Regional examinations councils and geopolitical change: Commonality, diversity, and lessons from experience

Abstract

Formation of regional bodies which serve groups of countries is a way to achieve economies of scale, greater specialisation in professional expertise, and a strong voice in international affairs. Many advocates have particularly recommended regional collaboration to states which are too small to operate strong national bodies. However, regional bodies suffer multiple tensions and do not always meet their goals with great success. This paper focuses on regional collaboration in examinations, and compares the experiences of three existing and two defunct bodies. The three existing bodies are the West African Examinations Council, the Caribbean Examinations Council, and the South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment. The two defunct bodies are the East African Examinations Council and the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland Schools Examination Council. Although these five bodies were designed to undertake similar functions, they operated in different geopolitical environments. Instructive lessons on the nature and impact of geopolitical forces can be learned from the experiences of each body and from comparison of all five.