Private and public schooling in low-income areas of Lagos State,Nigeria: A census and comparative survey

A census and survey of schools in selected poor areas of Lagos State explored the nature and extent of private education, and compared inputs to public and private schooling. Of all schools (71%) were found to be private, with more unregistered private than government and registered private schools. It was estimated that 33% of school children were enrolled in private unregistered schools, and 75% in private schools in general. Teaching activity was found to be considerably higher in private than government schools, and teacher absenteeism was lowest in private schools. Most school inputs showed either comparable levels of provision in government and private schools, or superiority in private schools.     

Private and Public Schooling in Ghana: A Census and Comparative Survey

A census and survey of schools in the district of Ga, Ghana, explored the nature and extent of private education, and compared inputs to public and private schooling. Three quarters of all schools found were private, with almost as many unregistered private as government schools. Several important differences between registered and unregistered private schools were noted, including age, fee levels charged, teacher salaries and class size. A range of inputs, such as teacher activity, availability of desks, chairs, libraries, toilets and drinking water, were used to compare inputs to government, unregistered and registered private schools. Some conclusions are explored about the potential role for the private sector in helping meet “education for all” targets.     

Recognizing and Supporting the Critical Roles of Teachers in Special Education Leadership

Most discussions about special education leadership address the work of principals and district administrators, without reference to the collective and distributed forms of leadership that have taken center stage in contemporary discussions about improving schools. To explore the contributions of and roles for teacher leadership in special education, selected teacher leadership literature in general education is reviewed, including the emergence of new teacher roles in schools, roots and meanings of teacher leadership, and possible benefits of teachers as leaders. Although no studies were found that specifically investigated the work of special education teacher leaders, illustrations of their work are provided as they lead through school-wide collaboration, participate as clinical faculty in Professional Development Schools (PDSs), serve as mentors to new colleagues, and work in district-wide professional development. After a review of several examples of teacher leadership in special education, barriers to teacher leadership and ways of supporting the work of teacher leaders are considered.     

Comparing teaching practices,teacher content knowledge and pay in Punjab

This study utilises a unique school based survey of public, private and Public Partnership Programme (PPP) schools in Punjab, Pakistan to identify the correlates of: teacher behaviour in the classroom, teacher content knowledge mastery, and teacher pay. The study finds that private school teachers are associated with lower classroom observation scores than public school teachers, and both private and PPP school teachers are less likely to exhibit content knowledge mastery in Urdu than public school teachers (however, this is not the case for math and English). Public school teachers recruited after the introduction of test-based teacher recruitment are 30 percentage points more likely to demonstrate math content knowledge mastery than teachers recruited prior to test-based recruitment. The study also finds evidence of a pay gap between male and female teachers in both public and PPP schools after controlling for other characteristics. Teachers’ math content knowledge scores were found to be statistically significant correlates of teacher pay for private school teachers, but not for PPP or public school teachers. For female PPP school teachers, having higher academic qualifications is associated with higher wages however, this is not the case for male teachers in these schools.     

Similar work,different pay? Private school teacher working conditions in India

As the private education sector grows across the globe, private providers by extension are becoming significant employers of teachers. In India, more than 3 million teachers are employed in the private sector, contributing to meeting the rapidly expanding educational demands and learning needs of children. Teacher working conditions are crucial to ensure teacher retention and success within the education system. We use the 2011–2012, nationally representative employment data from India, to investigate private teacher working conditions. We conduct a series of regression analysis to account for the differences in demographic attributes of public and private teachers, differences in rural and urban growth of private schools and cross-state variations. We find that, compared to public school teachers, private school teachers experience less favorable monetary and non-monetary working conditions including less access to paid leaves, pension and health care. They also experience lower job security in terms of the existence of a contract and the length of contract period. Private school teachers also have a lower access to teacher unions and thus weaker collective bargaining to negotiate their working conditions. Private teachers are more frequently likely to seek additional work and alternate work. Some noteworthy differences in teacher demographics in rural and urban areas (urban teachers are more likely to be female, somewhat older, and more educated) notwithstanding, these patterns of public-private teacher working conditions are consistent across rural and urban location. We conclude with reflections on potential explanations for these results and suggest steps for future research.     

Linking the private and public: teacher leadership and teacher education in the reflexive modernity

This study attempts to reveal the process of teacher leadership (TL) and its implications for teacher education. Two rounds of interviews, including focus group interviews with six chosen schools in Taiwan, were conducted to reveal the process. It was found that the development of TL is a stretching process from the key leader to core members, then to general followers, and the pattern of development is a process of assemblage from the private side to the public side. It is also argued that the private resource of TL (e.g. recognising the complexity of inner experiences, the ontic vulnerability and the needs of others) is contributive to educational creativity and reform. Finally, the private–public-integrated model and three strategies of articulation (internal, theoretical–practical-situated and external) are proposed conceptually and practically for further development of teacher education and educational change.     

An analysis of efficiency in Senior Secondary Schools in the Gambia 2006 – 2008: Educational inputs and production of credits in English and Mathematics subjects

Abstract

This paper employs a stochastic production frontier model to assess the efficiency of the senior secondary schools in the Gambia. It examines their efficiency in using and mixing the educational inputs of average teacher salary, average teacher education, average teacher experience and students to teacher ratio in producing the number of students scoring credit and above in English and Mathematics. The schools are categorized into three types: the Government schools, the subsidized schools and the private schools. The paper finds no evidence that the private schools are different from the subsidized schools, but there is robust evidence that the private schools are significantly different from the Government schools. The average teacher salary is found to be irrelevant to the student performance, whereas high average teacher experience significantly improves student performance, and high student-to-teacher ratio significantly negates the student performance. Private schools appear to be the most efficient in 2006, but from 2007 to 2008, the performance of the schools in general is found to be highly volatile and unpredictable. Only one school emerges to consistently maintain a superior efficient performance throughout the three years studied.     

School choice in rural Nigeria? The limits of low-fee private schooling in Kwara State

The rise in low-fee private (LFP) primary schooling serving relatively poor clients is becoming well-documented. However much of this literature focuses on urban areas whose dense populations are favourable to market growth and competition. This paper goes some way to filling a gap in the literature on whether LFP schools are serving the needs of the poor in rural areas, taking the case of one Nigerian state. It contrasts the situation in rural areas with that of urban Ilorin, where private schools cater to over half of all enrolled children. The paper shows that private schooling is currently inaccessible to the poor, with only 3.3% of children in the poorest 40% of the population attending them, and only 13% of enrolled children in rural areas. The key message is that redoubled efforts are needed to improve government schools as providers of last resort to those bypassed by the market.     

Constraints to Implementing Educational Innovations: The Case of Multigrade Schools

Studies suggest that multigrade schools, i.e. those with classes that are mixed in age and ability, can be a cost-effective means of raising student achievement and expanding access to education in poor countries. Development institutions often recommend them for countries struggling to raise educational quality and coverage in rural areas. However, the literature advocating the adoption of multigrade schools avoids discussing the potential difficulties in implementing the system. This paper analyses the conditons under which implementation might be successful, focusing on the oft-cited case of the Colombian Escuela Nuela programme. The authors conclude that capacity-building through in-service training is an important determinant of the way teachers approach their task. However, a great deal of variance in teacher practices is left unexplained. The article suggests that teacher will (that is, motivation and commitment) might explain much of the remaining variation in the adoption of the new pedagogies. The authors explore several conditions under which teacher will could be lacking.     

Constraints to Implementing Educational Innovations: The Case of Multigrade Schools

Studies suggest that multigrade schools, i.e. those with classes that are mixed in age and ability, can be a cost-effective means of raising student achievement and expanding access to education in poor countries. Development institutions often recommend them for countries struggling to raise educational quality and coverage in rural areas. However, the literature advocating the adoption of multigrade schools avoids discussing the potential difficulties in implementing the system. This paper analyses the conditons under which implementation might be successful, focusing on the oft-cited case of the Colombian Escuela Nuela programme. The authors conclude that capacity-building through in-service training is an important determinant of the way teachers approach their task. However, a great deal of variance in teacher practices is left unexplained. The article suggests that teacher will (that is, motivation and commitment) might explain much of the remaining variation in the adoption of the new pedagogies. The authors explore several conditions under which teacher will could be lacking.     

Private schooling for low-income families: A census and comparative survey in East Delhi,India

A census and survey of schools in the slums of East Delhi, India, explored the nature and extent of private education serving low-income families, and compared inputs to public and private schooling. Around two-thirds of all schools were private unaided, with more unrecognised private than government schools. Teaching activity was found to be considerably higher in private unaided than government schools, although teacher absenteeism was lowest in government schools. Most inputs showed either comparable levels of provision in government and private unaided schools, or superiority in private unaided schools. Possible implications are explored, concerning targeted vouchers, increased regulation and self-regulation.     

The relative quality and cost-effectiveness of private and public schools for low-income families: a case study in a developing country

The “mushrooming” of private schools for low-income families has been widely noted in the literature; however, very little is known about the quality of these schools. This research explored the relative quality of private unaided (recognised and unrecognised) and government schools in low-income areas of Hyderabad, India. A preliminary census to locate unrecognised private schools – not on official lists – was conducted. Data were collected on achievement and background variables for 3,910 pupils from a stratified random sample of schools. Using multilevel modelling shows that pupils in private unrecognised and recognised schools, when controlled for age, pupil's IQ, and class average IQ, achieve higher scores in mathematics and English than equivalent pupils in government schools. There is no significant difference between private and government schools in pupil achievement in Urdu. The achievement advantage for private schools did not arise because of greater resources available, at least in terms of per pupil teacher salaries.     

Why are there proportionately more poor pupils enrolled in non-state schools in urban Kenya in spite of FPE policy?

One of the conundrums of free primary education (FPE) policy in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is the ‘mushrooming’ of fee-paying private schools. Several researchers have become interested in studying this phenomenon and have raised the question—does free primary education meet the needs of the poor? Emerging voices among this group of researchers suggest that the impact of FPE, particularly in meeting the educational needs of the poor may be over-stated in situations where the poor still utilize what is referred to as ‘private schools for the poor’. The concerns expressed by those voicing this point of view point to the question of why the poor choose fee-paying [low quality] private schools when there is, presumably a free state school? To respond to this question and to contribute to this debate, this paper adopts the excess demand and differentiated demand frameworks to analyse how slum (poor) and non-slum (non-poor) parents utilize education in Nairobi, Kenya following the implementation of free primary education policy in 2003. We conclude that the answer to the ‘mushrooming’ of private schools for the poor is ‘excess demand’. As to whether free primary education meets the needs of the poor, we argue that where supply does not match demand excess demand is likely to arise in the initial stages. We recommend that what is required is greater and possibly differentiated and better targeted investment in education whereby unequals are treated unequally in order for the Kenyan government not to under-invest in the education of the poor.     

Patterns of compensation of public and private school teachers

General impressions suggest that public school teachers are paid higher salaries than private school teachers. Indeed, the evidence is consistent with this general impression. But why the difference? Do public school teachers have better qualifications? Are private schools better places in which to work, and are they able to pay lower wages for comparable teachers? Do public and private schools even operate in the same market for teaching personnel? Are those individuals who seek employment in the private school sector from the same population as those seeking public school employment? What part does the ownership structure of the school play in the determination of teacher compensation? It is the purpose of this paper to provide some insights into these and related questions about the patterns of variation in compensation of public and private school teachers. Our findings reveal that public school teachers earn more than teachers in non-public schools. Teachers in parochial schools are the lowest paid, while teachers in non-sectarian private schools are the highest paid among non-public school teachers. There appear to be structural differences in the patterns of wage variation between the different sectors. Public school teachers possess greater quantities of those characteristics that are valued in the market than non-public school teachers. Non-public school teachers sacrifice between 10 and 40% of the public school teacher salary to work in the non-public sector (depending on the type of school within the non-public sector) and they are aware of their sacrifice. Organizational and ownership structure of the school also appears to make a difference in salaries, with profit-making schools being among the lowest paying, second only to parochial schools.     

If You Build It,They Will Come (or Not): Going the Distance in Teacher Candidate Recruitment

There are persistent concerns in the literature related to recruitment and retention of highly qualified teacher candidates who are capable of achieving contemporary goals and meeting the professional expectations associated with the delivery of quality physical education programs in schools. The purpose of this article is to provide physical education teacher education faculty with recommendations for best practice in the area of teacher candidate recruitment by reviewing literature in the following areas: (a) identification of the characteristics of successful teachers as a basis for recruitment efforts, (b) fundamental principles of effective marketing and recruitment, (c) generational characteristics of college-bound students and the practical implications, and (d) recruitment of underrepresented populations. The recruitment tactics identified include actionable recommendations for faculty, departments/programs, universities, and community partners in teacher education.     

民办学校教师人力资源管理问题探讨——温州市民办学校教师选聘与配置的调查分析

民办学校从传统人事管理转向现代人力资源管理是必然趋势。依据人力资源管理工作模式,从教师的选聘与配置、培训与发展以及教师的留任与离职等几个方面,对温州市民办学校教师人力资源管理的现状进行实际调查。现实状况印证了现代人力资源开发与管理的理论体系和工具体系融入中国教育领域的必要性:一方面,推动民办学校更主动、更科学、更透明地利用市场机制选择和配置教师人力资源;另一方面,积极创造条件改变民办学校教师在身份归属和福利保障上有欠公平的状况。     

Paying for quality? Associations between private school income,performance and use of resources

Education policy in England has explicitly aimed to remodel state schools in the image of independent, private, schools. However, the body of research evidence on the operation of private schools is very small. Critics have frequently argued that, in contrast to state schools, private schools use resources efficiently because their autonomy gives them freedom to make efficient choices in response to market pressures. We investigated the resource allocation decisions of income private schools using data from their financial accounts. We report the associations of private school spending and performance and teacher and non‐teacher numbers, teacher salaries and regional earnings. Schools with higher fees had more teachers and non‐teachers per pupil, but similar average staff wages to schools with lower income. Yet we found little evidence that achievement was associated with resource use in English private schools. That is, we found no evidence to support the view that financial autonomy enabled flexibility in using resources to promote higher achievement.     

Challenging educational injustice: ‘Grassroots’ privatisation in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa

The phenomenon of low-cost private schools ‘mushrooming’ in poor areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and elsewhere, is now well-documented. Findings from research by the author’s teams and others show that these schools are serving a majority (urban and peri-urban) or significant minority (rural) of the poor, including significant proportions of the poorest of the poor. Concerns are raised in the literature about their implications for social justice. In The Idea of Justice, Amartya Sen asks us to rethink ideas about justice; instead of the quest for a Rawlsian ‘transcendental institutionalism’, he argues for a comparative approach, grounded in the practicalities of human behaviour. Linking Sen’s ideas on justice with the grassroots privatisation leads to the tentative conclusion that those concerned with promoting social justice could agree to help improve access to, and quality in, the low-cost private school sector, rather than focus on the public education sector. Paradoxically, this could be true even for those whose ideal is an egalitarian public education system.     

Teacher-perceived principal leadership styles,decision-making styles and job satisfaction: how congruent are data from Indonesia with the Anglophile and Western literature?

School leadership is seen as important for both schools and for government and private policy-makers. The relationships between teacher-perceived principal leadership styles, teacher-perceived principal decision-making styles and teacher-perceived job satisfaction in schools in Lampung Province, Indonesia were examined. Data were collected by questionnaires from 475 teachers. This paper uses Indonesian data, but the relationships studied will be of wider interest to school stakeholders in Indonesia and to a wider global readership. Considerable effort was placed on the collection of robust data to address existing gaps in the literature about these relationships. The data are available to be shared with other interested parties. Findings suggest that five variables (of the nine variables that were studied) can significantly (p?相似文献   

A look at creativity in public and private schools

This research study investigated the perspectives of teachers on student creativity. A group of 15 teachers from public schools and 24 teachers from private schools completed an Early Childhood Creativity Rating Scale (ECCRS) on four of their students. A total of 156 students were rated on this ECCRS. The major question asked in this study was: How do teacher perspectives of student creativity differ in public and private schools, between kindergarten and grade 3, and are these perspectives influenced by teacher characteristics. Results found that private school teachers rated their students higher on creativity, third grade students were rated lowest on creativity, and teachers who perceived themselves as most creative also rated their students as most creative.