Private Schools for the Poor – Educating Millions in the Developing World

Authors: James Tulloch, Aline Kramer, and Lisa Overbey

Endeva Working Paper 03

April 2014

Abstract: Low-cost private schools can help the poor bridge the basic education gap.  Indeed, they already play a significant role in educating the children of millions of poor families throughout the developing world – charging the equivalent of just a few dollars a month in tuition fees.  The bottom-up, demand-driven nature of low-cost private schools allows them to meet the specific needs of poor parents, many of whom choose to send their children to fee-paying private schools rather than have them attend free public schools.  Low-cost private schools succeed where poor parents believe public schools frequently fail – meeting their demands for Affordable and Accessible education for their children, provided by teachers and administrators who are held Accountable for the quality of instruction and educational outcomes.  This “Triple-A rating” that families are giving low-cost private schools suggests that they are an educational choice for low income parents that is here to stay.

However, there is plenty of room for improvement…

The complete working paper can be accessed here.