EDUCATION reforms: Private Schools for the Poor

Nigeria’s public primary and secondary school system faces numerous challenges, including inadequate funding, infrastructural deficits, overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of qualified teachers. These factors affect the quality of education and lead to poor learning outcomes. In addition, policy instability and frequent changes in educational directives further exacerbate these issues, making it difficult to implement long-term improvement strategies.

Private schools, often perceived as catering only to the affluent, are pivotal in providing quality education to low-income families across developing countries, including Nigeria. Contrary to the common perception, low-cost private schools have effectively served the poor, often delivering better educational outcomes than public schools. Low-cost private schools can narrow achievement gaps and are preferred by many parents over public options due to higher accountability and better educational outcomes.

In his book “The Beautiful Tree”, James Tooley presents several examples of how low-cost private schools in low-income communities challenge the notion that only public education can serve the poor effectively. His research reveals that impoverished communities often take education into their own hands, creating and funding their own schools and achieving better outcomes than public schools.

Pauline Dixon’s essay “Why the Denial? Low-Cost Private Schools in Developing Countries and Their Contributions to Education” shows that low-cost private schools often outperform government schools at a fraction of the cost. She advocates for recognising and supporting low-cost private schools as a viable solution to educational challenges in developing countries.

Join Dr Mo Adefeso-Olateju, the Founder of The Education Partnership and a Fellow of the Brookings Institution, and Patrick O. Okigbo III, Nextier’s Founder/Principal Partner, to explore the potential of private education to provide access to quality education, bridge outcome gaps, and contribute to universal education goals.

Title: Private Schools for the Poor
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Time: 15:00 – 16:30 (WAT)
Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/DevDiscourse_EduReforms_MO