Is Private Education Good for the poor? University of Newcastle Study says so

[Bono]

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Many believe that the private sector has very little to offer in terms of reaching the
Millennium Development Goal of ‘education for all’ by 2015. Private education is often assumed to be concerned only with serving the elite or middle classes, not the poor. And unregistered or unrecognised private schools are thought to be of the lowest quality and hence demanding of detailed regulation, or even closure, by the authorities. Our findings from a two-year in-depth study in Hyderabad, India; Ga District, Ghana; Lagos State, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya, suggest that these conclusions are unwarranted. Private unaided schools, we argue, can play – indeed, already are playing – an important, if unsung role in reaching the poor and satisfying their educational needs.

(...)

Through this research, we have obtained an understanding of the nature and extent of private unaided schools serving low-income families in different African and Indian settings. In each we can say that the majority of poor school children attend private unaided schools, which generally perform better than government schools, at between half and a quarter of the cost. The schools are largely run by proprietors, with very few receiving outside philanthropic support, and none receiving state funding. Roughly equal numbers of boys and girls attend private unaided schools, which have better pupil-teacher ratios, higher teacher commitment and sometimes better facilities than government schools. Teachers are not less satisfied with their
salaries in private unaided than government schools, even though they are paid considerably less. Finally, a significant minority of all places in private unaided schools are provided free or at reduced rates, to serve the poorest of the poor.

[Bono]

www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/content.phtml?ref=1126704195

UN proposals for free primary schools are "wrong"

Date released 14 September 2005

A leading educationalist is criticising new United Nations proposals to eliminate all fees in state primary schools globally to meet its goal of universal primary education by 2015.

Professor James Tooley, of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, says the UN, which is placing particular emphasis on those regions doing worse at moving towards 'education for all', namely sub-Saharan Afria and South Asia, is “backing the wrong horse”.

Prof Tooley makes his comments as as the UN meets today, Wednesday September 14, to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, including Universal Primary Education by 2015.

His opinion is based on new research evidence which shows that private schooling is adequately serving the majority of the poor in developing countries more effectively than state schools.

At the meeting, The UN is expected to argue that progress re primary schooling in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is ‘too slow’, with 115 million children still out of school. To move forward, the UN is proposing eliminating all fees in state primary schools by 2006, through increased international aid so that all can benefit from free state education.

But new research directed by Prof Tooley, of Newcastle University’s School of Education, Communcation and Language Sciences, shows that in poor areas of Africa and India, the majority of poor parents are sending their children to private, not state schools, disturbed by the low quality and lack of accountability in state education. Private schools for the poor, the research shows, “are academically more effective than state schools, and achieve higher results at only a fraction of the cost.”

The fact that many poor parents use private, not state schools, has a startling implication: “Education for All is going to be much easier to achieve than is currently believed”, says Professor Tooley.

In Lagos State, Nigeria, for instance, governments and international agencies believe that 50% of children are out of school. The research shows that it is only 26%, the difference enrolled in unregistered private schools, “off the state’s radar”.

Where the “success” of free primary education (FPE) is celebrated, as in Kenya, which introduced FPE in 2003, the research shows that the reported increase in enrolment is, at best, children moving from private slum schools – forced to close – to overcrowded state schools. “That’s not a success story, it’s a disaster, adds Prof Tooley.

Proprietors of private schools serving the poor from Africa, India and China will gather in London for a screening of the BBC World film ‘School’s Out’, that outlines the research’s findings. They’ll be uniting to launch a new global organisation– Private Education International – which will provide information, foster innovation and mobilise resources for private schools for the poor.
MEDIA INFORMATION:

Contact: Professor James Tooley: 07976 403113 or james.tooley@ncl.ac.uk

Useful weblinks: www.ncl.ac.uk/egwest and www.educationnext.org

[Jake]

The University of Oldcastle disagrees.

[Bono]

WHAT THE F**K?
I guess  discussing the future of homosexuality is much more insightful and interesting than this.
oh well.

[opebo]

The poor cannot access private education, Mordac, as they have no money.

[afleitch]

In Britain they could, under the assisted places scheme. Thats how my older brother and sister went to a private school because of their academic ability not my parents income. But Labour scrapped it.

Luckily my mum and dad worked hard and saved for me to go to the same school too and I am forever thankful.

[opebo]

In Britain they could, under the assisted places scheme. Thats how my older brother and sister went to a private school because of their academic ability not my parents income. But Labour scrapped it.

Luckily my mum and dad worked hard and saved for me to go to the same school too and I am forever thankful.

Well, the point is that the poor cannot go to such schools unless they are provided money by the State, which sort of invalidates the 'private' nature of the schools. 

However I dislike the 'academic ability' requirement placed upon the poor in the belated program to which you refer.  The rich have no such requirements placed upon them.. unless you are merely referring to the admissions requirement, and of course if you are rich enough even those will be waived.

[Bono]

Obviously neitehr of you read the introductiry articles, because if you did you'd know how the poorest of the poor are privately educated in third world countries.

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[opebo]

Obviously neitehr of you read the introductiry articles, because if you did you'd know how the poorest of the poor are privately educated in third world countries.

Well sure, they do what they can, with their inadequate resources.  What a shame.