Emerging Issues in Global Urban Education
American University
Hannah Copenheaver, Laura Neff, Taylor Rockoff
April 2015
Emerging Issues in Global Urban Education
Table of Contents
How is
“Urban”
Defined?
An area with
a population
density of
200 persons
per square
kilometer;
Population
total of
50,000
or more;
75% of
economically
active
population
derive
livelihoods
from nonagriculture/
fishing
industries
Urban Strategy
Initiativee
Why Urban Education? P.1
Methodology P.2
Urban Education Issues
by Region P.5
Urban Education Issues
Throughout the Globe P.13
Low-Cost Private Schools P.16
Final Recommendations P.20
Bibliography P.22
Why Focus on Urban Populations?
Right now, over half of the world’s population live in urban areas. Additionally, studies
have shown that urban poor populations will have an increased growth in the coming
years. Roughly 50- 70% growth will occur in city slums. In low income countries, the
urban population will grow 94% in future years. Urban population is critical to research
because the human development outcomes for the urban poor are similar to or worse
than their rural counterparts (Save the Children, 2014).
At Save the Children, the vast majority of their projects are identified as exclusively or
almost exclusively implemented in urban communities that were deemed by the local
country offices to be well adapted to the urban context. On the other hand, projects
with a balanced urban and rural focus, or with a small urban component were generally
assessed by country offices as not being well adapted to the urban context. Therefore,
this would suggest that there is a specificity to urban programming that is not always
acknowledged or accommodated when programming is developed for a joint rural/
urban environment (Save the Children, 2014).
Why Look at Emerging Issues in Urban Education?
Although education has the largest overall portfolio, currently at $90 million USD, only
one out of five education dollars is directed to a child in an urban community (Save the
Children, 2014). Additionally, four percent of humanitarian financing should go to education, but the figure is really under two percent and historically, this figure has never
been anywhere near the target (Rob Doble, personal communication, April 13, 2015).
Urban education issues are just as important as health and shelter to a child. A child’s
education is truly a social justice issue and this white paper is meant to explore this
topic in further detail.
Methodology
This research utilized key informant interviews, a survey that was
sent to willing participants, and desktop research using scholarly
journal articles and reports.
Key Informant Interviews:
Interviews were conducted either in person in London or through Skype and included key organizations in
the field, such as Save the Children UK, Save the Children International, Bridge International Academy,
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, Inclusive Minds, and the National Literacy Trust. Results gathered
from interviews include numerous points on what is being seen in the field of education today. Multiple issues
were explored during these interviews such as literacy, access to books, teacher quality and absenteeism,
the importance of parents and community members, and views on for-profit private education.
Survey Results:
The survey was sent to global professionals in the field, who were identified as having the proper field
knowledge, by using networking connections and LinkedIn as a platform. Of the surveys that were sent out,
seventeen completed surveys were returned.
The survey included eight questions
pertaining to urban education that
were formatted in various styles,
including ranking issues from most
popular
to
least
popular,
most
important to least important, and open
ended questions.
The surveys were a reflection of what
multiple people in the field are seeing
as main issues through the eyes of
their organization.
Methodology
This research utilized key informant interviews, a survey that was
sent to willing participants, and desktop research using scholarly
journal articles and reports.
Where Have The Survey Respondents Worked?:
Those that answered the survey have worked in urban areas all over the world. After targeting professionals
from every region and with specialties in urban education in developing countries, the responses received
reflected the experience of professionals from the following countries:
Urban Education Issues By Region
Middle East / Eurasia
The main theme that describes the issues experienced in urban education in the Middle East, especially
developing countries, is conflict. When you look at the current situation in the Middle East, you see many
youth and children being affected by regional conflict. One conflict in particular which seems to be affecting
many countries in the region is the Syrian conflict, which is currently in its fifth year. Due to this conflict, the
internal Syrian education system within urban and rural areas has been greatly disrupted, shifted, and
terminated. Many Syrian youth have lost years of education, whether they stayed inside or traveled outside
of the country. There needs to be more of a focus and attention on the youth affected by this conflict, as
some have coined them “the lost generation” (UNICEF 2014).
The conflict has created an outflow of millions of Syrian refugees, seeking safety and assistance. This has
put pressure on the urban education systems of neighboring countries who have taken in hundreds of
thousands, if not millions, of refugees. While in some countries, there are refugee camps set up in order to
care for the needs of this incoming population, many times the Syrians are migrating to where there are more
opportunities.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Middle East / Eurasia
This means that urban centers in neighboring countries like Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are being
overwhelmed by new students and populations of children who are being enrolled in the education system.
Jordan, for example, has seen an overall decrease in national standardized test scores since they have
experienced this increase in student population due to the Syrian refugee crisis (UNHCR 2014). Because of
this Syrian refugee influx, school classrooms are overcrowded, teachers time and energy is overextended,
and therefore the quality of the education has seen a turn for the worse. These countries were unprepared to
take on this massive responsibility, but it is now their responsibility to take.
Schools in Jordan are overcrowded and teachers time and energy
is overextended due to the Syrian refugee influx of new students.
Families of the country nationals have noticed these changes in the educational systems since the arrival of
the Syrian refugees. Many are unhappy that it has affected their own child’s education, and their sentiments
have been passed down to their children. Another sub-theme of this regional conflict is local violence and
discrimination in these urban cities, especially against the minority, in this case the Syrian refugees. Some of
this violence and harassment has been experienced in commute to and from school, which echoes parents’
concerns of sending their children to school in the first place (US News 2015).
One innovative approach to solving some of these issues has been initiated, and it focuses on establishing
virtual learning centers. These centers can be set up inside and outside Syria, using computers to teach
interactive curriculums to Syrian children who do not have access to a stable education system and/or
teacher (Amro Taleb 2015).
While this initiative is still in the proposal stage, it shows a lot of promise with its flexibility and also great
strides towards keeping education alive for Syrian youth in areas where it is not always easy to access nor
utilize their normal educational materials and curriculum.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Africa
In Africa, low literacy rates across many countries show that children in urban and rural communities alike
face barriers and limitations in their quest to read, write, and calculate in their mother tongue, let alone in
another second world language like English. Lack of a literate population in the urban areas in Africa is a
major theme and concern. Africa is home to countries with some of the lowest literacy rates in the world. In
Chad and the Central African Republic, 37% of the population (15 and older) is literate. In Mali, 34% of the
population (15 and older) is literate. In Niger, only 15% of the population (15 and older) is literate (The World
Bank 2013) .
In urban areas specifically, the following sub themes have a negative impact on the literacy of the population
in various communities in Africa. The lack of qualified teachers is also an issue here. Many teachers have
only completed primary school themselves (Street Child 2013). A 2013 report on South Sudan’s progress towards a more democratic society it was found that, “The quality of education depends on the teachers, and in
South Sudan, around 40% of primary school teachers have only finished primary school (Bertelsmann
Stiftung’s Transformation Index).” This calls for immediate trainings to assist in preparing the teachers with
the skills to educate effectively. In the future, a focus on preparing youth to be effective teachers should start
early with a focus on keeping them in school for longer and training them from an early age. This speaks to
another sub-theme, which is the issue that there is little value placed on the teaching profession as a whole.
Teachers are not regarded highly by the urban community, by their families, or by the society. Their salaries
reflect this as well, and many teachers are forced to look for a second job to supplement their incomes from
teaching (IRIN 2011).
Africa is home to
countries with some
of the lowest
literacy rates
in the world.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Africa
Security in this region has been an issue, whether there is a current conflict waging on in the country like in
Nigeria with Boko Haram or if there are outbursts of violence and remaining discrimination in areas dealing
with post-conflict transitions like in South Sudan. Urban centers are affected by this in various ways. Many
girls have experienced violent interactions and harassment in these areas, as girls tend to be victims of
displaced aggression in situations of conflict (Global Partnership for Education 2013). Due to security issues,
girls and boys attend school less, are dealing with traumatic psycho-social issues more, and therefore cannot
focus as well in the classroom which contributes to the issues of low literacy.
Child labor also negatively affects the education and the literacy rates in these urban cities. When a child
must work at a young age to survive, they are forced to work during times when their income is low in order
to pay for the necessities of survival; food, water, shelter. This interferes with how often they are able to
make it to the classroom and their ability to learn when they do go to school (Science and Education Centre
of North America 2013). This issue plays into and affects a child’s learning curve and their ability to advance
in their education, since they may be missing some of the essential basic building blocks for their future
ability to learn thereafter.
When looking at the greatest opportunities for change in Africa regarding urban education, there must be a
focus on what keeps children out of school and how to give them the basic building blocks when they do
attend. Ensuring that children receive the educational tools they need at a young age in order to be literate
later is really essential for this region. When young children miss out on foundational lessons, they are
setting themselves up for failure. In order to avoid large-scale failure, many countries in Africa need to pay
attention to re-structuring how they teach their children the most basic tools for success later on in their
educational lives.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Asia
The urban-rural gap reflects the reality of the drastic need to first focus on rural education over urban
education. With access to education more difficult, literacy levels lower, and quality of education lagging
behind in most rural areas in Asia, the call for assistance is highest for children in rural areas. Now, most of
the children in urban areas who need the most help or who are lacking in educational necessities are living in
the urban slums. For example, in Bangladesh “18% of children in slums attended secondary school, 53% of
children in urban areas as a whole attended secondary school, and 48% of children in rural areas attended
secondary school (UNICEF 2012)” This educational disparity between various regions is echoed in India,
Myanmar, and throughout the Asian region as a whole.
The children living in urban slums share many similarities with the living conditions and educational issues of
their rural counterparts. They are poor, have a lack of resources, and often need to take part in the workforce
in order to contribute to providing for their family. Child labor is a common theme among the children living in
urban slums as well as rural areas of Asia. The children typically work in order to supplement their families
income. This can directly correlate with low school attendance and also high drop out rates.
Girls especially, face many more barriers to staying in
Girls are not achieving
literacy as much as the boys in
their same region.
They drop out sooner, more
often, and attend school less.
school and accessing higher levels of education. Girls
are not achieving literacy as much as the boys in their
same region. They drop out sooner, more often, and
attend school less (Asia Foundation 2013). Girls are
expected to help out at home with various chores, they
are married off earlier, have children earlier, and their
education is not valued as much by their families or
communities in comparison to boys.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Asia
In Asia, there is also the threat of violence from regional conflict or violence and harassment against women.
This is especially true in regards to girls who have to walk or commute far from their family home in order to
get to their school. Parents do not feel secure in sending their daughters off to school in certain areas in the
Asian region due to threat of violence against women (Global Issues 2012).
There is also an issue with teaching methodology in Asia. A noticed pattern of teaching methodology in the
classroom is rote learning (The Establishment Post 2013). A teacher will educate by repetition and enforcement, but there is little room for creativity. This has led to lower levels of academic achievement for students,
because rote learning does not incite remembering content in the long run (India Urban Conference 2011).
In Asia, a holistic approach should be taken when addressing urban education issues. Acknowledging that
the rural areas may need more attention and focus is necessary, while also recognizing that urban areas
should not be ignored. Tackling issues facing girls and the gender gap in regards to education could have
huge impacts on the Asian society as a whole. Also, targeting the teaching methodology and initiating
change in how education is facilitated will be an impactful strategy for improving the urban education infrastructure in this area of the world.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Latin America
There were two major themes that emerged from looking deeply into the challenges facing urban education
in Latin America. The first concern is that the public education system is so visibly failing the young
population, and this is especially apparent when able to compare against the private schools in the area. The
governments in these countries spend very little overall on the education for their people (Deutsche Welle
2012). A report on the status of urban education in El Salvador stated, “improving infrastructure for students
in urban schools with inadequate facilities could raise the average reading score to 525 points from 506. The
average math score could rise to 524 from 497 (Inter-American Development Bank 2011).” Physically, the
infrastructure of the schools impacts the learning capabilities of students in the region. Many schools lack
important learning spaces, like libraries, computer rooms, and science labs.
The second major theme emerging from urban centers in Latin America is the pervasive and persistent cloud that hangs over the heads of
the youth in this region of the world. There is such little hope and optimism regarding jobs and entering into the workforce. The economic opportunities here are very bleak. Many children and youth question the
value of their education if they will not have the chance to profit from it
in one way or another after finishing a higher level of schooling.
Source: World Vision Youth, 2014
Improving infrastructure
for students in urban
schools with
inadequate facilities
could raise the average
reading and math scores.
Urban Education Issues By Region
Latin America
Within this problem of little hope in terms of the future for young generations, there exists a sub-theme of
gang violence, recruitment and crime. Gang violence infiltrates the regular daily realities facing many youth
based in urban areas in the Latin American region, especially in Central America (United Nations 2010). At a
young age, children in this area are recruited to join gangs and take part in a life of crime and violence. Many
are faced with this decision between choosing unskilled labor with low risk and meager pay or choosing a life
of crime with high payoff but also high personal risk (Council on Hemispheric Affairs 2013). When children
get to the point when they realize their economic opportunities won’t change with more educational
experience, this is when they face making hard realistic life decisions. It is very important to be able to show
young people the reasons why their education will benefit their future, and without that argument, it is a hard
battle to convince them that education is the right choice. The main recommendation in terms of this region
and gang violence is pushing to find ways in order to make education seems like the better option to youth
who will be faced with deciding between working a low paying job, initiating a life of crime, or continuing their
education.
Top Urban Education Issues
throughout the Globe
Literacy Rates
Across all regions, literacy is an issue that has been talked about time and time again in education for it is a
child’s fundamental right to be literate. Research has shown that literate people have an additional 13 years
added to their life expectancy, meaning that over their lifetime, their quality of life increases (Jonathan
Douglas, personal communication, April 14, 2015).
In primary education, research has also shown that children thrive
when they are provided with the opportunity to not only read
adequately, but actually enjoy the reading and writing process. An
environment must be created for them where they are able to
share their responses and opinions without reservation (Louise
Johns Shepard, personal communication, April 16, 2015).
“Literate people have
an additional 13 years added
to their life expectancy.”
- Jonathan Douglas,
National Literacy Trust
However, in order to tackle literacy, one must first tackle the issue
of access to books in their native language. In Tina Rosenberg’s
article (2012), she reports that schools in poor parts of Latin America, Asia and Africa often have no books or teaching materials
other than a chalkboard. In response to this, Save the Children
created the Literacy Boost program in several countries
(Rosenberg, 2012).
Our recommendation to Save the Children is to continue promoting the Literacy Boost program and to incorporate it into urban cities around the world. Text books that are provided should be in their native language
and should be illustrated and eye catching to keep their interest and attention. Teachers should be trained on
how to use books effectively and encourage students to use creative thinking to stretch their minds outside of
the textbook. Teachers should also be encouraged to create an environment and ethos that excite and enthuses children, so that they in turn can boost their literacy levels.
Top Urban Education Issues
throughout the Globe
Role of Teachers
Another issue found in global urban education deals with the role of teachers. In most countries, the method
of instruction is rote repetition and sometimes the teachers don’t speak the same language as their students,
which causes a learning problem. Additionally, large class sizes that can include over 100 children, the push
to achieve high student exam scores and the fact that most are overworked and underpaid all leads to the
teachers being absent from their job. For example, the World Bank found teacher absenteeism to be about
20 percent in primary schools in Uganda and Kenya (Rosenberg, 2012).
In the Literacy Boost program, fixing the problem of teacher absenteeism is something that needs to be
addressed. Teachers must be encouraged and excited to attend school, but when they are teaching in
undesirable locations, it makes it difficult for them to be motivated to go to work. The community can get
involved, which includes parents and other community members, but often they are not inside the classroom
during school hours (Rosenberg, 2012).
Research has shown that to change teacher absenteeism, one must start at the foundation of a teacher’s
learning. Training or retraining teachers has been the most effective method for doing this. One idea is to go
into the urban setting to train the teachers on location and not send them to one center to get trained in a
large group. Additionally, working with local organizations who understand the region’s culture leads to a
deeper trust for those teachers who need to be retrained. A mentorship program between teachers is also
another great idea to include in a program (Louise Johns Shepard, personal communication, April 16, 2015).
Teachers need to learn that they need to be accountable for
their classroom and if they are bored with the curriculum
they are teaching, that it is acceptable to go outside the box
and be creative with lesson plans (Louise Johns Shepard,
personal communication, April 16, 2015). One recommendation is to create a mechanism that creates incentives to get
teachers excited, motivated, and that makes them remember why they started teaching in the first place.
Top Urban Education Issues
throughout the Globe
Parent and Community Involvement
The last theme in urban education found in all areas of
the world is the need for parent and community
involvement. Parental involvement is key, especially for
parents whose first language is not English (Louise
Johns Shepard, personal communication, April 16,
2015). Teachers and schools must incorporate parents
into their curriculum and get them active in their child’s education. Research has shown that it is crucial to
have this support come early on in a child’s life before they even start primary school (David Skinner,
personal communication, April 13, 2015).
Within the community, support must be mobilized to achieve maximum success. Community members must
realize that children are their future. This may be difficult in an urban setting, for often times urban
communities overlap, whereas in rural settings there is usually only one community. Additionally in cities,
children with special needs or diverse children are more visible (David Skinner, personal communication,
April 13, 2015).
The community must also fully support all children with all backgrounds and abilities, whether it be race,
culture, gender, or disabilities, in their education. It is every child’s right to have access to an education and it
is within a community that the support for this must happen. Looking beyond the immediate community,
media partners and other influential members of society can advocate for children’s educational rights (Beth
Cox and Alexandra Strick, personal communication, April 14, 2015).
One recommendation to implement in a program would be to look at non-traditional learning to supplement
their formal classroom learning. This could include a mentoring program, like an apprenticeship, between
students and community members. Research has found that learning happens through communities and
through teaching each other. Children can learn things from their peers in their own community which will
enhance and boost their educational levels.
Low-Cost Private School Education
Background
Usually private schooling is considered to be a privilege reserved for the elite,
who can afford to pay large sums of money to receive a better education than
they would have in a public school. This is especially true in developing countries
where the wage gap between the richest and the poorest is very high. Those that
can afford to send their child to private school are the ones who have a chance at
a future in life. Something that seems to be overlooked in the development world is the idea of low-cost private school (LCPS) education. These schools work as any other business, where someone in the community
starts them independently, and they get their funding through small sums of money collected through tuition.
Often in the world of development there is too much focus on what developers can do to help the poor,
instead of what the poor are already doing to help themselves. Low-cost private schools have been
operating in developing countries for decades as an alternative to public schools. Instead of people in the
field of education looking at what works in the western world and trying to apply it to developing countries,
they should be looking at this innovative, and successful idea of low-cost private schools and asking themselves how they can improve the already existing structures. In order for us to make recommendations to
Save the Children about how they can best invest their money toward education development, research
needs to be done on why low-cost private schools have become so popular. How can Save the Children help
improve these schools without ruining what makes them work so well?
It is very common in the poorest areas in the
world to have more children educated in
private schools than by government schools.
In Hyderabad, India where the slums are home
to 800,000 people, 2 out of 3 children attend private schools (Tooley, Dixon and Gomathi 2007).
Enrollment in private primary education grew by
58 percent between 1991 and 2004 (from 39 to 62 million), while public enrollment grew by only 10 percent
(from 484 to 530 million) during the same period. The largest growth was in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle
East, and South Asia (Aga Khan Foundation 2007).
Low-Cost Private School Education
The Problem with Public Schools
One would think that once free public education is implemented in a country, there would no longer be a
need for low-cost private schools, but the opposite is true. As soon as fees are abolished, there is a huge
growth in LCPS (Tooley 2008). It was noted that when international forums were praising Uganda and
Malawi for implementing free primary education, private schools for the poor were flourishing (Rose 2002).
This was also observed in other countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania (Oketch et al 2008). Why is it that
parents are choosing to pay for their children to attend school when they could be getting an education for
free?
Schools were not ready for this sudden influx of students. They didn’t have the supplies, infrastructure, or
amount of teachers needed for this increase in enrollment. Although statistics show that there have been
major increases in the amount of students enrolled in schools, there has also been a decrease in actual
learning. There is a huge difference between kids being registered in a school and getting a quality
education. UNESCO acknowledges that in some countries “the elimination of official fees has led to
deterioration in quality, with increasing surges in enrolment.” (UNESCO 2010).
“If you go to a market and
are offered free fruit and
vegetables, they will be
rotten. If you want fresh
fruit and vegetables,
you have to pay for them.”
- “The Beautiful Tree”
by James Tooley
Low-Cost Private School Education
Why LCPS Work
When examining private schools in countries with free public schools, many people may question, why spend
money on school when you can get it for free? As one father in a slum in India described it, “If you go to a
market and are offered free fruit and vegetables, they will be rotten. If you want fresh fruit and vegetables,
you have to pay for them.” (Tooley 2009). Through payments, parents are able to expect and demand a
higher quality of learning than they would in a free school. Low-cost private schools address the issues
where public schools tend to fail, by making it affordable, accessible, and accountable, or, as researcher
James Tulloch likes to call it, the “Triple-A rating” (Tulloch 2014).
Although it seems unrealistic for people in slums to have money to pay school fees, many private schools
have such low tuitions that parents are able to pay them. In India the fees range from about 120 rupees
($1.93) per month for nursery school to 300 rupees ($4.84) for the final year of high school (Tulloch 2014),
with 4th graders paying an average of $1.63-2.15 per month, or 4-6% of monthly minimum wage (Tooley
2014). In Pakistani villages, the median annual fee “roughly translates to $1.50 a month,” according to one
study titled “A Dime a Day” (Andrabi 2008). These fees are determined by the owner of the school who
ensures that the prices are low enough so that most parents in the community can afford to pay for them.
They also provide help for those who cannot afford to attend.
People who set up these schools are often referred to as “edupeneurs”, because they see these schools as a
way to make profit. It is also very common for them to practice something called “philanthrocapitalism”, which
is where they view themselves as businesspeople, but also social workers, and are willing to provide, on
average, an 8th of their students, who are too poor to afford the fees, or are orphaned, a scholarship to
attend school (Tooley 2009).
The accessibility factor is one of the reasons why these schools have become extremely popular. Children
often have to travel long distances and negotiate hazards such as rivers or roads to get to public schools.
“Longer journeys are riskier, and children’s security was a major concern for the parents,” a policy brief
based on the study of the Dhaka found (Cameron 2010). Low-cost private schools often arise in areas that
do not have government provision, or where government provision is located too far away for parents to feel
comfortable sending their children to these schools (Alderman et al., 2003).
Low-Cost Private School Education
Why LCPS Work
This means that parents can either walk their child to school, or send them right around the corner where
they feel more comfortable that they will be safe.
Ideally, education should be free for all, but the fact that students are paying means that people are held
accountable. The owner of the school needs to make sure their teachers are doing a good job, otherwise
parents will not pay for their children to attend. Children are held accountable by their parents because they
are using their hard-earned money to ensure they get a good education. The parents also hold the owner
accountable because they are paying them to provide a service. Unlike the public schools where teachers do
not show up, and when they do they often spend time relaxing and not teaching, if they do this in private
schools they face consequences. As Tooley states, “the secret to success in private schools for the poor is
that teachers are held accountable for their actions by their manager and they can be fired” (Tooley 2009).
Just as with any other business, if they are not providing a good service, customers will take their business
elsewhere.
Save the Children and LCPS:
In 2013, Save the Children did a study on education in rural areas
of India, and found that government schools were terribly run. They also reported that parents in the area
said the private schools were well run. They claimed that they liked how the private schools provided children
with progress reports and how often they conduct testing (Save the Children, 2013). Despite this finding that
private schools are working and are preferred by parents and teachers, Save still strives towards the goal of
having publicly funded primary schools accessible to all children and be achieving good learning outcomes
by 2030 (Save the Children, 2013). We agree with Save that government schools need to be improved and
children around the world should have the ability to attend school for free. However, publicly funded schools
have not been doing their jobs for many decades now, despite how much funding and attention it has been
given. Since these LCPS have been around for a shorter period of time, and in that time have provided a
better education, why not consider looking into how Save the Children can work with them?
Final Recommendations
The cash flow in the cycle of accountability is what makes these schools successful, which leads us to
believe that if Save the Children were to start paying for children to attend these schools then what makes
these schools work would go away. They have already done so well on their own that getting involved
might actually do more harm then good.
Keeping in mind that this is a fragile system we are dealing with, we have come up with seven ways in
which Save could help improve these schools without ruining what makes them special.
1. Classroom environment - Although LCPS provide a high quality of learning, the places where the
classes are held can be in very poor conditions. They are often held in any building available in the
community, which can mean an old abandoned shack, the owners basement, or an empty church. It is also
very common for children to have to sit on the floor, on dirty mats, which is not ideal for developing proper
writing skills. Having a good learning environment is essential to ensuring that children are able to focus.
This means having 4 solid walls, a roof, and tables and chairs to sit in. Save the Children could provide
them with a proper school building, complete with desks, running water, electricity and bathroom facilities.
2. Materials - Depending on the school and how much they charge, LCPS can run short on supplies like
writing utensils, workbooks, rulers, art supplies, and reading books. These are all imperative to providing
the best quality of education for children. Save the Children could provide these schools with basic
materials, as well as more advanced supplies, like computers, science kits, and even sports or playground
equipment.
3. Research - One of the reasons why it is difficult to advocate for these schools is because little has been
done to prove that they are more effective. Save the Children could prepare a primary school test to be
given to students in government schools and LCPS and compare the scores. Not only would this be a good
way to know if Save the Children should be investing their time and energy into helping LCPS, but it could
also be a way of providing parents who are hesitant to spend their hard-earned money on these schools
with quantitative proof that their children will get a better education.
Final Recommendations
4. Registering LCPS - One of the biggest problems that these schools have is that they are unable to get
legal recognition from the governments. This makes them unable to get benefits available to other
registered schools. As Colin Christensen, who worked for Bridge International Academy, stated, it also
makes parents skeptical to send their kids to these schools, because they assume there must be a good
reason why they are not registered (Colin Christensen, personal communication, March 30th, 2015).
Governments set up unrealistic regulations for schools to be registered, that not even their schools can
meet. The rules are about things like playground size, and amount of desks, rather than actual learning
outcomes. Save the Children can work with governments to come up with a more realistic and better
standards to register schools, that are based on quality of learning and not arbitrary things.
5. Access to loans - An issue caused by these schools not being registered is that they do not have access
to loans. Without loans they cannot expand their school or make improvements to the learning environment.
Save the Children could either provide them with loans themselves, or work with microfinance institutions
and banks in order to help LCPS secure loans.
6. Developing their model - This recommendation is a bit more risky than the previous ones, because it is
important to not ruin the existing structures. Many of the teachers at these schools do not have their
teaching certificates, and might not know the proper curriculum they should be following in order for their
students to receive the best scores on their exams. Save the Children can provide them with basic teacher
training, as well as instructions on how to direct their teaching towards government tests.
7. Business training - Most of the time the people who start these schools, the “edupeneurs”, do not have
any business training. This can be a problem when they are trying to deal with their finances, or secure a
loan. Save the Children can help them by providing them with financial literacy training to help them manage
their loan repayments with interest.
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