Educational Governance and Its Role in Building an Effective and Equitable Education System in Libya: A Policy and Indicator-Based Analytical Study

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the current state of educational governance in Libya and examine its role in building an effective and equitable education system within a complex political and institutional context characterized by instability and fragmented decision-making. The study is grounded in the assumption that deficiencies in educational governance constitute a key structural factor underlying the decline in educational effectiveness, the deterioration of learning outcomes, and persistent inequities in access to educational opportunities.

The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach and a public policy analysis framework, relying on the analysis of official documents and national and international reports, alongside contemporary theories of educational governance. It also proposes an analytical set of governance indicators—covering transparency, accountability, efficiency, effectiveness, and educational equity—without employing field surveys or questionnaires.

The findings reveal that the Libyan education system suffers from weaknesses in its institutional and legislative framework, limited accountability mechanisms, weak performance-based evaluation, and insufficient use of data in educational decision-making. The results further indicate a significant gap between educational expenditures and achieved outcomes, reflecting structural shortcomings in the governance system.

The study concludes that educational reform in Libya requires the adoption of a comprehensive governance-oriented approach that strengthens transparency and accountability, institutionalizes performance indicators, and ensures policy continuity, thereby contributing to improved educational quality and the realization of educational equity.