Determination the efficiency of secondary schools in the Pardubice region

Abstract

Efficiency belongs among frequently discussed topics of public policy. This paper deals with the measurement of the efficiency of secondary schools established by the Pardubice region. We used the data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure efficiency. One input - the expenditure on teacher salaries, and three outputs - % of pupils success in Czech language, math, and English language exams were selected. The results of this analysis show that 12 secondary schools from the 36 examined secondary schools are effective. Conducted DEA model also determines the way how inefficient school reaches efficiency (how to reduce input and increase outputs). Furthermore, the optimal utilization of capacities calculated as quotient of actual number of pupils and optimal number of pupils expresses the fact that the examined grammar schools use their capacities on average at 80 %, and examined vocational secondary schools only at 60 %. This situation is mainly caused by a long-term decline in birth rates when the number of secondary school pupils is decreasing.