Governance of government middle schools in Beijing and Delhi: supportive accountability, incentives and capacity

Lacking accountability has been widely blamed for poor performance of basic education around the world. However, reforms aiming to fix it have variously fallen short due to a lack of conceptual clarity. The dissertation advances a more comprehensive reconceptualization that re-emphasizes government role as providing stewardship and highlights supportive mechanisms such as teacher in-service training and career advancement arrangements as vital complements to existing accountability mechanisms. It then uses surveys and supplementary tools to explore how they are practiced in government middle schools in India and China. It is revealed that satisfaction level differs significantly between teachers who are included in such support and those excluded. Effectiveness of support can further be understood along its incentive compatibility and ability to advance professional capacity. As such, government should be more like an enabler that stimulates and supports local dynamism. Yet to do so, it is necessary to first understand what the local needs, incentive structures and capacity deficits are.