IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/edecon/v21y2013i4p360-379.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The efficiency of public schools: the case of Kuwait

Author

Listed:
  • Nadeem A. Burney
  • Jill Johnes
  • Mohammed Al-Enezi
  • Marwa Al-Musallam

Abstract

This paper investigates the technical, and allocative efficiencies of public schools in Kuwait over four levels of schooling (kindergartens, primary, intermediate and secondary) and two periods (1999/2000 and 2004/2005) using data envelopment analysis. Mean pure technical efficiency varies between 0.695 and 0.852 across all levels of education; the majority of schools at kindergarten, primary and intermediate levels are operating at a point where returns to scale are increasing, and there are considerable cost efficiencies to be gained. In a second-stage analysis of the determinants of efficiency, teacher salary and the proportion of teaching staff who are Kuwaiti are highly significant in explaining school efficiency at all levels. The former has a positive effect and the latter a negative effect. All-girls schools have significantly higher efficiency than all-boys schools. There is limited evidence that geographical location affects efficiency, and this may be a consequence of differences between regions in terms of affluence or density of population.

Suggested Citation

  • Nadeem A. Burney & Jill Johnes & Mohammed Al-Enezi & Marwa Al-Musallam, 2013. "The efficiency of public schools: the case of Kuwait," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 360-379, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:edecon:v:21:y:2013:i:4:p:360-379
    DOI: 10.1080/09645292.2011.595580
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/09645292.2011.595580
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/09645292.2011.595580?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fried, Harold O. & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Shelton S. (ed.), 1993. "The Measurement of Productive Efficiency: Techniques and Applications," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195072181.
    2. Kirjavainen, Tanja, 2007. "Efficiency of Finnish Upper Secondary Schools: An Application of Stochastic Frontier Analysis with Panel Data," Discussion Papers 428, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.
    2. Agasisti, Tommaso & de Oliveira Ribeiro, Celma & Montemor, Daniel Sanches, 2022. "The efficiency of Brazilian elementary public schools," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    3. Huguenin, Jean-Marc, 2015. "Adjusting for the environment in DEA: A comparison of alternative models based on empirical data," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 41-54.
    4. Johnes, Jill, 2015. "Operational Research in education," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 243(3), pages 683-696.
    5. Aatzaz Hassan & Muhammad Ramzan Sheikh & Rana Zafar Hayat & Neelam Asghar Ali, 2022. "An Efficiency Analysis of Public and Private Elementary Schools in Dera Ghazi Khan," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 8(3), pages 135-150, September.
    6. Inan Deniz Erguvan, 2024. "What difference does one course make? Assessing the impact of content-based instruction on students’ sustainability literacy," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Tommaso Agasisti, 2014. "How does schools’ efficiency look like across Europe? An empirical analysis of Germany, Spain, France, Italy and UK using OECD PISA2012 data," Working papers 9, Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica.
    8. López-Torres, Laura & Johnes, Jill & Elliott, Caroline & Polo, Cristina, 2021. "The effects of competition and collaboration on efficiency in the UK independent school sector," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 40-53.
    9. Delprato, Marcos & Antequera, Germán, 2021. "School efficiency in low and middle income countries: An analysis based on PISA for development learning survey," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    10. Agasisti, Tommaso & Zoido, Pablo, 2019. "The efficiency of schools in developing countries, analysed through PISA 2012 data," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    11. Arora, Nitin & Talwar, Shubhendra Jit, 2020. "Modelling efficiency in budget allocations for Indian states using window based non-radial non-concave metafrontier data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    12. Yahia, F.B. & Essid, H., 2019. "Determinants of Tunisian Schools’ Efficiency: A DEA-Tobit Approach," Journal of Applied Management and Investments, Department of Business Administration and Corporate Security, International Humanitarian University, vol. 8(1), pages 44-56, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Franz R. Hahn, 2007. "Determinants of Bank Efficiency in Europe. Assessing Bank Performance Across Markets," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 31499, January.
    2. Wu, Yanrui, 1995. "The productive efficiency of Chinese iron and steel firms A stochastic frontier analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 215-222, September.
    3. Hu, Jin-Li & Wang, Shih-Chuan & Yeh, Fang-Yu, 2006. "Total-factor water efficiency of regions in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 217-230, December.
    4. Dhehibi, Boubaker & Lachaal, Lassaad & Elloumi, Mohamed & Messaoud, Emna B., 2007. "Measurement and Sources of Technical Inefficiency in the Tunisian Citrus Growing Sector," 103rd Seminar, April 23-25, 2007, Barcelona, Spain 9391, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Oguntade, Adegboyega Eyitayo & Fatunmbi, Temitope Enitan & Folayan, Joshua Adio, 2013. "Productivity of Timber Processing in Ondo State, Nigeria," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 2(1).
    6. K. R. Shanmugam & A. Das, 2004. "Efficiency of Indian commercial banks during the reform period," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(9), pages 681-686.
    7. K. -L. Wang & Y. -T. Tseng & C. -C. Weng, 2003. "A study of production efficiencies of integrated securities firms in Taiwan," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 159-167.
    8. Philippe K. Widmer & Peter Zweifel, 2008. "Public Good Provision in a Federalist Country: Tiebout Competition, Fiscal Equalization, and Incentives for Efficiency in Switzerland," SOI - Working Papers 0804, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich, revised Dec 2010.
    9. Kerekes, Monika, 2007. "Analyzing patterns of economic growth: a production frontier approach," Discussion Papers 2007/15, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    10. Ülengin, Füsun & Kabak, Özgür & Önsel, Sule & Aktas, Emel & Parker, Barnett R., 2011. "The competitiveness of nations and implications for human development," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 16-27, March.
    11. Mehta, Rajesh & Narrod, Clare & Tiongco, Marites, 2008. "Livestock industrialization, trade and social-health-environment impacts in developing countries: a case of Indian poultry sector," MPRA Paper 32678, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Tsionas, Efthymios G. & Loizides, John, 2001. "A note on joint estimation of scale economies and productivity growth parameters," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 37-43, March.
    13. Aomar Ibourk & Sergio Perelman, 2001. "Frontières d'efficacité et processus d'appariement sur le marché du travail au Maroc," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(4), pages 33-45.
    14. Md Zobaer Hasan & Anton Abdulbasah Kamil & Adli Mustafa & Md Azizul Baten, 2012. "Stochastic Frontier Model Approach for Measuring Stock Market Efficiency with Different Distributions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(5), pages 1-9, May.
    15. John C. Topuz & Ali F. Darrat & Roger M. Shelor, 2005. "Technical, Allocative and Scale Efficiencies of REITs: An Empirical Inquiry," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9‐10), pages 1961-1994, November.
    16. Guerrero C., Alejandro & Rivera T., César, 2009. "Mexico: total productivity changes at the principal container ports," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), December.
    17. Honma, Satoshi & Hu, Jin-Li, 2009. "Total-factor energy productivity growth of regions in Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 3941-3950, October.
    18. Luca Casolaro & Giorgio Gobbi, 2004. "Information technology and productivity changes in the Italian banking industry," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 489, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    19. Galdeano-Gomez, Emilio & Cespedes-Lorente, Jose & Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Manuel, 2006. "Productivity and Environmental Performance in Marketing Cooperatives: Incentive Schemes on the Horticultural Sector," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25738, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    20. Ortega Irizo, Francisco Javier & Gavilán Ruiz, José Manuel, 2011. "Algunas observaciones acerca del uso de software en la estimación del modelo Half-Normal = Some Notes about the Using of Software to Estimate the Half-Normal Model," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 11(1), pages 3-16, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:edecon:v:21:y:2013:i:4:p:360-379. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CEDE20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.