This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/oct/30/africa-controversial-private-secondary-schools
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Africa's growth sparks controversial rise of private secondary schools | Africa's growth sparks controversial rise of private secondary schools |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gems Education, a private school group operating in 10 countries, is embarking on a major expansion in Africa, attracted by the continent's strong economic growth. In September, the company opened its first secondary school in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. Further schools are planned in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa. | Gems Education, a private school group operating in 10 countries, is embarking on a major expansion in Africa, attracted by the continent's strong economic growth. In September, the company opened its first secondary school in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. Further schools are planned in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa. |
| "We are excited by Africa; it offers tremendous potential with a growing consumer class," said Dino Varkey, group executive director, who was in London for a brief stop on his way to New York from Dubai, where the company is based. | "We are excited by Africa; it offers tremendous potential with a growing consumer class," said Dino Varkey, group executive director, who was in London for a brief stop on his way to New York from Dubai, where the company is based. |
| Gems was founded more than 40 years ago by husband and wife team KS and Mariamma Varkey after they emigrated from Kerala, India to Dubai. Both teachers, they taught the local Emirati and expatriate community before buying their first school in 1968. It had 27 students, three teachers and no air conditioning. Their son, Sunny, is chairman. | Gems was founded more than 40 years ago by husband and wife team KS and Mariamma Varkey after they emigrated from Kerala, India to Dubai. Both teachers, they taught the local Emirati and expatriate community before buying their first school in 1968. It had 27 students, three teachers and no air conditioning. Their son, Sunny, is chairman. |
| Gems now has schools in the US, UK, India and China, and has partners that include the Clinton Global Initiative, Unesco and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Gems is expanding at a time when demand for private education is growing in the developing world because of government underinvestment. | Gems now has schools in the US, UK, India and China, and has partners that include the Clinton Global Initiative, Unesco and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Gems is expanding at a time when demand for private education is growing in the developing world because of government underinvestment. |
| According to an education for all global monitoring report published by Unesco in October, 71 million adolescents of lower secondary school age were out of school in 2010, with three out of four living in south and west Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The last of these regions has doubled the number of students enrolling over the period, yet has the world's lowest total secondary enrolment, at 40% in 2010. | |
| Private schools have stepped in to plug the gap. In Pakistan, private-sector education has increased from approximately 3% in the early 1980s to 34% today, according to the World Bank. Enrolment in private schools is around 13% in Kenya (2010), 22% in Nigeria (2010) and 15% in Ghana (2011). | |
| "Governments on their own cannot meet and fund this demand," said Varkey. "More and more private schools are stepping in outright, or in partnership with governments, to deliver education. Too often it's seen as private v public. It's actually good quality education which is important, and it's whatever works – private alone, private and public or NGOs." | "Governments on their own cannot meet and fund this demand," said Varkey. "More and more private schools are stepping in outright, or in partnership with governments, to deliver education. Too often it's seen as private v public. It's actually good quality education which is important, and it's whatever works – private alone, private and public or NGOs." |
| The expansion of private schools in the developing world is contentious, however, particularly as inequality has climbed the development agenda. The Unesco report said fees, whether official or unofficial, disproportionately affect young people from poor families, preventing them enrolling and continuing with secondary education. At $750-1,000 (£467-622), tuition fees at the Gems school in Nairobi will certainly be out of reach for the poorest people, but Varkey said Gems will seek to have schools that charge $300-400 to broaden access. | |
| Unesco points out that Rwanda has gone in a different direction to increase secondary school enrolment. In 2009, Rwanda introduced a nine-year basic education cycle and eliminated fees for lower secondary school, which boosted the number of lower secondary students by 25% within a year. In addition, the curriculum was redesigned to focus on fewer core subjects, and a new assessment system was introduced. Kenya has also abolished fees for secondary schools, increasing enrolment from 1.2 million in 2007 to 1.4 million in 2008. | Unesco points out that Rwanda has gone in a different direction to increase secondary school enrolment. In 2009, Rwanda introduced a nine-year basic education cycle and eliminated fees for lower secondary school, which boosted the number of lower secondary students by 25% within a year. In addition, the curriculum was redesigned to focus on fewer core subjects, and a new assessment system was introduced. Kenya has also abolished fees for secondary schools, increasing enrolment from 1.2 million in 2007 to 1.4 million in 2008. |
| Kevin Watkins, a senior fellow at the Centre for Universal Education, is deeply sceptical about private schools in Africa. "The idea that African governments can't afford to deliver decent quality basic education is frankly fatuous," he said. "So is the claim that private-sector providers are more efficient. When you adjust for parental wealth and poverty the learning achievement gains evaporate. As it happens, the top performing secondary schools in Kenya are the 'national schools', which happen to be public. Gems schools are geared to provision of high-cost education for Kenya's elite. Doubtless they will provide Mr Varkey and his shareholders with a healthy profit." | Kevin Watkins, a senior fellow at the Centre for Universal Education, is deeply sceptical about private schools in Africa. "The idea that African governments can't afford to deliver decent quality basic education is frankly fatuous," he said. "So is the claim that private-sector providers are more efficient. When you adjust for parental wealth and poverty the learning achievement gains evaporate. As it happens, the top performing secondary schools in Kenya are the 'national schools', which happen to be public. Gems schools are geared to provision of high-cost education for Kenya's elite. Doubtless they will provide Mr Varkey and his shareholders with a healthy profit." |
| But for Gems, it is full steam ahead. The company plans to have schools in 16 countries by the end of next year and in 41 countries in the next three to five years, an expansion that will mean investment of $550m-650m. Rapid expansion always poses dangers for companies, but Varkey is confident Gems can cope. "We are structured and geared up for expansion," he said. "In the last seven years we have made sure we have the underlying infrastructure for expansion. We can handle 25-40 new schools a year if we needed to, but the big constraint is capital." | But for Gems, it is full steam ahead. The company plans to have schools in 16 countries by the end of next year and in 41 countries in the next three to five years, an expansion that will mean investment of $550m-650m. Rapid expansion always poses dangers for companies, but Varkey is confident Gems can cope. "We are structured and geared up for expansion," he said. "In the last seven years we have made sure we have the underlying infrastructure for expansion. We can handle 25-40 new schools a year if we needed to, but the big constraint is capital." |