors and CSO networks. Increasingly restricted civic space and greater emphasis on quality education and the ‘learning crisis’, as well as unprecedented disruptions to education like COVID-19, have altered the political context for national education advocates.
a. Takeaway for international donors: The effectiveness of education advocacy is dependent on the political context and state-civil society dynamics. An enabling political context cannot be assumed.
b. Takeaway for national-level civil society activists: Advocacy for quality education for all hinges on navigating the nuanced relationship between civil society and the state; tactics that worked when advocates were pushing on an open door and proposing politically popular expansionary reforms may not work to boost learning outcomes, or when governments and donors are less supportive.
3. The Education For All (EFA) Dakar Framework and Millennium Development Goal 2 (MDG2) in 2000 created new opportunities for civil society engagement in education policy. Civil society – particularly the Global Campaign for Education – played a vital role in forging a global norm around universal access to basic education. However, the lack of enforcement mechanisms, especially in financing commitments, raised questions about accountability, resulting in the emergence of actors such as the Global Partnership for Education to support countries' access to multilateral financing. The GPE and sectoral approaches further legitimized civil society roles, though their impact varied, emphasizing the nuanced relationship between civil society and education policy.
a. Takeaway for international donors: Global education commitments opened space for civil society, yet the absence of robust enforcement mechanisms, particularly for finance, highlights the need for greater accountability.
b. Takeaway for national-level civil society activists: Global education commitments like EFA and MDG provided new avenues for civil society engagement, enabling a norm around basic education for all. Multi-level approaches to accountability by national civil society proved important for accountability against these global frameworks.
