Identifying sources of inefficiency among students of five mena countries

Abstract EN

Instead of pushing pupils to learn by rote, the education task should be to develop their cognitive capacities.

In addition to education inputs, several ‘non tangible’ variables affect education acquirements, which lead to inefficiency of the education system.

In order to evaluate inefficiency, we calculate the distance that separates each pupil from the "better practice border".

We also attempt to identify the determinants of this gap, thus putting in evidence inefficiency factors of a particular pupil and his or her school.

We use a parametric approach of inefficiency measure based on a Translog stochastic distance function.

We estimate this Function for five Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries (Tunisia, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar and United Arabs Emirates), using their respective PISA surveys (Program for International Student Assessment).

We use plausible values in "Mathematics," in "Sciences", and in "Reading" in order to evaluate the education cognitive achievements of students.

Our econometric estimation validates the existence of inefficiency effects on the performance of each MENA country’s education systems.

The global efficiency mean is about 79%, which means that pupils of the region can increase their performance by 21%.

However, we detect divergences between the five countries, the level of efficiency of the Jordan and Turkish pupils are of 83% but it decreases to 63% for Qatar.

Marginal effects of school size are negative on inefficiency, but those of truancy and repeating years are positive.

Students of international schools and private school are less inefficient in UAE, Qatar and Jordan.

Students issued from urban areas and those living in small localities are less inefficient in Tunisia and Turkey.