Given that one billion people on the planet earn less than $1 per day and another billion people earn between $1 and $2/day, I’d say that 75 cents - equal to anywhere from 37% to 75% of a family’s entire income - is NOT within grasp of the majority of poor people in the world. Also, the 75 cents is a fee per student; how does a ‘working poor person’ pay for 2, 3 or 4 childen in one of these ‘amazing’ private schools?
The reason that Private or Charter Schools are in high demand is that these schools can ‘rid’ themselves of ‘difficult’ students (often students whose parents cannot or choose not to be involved in their children’s education and discipline). The public schools do not have this option - or ‘power!’ All it takes is a couple of unruly kids to destroy a class. I’d like to see how Charter and Private schools would fare if they had to take every child whose actions, achievements and attitude does not live up to the ‘code’ set forth by the school.
Tired of public schools being considered less than competent and private/charter schools seen as ‘the answer.’
James Tooley has done great work on India and has worked with Parth Shah of the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) in Delhi. CCS has a voucher scheme to provide funds for poor & marginalized Indian students to attend “budget private schools”. See: http://schoolchoice.in/
In reply to Richard’s comment, I don’t feel that this article is claiming that private schools are the “answer” but simply saying that awareness of the role of these affordable private schools is crucial for those attempting to make educational reform.
The schools in this article are not the expensive private schools that can “rid themselves of difficult students.” They are schools with meager resources that developed from within communities because of community needs. Though it may be true that 75 cents a day may not be possible for all poor families, public education in Ghana still requires paying for uniforms, school supplies, food and transportation. Depending on location, public education may be a more expensive option for a family or not an option at all.
There is no “answer” to educating the poor and there are complex issues with both public and private schools in these countries. However, if children are increasingly enrolling in these private schools for whatever reason, it is important not to ignore their role in educating the poor.
As a teacher who teamed up with Village Schools International for a year commitment, I can attest to the power of private schools that have a genuine mission to serve the poor.
I saw how it brought communities together. I worked side by side with my own students to make mud bricks and haul quarry stones on our heads. These kids have no time to be “difficult students” They have already been rejected by the government once. They all know that this is their second chance at a better life.
Private school organizations like Village School International is not “the answer” Richard Hoff, in this case, it’s “the ONLY solution”
COMMENTS
BY Richard Hoff
ON May 10, 2012 02:03 PM
Given that one billion people on the planet earn less than $1 per day and another billion people earn between $1 and $2/day, I’d say that 75 cents - equal to anywhere from 37% to 75% of a family’s entire income - is NOT within grasp of the majority of poor people in the world. Also, the 75 cents is a fee per student; how does a ‘working poor person’ pay for 2, 3 or 4 childen in one of these ‘amazing’ private schools?
The reason that Private or Charter Schools are in high demand is that these schools can ‘rid’ themselves of ‘difficult’ students (often students whose parents cannot or choose not to be involved in their children’s education and discipline). The public schools do not have this option - or ‘power!’ All it takes is a couple of unruly kids to destroy a class. I’d like to see how Charter and Private schools would fare if they had to take every child whose actions, achievements and attitude does not live up to the ‘code’ set forth by the school.
Tired of public schools being considered less than competent and private/charter schools seen as ‘the answer.’
BY Karl H
ON May 10, 2012 02:22 PM
It looks like a great initiative. There is a website called http://www.wogerz.com that is starting a worldwide initiative called ‘U2Who?’
It enables schools to sponsor schools, universities to sponsor universities, hospitals to hospitals. Have a look!
BY Christopher Lingle
ON May 11, 2012 01:46 AM
James Tooley has done great work on India and has worked with Parth Shah of the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) in Delhi. CCS has a voucher scheme to provide funds for poor & marginalized Indian students to attend “budget private schools”. See: http://schoolchoice.in/
BY Carolyn Pascual
ON May 11, 2012 03:59 PM
In reply to Richard’s comment, I don’t feel that this article is claiming that private schools are the “answer” but simply saying that awareness of the role of these affordable private schools is crucial for those attempting to make educational reform.
The schools in this article are not the expensive private schools that can “rid themselves of difficult students.” They are schools with meager resources that developed from within communities because of community needs. Though it may be true that 75 cents a day may not be possible for all poor families, public education in Ghana still requires paying for uniforms, school supplies, food and transportation. Depending on location, public education may be a more expensive option for a family or not an option at all.
There is no “answer” to educating the poor and there are complex issues with both public and private schools in these countries. However, if children are increasingly enrolling in these private schools for whatever reason, it is important not to ignore their role in educating the poor.
BY Anthony Rosero
ON May 14, 2012 03:49 PM
As a teacher who teamed up with Village Schools International for a year commitment, I can attest to the power of private schools that have a genuine mission to serve the poor.
I saw how it brought communities together. I worked side by side with my own students to make mud bricks and haul quarry stones on our heads. These kids have no time to be “difficult students” They have already been rejected by the government once. They all know that this is their second chance at a better life.
Private school organizations like Village School International is not “the answer” Richard Hoff, in this case, it’s “the ONLY solution”