Comments on id21 viewpoints
Private education is good for poor people in Africa and Asia

I read with interest, the contribution of James Tooley on private schools and poor children in Africa. I share his views entirely. I am also happy that he drew a distinction between private recognised schools and the unrecognised ones. In Nigeria a private school is not affordable to the poor. It is expensive and only children of the elite go to such schools. However more than 80% of Nigeria’s school-going population attend the public schools supported by governments and it is free and universal at basic education level. I doubt whether it is possible for Donor Agencies/Development Partners to extend their assistance to such schools under their current bilateral agreements with various governments. In Nigeria, private unrecognised schools are not part of school statistics even though they are serving a social function and contributing their quota to the economy though not acknowledged in any form.

Dennis Okoro
Regional Team Leader
Universal Basic Education Project
British Council, Abuja, Nigeria

8 September 2005