The privatisation of schools in developing countries is expanding rapidly. Does private education just benefit elite groups? Or should it be seen as a support to governments constrained by limited public budgets, low quality education and persistent schooling gaps? How should it be regulated? Should private providers receive state support?

A chapter in a book from the Oxford Studies in Comparative Education series draws on UNESCO-commissioned research to examine regulatory requirements for funding, teacher staffing and inspection of private schools in a range of Asian and Central European countries.

There are different reasons for the growth of private schooling or regulatory policies in different countries, even within the same region and among states with a shared colonial heritage. Private education is context-specific, so comparisons are extremely difficult. In many countries, there have been few studies of private provision.

In some countries, there is a strong private sector because governments are unable or unwilling to fund additional schools and teachers. Elsewhere, pressure from religious or ethnic minorities drives interest in private schools, as organised religious or ethnic subcultures regard public education as unable to promote group identity. Some countries are handing authority to regions and individual schools in ways that blur the public-private boundary.

Throughout South Asia, private schooling is growing, sometimes at unexpected speed, as in India. Demand comes from all social levels, not just from wealthier families. In Bangladesh and India, many schools receive government grants – especially for teachers’ salaries. Parental desires for children to be educated in English are a strong driver of private enrolments. Some private schools in India choose not to apply for recognition. Other officially recognised private schools may fail to meet set standards but, nevertheless, stay open. Government rules to ensure private sector teachers receive a set minimum salary are often ignored.

In South-East Asia, education appeals to all social classes for reasons of prestige and the belief that teacher discipline and moral values are higher in private schools. Schools offer better facilities and a more personalised education and according to official data – with some exceptions in Indonesia and Malaysia – achieve higher exam results. Teachers enjoy a comprehensive set of benefits and social protection.

In transitional post-communist countries with favourable market environments and rising incomes, developments have copied India. However, the private sector has struggled in states with more centralised policies, a slower pace of market reform and less apparent wealth gaps. The cost of fees is often out of reach, even for middle-class families.

Private education is here to stay and cannot be ignored. In many developing countries, there are so many unrecognised providers that governments may only have a vague understanding of the extent of private education. Therefore:

• Government regulation is essential to ensure transparent registration and inspection, and to tackle corruption, mismanagement, low standards and constraints on competition.
• The role of the private sector urgently needs to be clarified in relation to government education.
• It is unfortunate that issues around registration, inspection, supervision, recognition of diplomas and private sector teachers’ status, pay and conditions often remain unresolved.
• It is undesirable that many governments fail to distinguish between welfare-focused religious and for-profit schools.

Source(s):
‘Education for All and Private Education in Developing and Transitional Countries’, by Igor Kitaev, chapter five in ‘Private Schooling in Less Economically Developed Countries: Asian and African Perspectives’, edited by Prachi Srivastava and Geoffrey Walford, Symposium Books, 2007 Full document.

Funded by: UNESCO

id21 Research Highlight: 24 March 2008

Further Information:
Igor Kitaev
International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP)
7-9 rue Eugène Delacroix
75116 Paris
France

Tel: +33 145 037734
Fax: +33 140 728366
Contact the contributor: i.kitaev@iiep.unesco.org

International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), France

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Private education in India can benefit poor people

Are public and private schools in Nepal competitors or partners?