Keywords
Educational policy
Church
State
qualitative analysis
Estado
análisis cualitativo
Iglesia
Política educacional
Belice
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper explored whether the relationship between church-state actors contributes to or constrains educational quality. It posed the following research question: Is there alignment between the church and state in the envisioning and delivery of education in Belize? Technical documents, non-technical documents, and key stakeholder interviews were qualitatively analysed and triangulated. The study found that while alignment exists in overarching goals and historical appreciation of the partnership, misalignments also exist in overlapping roles; conflicting philosophies; dissonance between actions and stated commitment to the partnership; and the manifestation of accountability in education. Given that the government’s approximately 23% investment in education is juxtaposed with documented low returns, this paper can contribute to understanding some underlying challenges that potentially undermine that investment.
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