Assessing the Effects of Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers on Education Financing and Outcomes: An Overview of Seven Case Studies

Chapter 3 presents evidence from seven country case studies on how intergovernmental fiscal transfers have been used to strengthen education systems and improve education outcomes. The chapter explores how the case study countries have used transfers to provide adequate funding for basic education, narrow education inequalities, increase efficiency, and incentivize better performance from various actors in the education sector. Although it draws mostly on the evidence presented in the case studies, it also includes examples from other countries, mostly high-income countries, to supplement this evidence where necessary. Because the transfer systems in the case study countries have very different characteristics and are at different stages of development, no attempt at a systematic comparison across case studies is made. The chapter concludes with some principles for the design and implementation of effective transfers for education.