This study aimed to identify the institutional and actual aspects of educational decentralization in both Senegal and Ghana, from the vertical and horizontal viewpoints. The research methodology involved interviews with officials from the central government (Ministry of Education), local government (regional education offices) and Decision-Making Organizations (DMOs) in schools to ascertain basic information on the institutional and actual aspects of educational decentralization. The results showed that, in both countries, there was justification for decentralization through political legitimacy and professional expertise, but not market efficiency. In addition, only limited progress in the vertical decentralization was identified in terms of curriculum and budget, although there were differences in the degree of decentralization. Thus, it was suggested that both countries have made some progress in horizontal decentralization, but may not be fully exercising their authority due to the weak degree of vertical decentralization.
Ishizaka et al. (2025) studied this question.