Private Schools

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Nigeria Has 10 Million Out-of-school Children, Says Education Minister

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Africa/ Nigeria/ 06.05.2019/ Fuente: saharareporters.com.

Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, said the audit was part of the 2018/2019 Annual School Census, which was carried out by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Population Commission (NPC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other stakeholders.

Nigeria’s Minister of Education says it has conducted a National Personnel Audit of both public and private schools in Nigeria, which shows that the country has 10,193,918 out-of-school children.

Speaking at a conference in Abuja on Friday, Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, said the audit was part of the 2018/2019 Annual School Census, which was carried out by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Population Commission (NPC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other stakeholders.

Adamu, who was represented by Sonny Echono, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the census showed that the most endemic states affected by the out-of-school children were Kano, Akwa Ibom, Katsina,

Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Oyo, Benue, Jigawa and Ebonyi states.

The minister added that the Nigerian government had developed four strategic interventions on the out-of-school children, which are Special Education, Boy-Child Education, Girl-Child Education and Almajiri Sensitisation.

He said: “In 2015, conflicting figures of out-of-school children were being given, ranging from 10 to 13 million. We must acknowledge that the issue of data has constituted a stumbling block in terms of planning for the out-of-school children nationwide.

“However, UBEC, the NPC and the NBS worked together towards this common goal of determining the number of children of school age who are not in school. Based on the conducted National Personnel Audit of both public and private schools, Nigeria has out-of-school children population of 10,193,918.

“In the next four years, therefore, we shall concentrate efforts at increasing advocacy and sensitization of stakeholders at all levels, and improving synergy between stakeholders at all levels of basic education delivery»
Source of the notice: http://saharareporters.com/2019/04/13/nigeria-has-10-million-out-school-children-says-education-minister

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More school choice strengthens public education

Ron Matus

By: Ron Matus.

 

Over the past 20 years, Florida public schools have improved as much as any in America. At the same time, educational choice here revved from fringe to mainstream. That’s a point worth noting to those who keep insisting, with zero evidence, that expanding choice hurts public schools.

In his South Florida Sun Sentinel column, Randy Schultz wrote that lawmakers who’ve proposed a new private school voucher are trying to “undermine public education” and “turbocharge the privatization of Florida’s public schools.” They’re trying to make education profitable instead of better, he wrote. They’re ignoring questions and contrary evidence.

They’re not alone. Florida’s high school graduation rate now stands at 86 percent, up from 52 percent in the 1990s. We now rank third (behind Massachusetts and Connecticut) in the percentage of graduating seniors who’ve passed college-caliber Advanced Placement exams.

We now rank No. 1, No. 1, No.3 and No. 8 on the four core tests that make up the National Assessment of Educational Progress, once adjusted for demographics. Education Week just ranked us No. 4 in K-12 achievement, after a decade in which we ranked no lower than No. 12.

Schultz mentioned none of this.

Clearly, expansion of choice didn’t “undermine public education.” We have one of the biggest charter school sectors in America, one of the biggest private school voucher programs, the biggest tax credit scholarship, the biggest education savings account.

We also have, not coincidentally, some of the biggest and best district choice programs, from magnets and career academies to IB and dual enrollment. All in all, 47 percent of Florida students in PreK-12 — 1.7 million children — now attend something other than zoned neighborhood schools. And guess what? No apocalypse. Just more students getting the increasingly customized education their parents want for them.

Schultz also wrote, “No one knows how well the state’s voucher students are doing.” How odd. Just last month, the respected and left-leaning Urban Institute released a report that found students using the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship for low-income students are up to 43 percent more likely to attend four-year colleges than like students in public schools, and up to 20 percent more likely to earn bachelor’s degrees. Schultz didn’t mention this. Clearly, it didn’t fit the narrative about “unaccountable” schools.

Accountability is different for public and private schools. But it’s hard to argue that private schools don’t have enough when dissatisfied parents can, unlike parents in public schools, leave at any time. Balancing regulatory accountability with parental choice is a work in progress, but the Urban Institute findings suggest that when given discretion to determine quality, parents choose wisely.

It’s true, too, there are shysters and scandals in the private school space. More is being done to keep them out or exit them sooner. But private schools hardly corner the market on rotten apples. If somebody pieced together all the maddening headlines generated by districts and district schools, they could paint the most damning portrait. But nobody with a fair mind would do that.

Schultz seems most torqued by the possibility the new voucher may extend eligibility into the middle class. That, too, is odd. None of Florida’s other “vouchers” — which provide state support for private school tuition — are means tested. We don’t tell millionaires they can’t get state money for VPK, or a Bright Futures scholarship for college, or a McKay Scholarship for students with disabilities, because they’re too wealthy. Does Schultz’s outrage extend to those programs as well?

I’m encouraged lawmakers want to ensure low-income parents get priority for the proposed voucher. I also don’t see a mass exodus. The vast majority of middle-class parents, like me, like their public schools a lot. If some want options, for whatever reason, they should have that freedom.

One last point: The lion’s share of private schools participating in Florida scholarship programs are tiny nonprofits. The value of the tax credit scholarship, and the proposed new scholarships, is about 60 percent of total per-pupil spending for Florida district schools, which are among the lowest-funded in America. Yet Schultz concludes that what lawmakers really want to do is to make education “profitable.” That just doesn’t add up.

Source of the article: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-com-more-school-choice-20190321-story.html

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Privatisation in education: private schools dominate national education

Binod Ghimire

By Binod Ghimire

Sep 28, 2018-Two days after the federal parliament endorsed the Act on Compulsory and Free Education, Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON) slammed the provisions in the new law that increases the share of scholarship they must offer students. The umbrella body of private schools has issued a deadline for the government to amend the provision or face protests.

Earlier this month, the new education law had increased the share of scholarship to 15 percent from the existing 10 percent through a unanimous vote in both the Houses of Parliament. The Ministry of Education, the line ministry which had drafted the Act, has yet to respond to PABSON’s threat to boycott the law.

Although the ministry has been monitoring the private schools and prepared an annual report on institutions that charge exorbitant fees, the government has not taken any action against a single private school that has violated the rules.

In 2011, the government had introduced 5 percent tax to the private schools, which was later revoked when PABSON refused to honour it. The organisation has also rejected the 2012 Supreme Court order imposing a moratorium on fee increment for three years. Education experts say that the organisation’s past behaviour and their continued dismissal of government regulations show how the private education sector has become increasingly powerful just as their numbers—both in terms of schools and student enrolment—continue to go up.

The government, which had nationalised all community and private schools in 1971, reversed its course nine years later in 1980 and even opened the door to for-profit schools for the first time. The expansion of private schools has been going on unabated since.

Today, private schools occupy about 19 percent of share in the country’s education system. A recent economic survey by the Ministry of Finance shows that out of the total 35,601 schools in the country, 6,566 are privately owned. In the last six years, there has been nearly 5 percent increase in the number of private schools across the country—and it continues to rise despite the country’s adoption of a new constitution that ensures free school education to every Nepali citizen.

“I thought the government, through the Compulsory and Free Education Act, would take some measures towards containing the growth of private schools and promoting the public schools,” said Binaya Kusiyat, a professor at the Tribhuvan University and an independent researcher. “Allowing private schools to function as they have been for all these years is making a mockery of the socialism-oriented constitution.”

Kusiyat said his study shows that the entire school education can be made free even if the government allocates the budget as per its global commitment. Currently, the education sector receives around Rs125 billion annually, which is just 10 percent of national budget against the global commitment of 20 percent. It is an international benchmark to allocate 20 percent of country’s national budget or around 6 percent of the GDP for the education sector.

Education experts say it is ironic that capitalist countries have a minimal presence of the private schools while a country like Nepal, which is led by a socialist or a communist party, has become a fertile ground for commercialising education.

According to a 2015  report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which compiles educational data from a majority of nations across the globe each year, less than 9 percent students from the United States attend private schools. The number is even lower in New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom, where the share of private schools is just 6 percent.

Countries like Finland, Norway, and Singapore, whose school education is considered among the best in the world, have about three percent private schools.

“The number of students going to private schools is decreasing in capitalist countries but it’s exactly opposite in ours,” Kedar Bhakta Mathema, education expert and former vice-chancellor of the Tribhuvan University, told the Post. “We were very optimistic that the country would change. But the present developments do not give us much hope.” Mathema said there is no enthusiasm in the governing officials to improve the public education system, which means they are directly and indirectly promoting the private sector.

Mathema also alluded to the fact that there is little chance the government will take any strong measures to control the haphazard expansion of private schools because many political leaders—and their families—are involved in running these schools. Around 45 members of the second Constituent Assembly were directly involved in running private schools or colleges. In the current federal parliament, there are about two dozen lawmakers who own and run private education institutions.

Earlier this year, Man Prasad Wagle, an education expert and professor at the Kathmandu University, presented a report suggesting that the government should gradually phase out private schools while facilitating a shift towards technical education or university education. The suggestion made public in April said the phasing out process should start from the first grade, which will take 12 years to end the private sectors’ presence in the education sector.

Education Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel, who comes from the ruling Nepal Communist Party, said the government is not in a position to take ownership of the entire education system because it simply does not have the budget.

“We cannot ignore the contribution of the private sector,” Pokharel told the Post during an interaction last week. “Both private and public schools can go hand in hand and complement each other.”

 

Source of the article: http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-09-28/defying-rules-private-schools-dominate-national-education.html

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EEUU:I Disapprove of School Vouchers. Can I Still Apply for Them?

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Por: nytimes.com/Kwame Anthony Appiah/ 11-04-2018

My son attends preschool part time at a private Montessori school, which goes up to middle school. I like the school, and he is very happy there, but I can’t afford to keep him there when he starts kindergarten full time.

I believe that free public education is an important aspect of our society. Our local public elementary school is generally considered a decent option, but I worry about how standardized testing has changed the public-school landscape in recent decades. My son is thriving in his current environment, and the approach of traditional public schools is significantly different from Montessori’s. If money were no object, I would strongly consider keeping him at his current school.

Our state has a school-voucher program, which uses public money to help low-income families pay for private-school tuition. My family would probably qualify. But I believe that taxpayer dollars would be better spent to fortify public-school systems and should not be funneled to private schools. Given my beliefs, may I apply for a school voucher? Name Withheld

Looking after your son’s interests is a special obligation you have as a parent. “Special obligation” is a philosopher’s term, but it simply means that you have duties to him, arising out of your relationship, that you don’t have to other children. You’re not merely entitled to put his education first; you’re obliged to do so. You should feel free to use whatever legal means there are to get him a great education, including vouchers — unless you think they are so wicked that your participation in them would amount to condoning evil. If you just think the voucher program is bad policy, then join the campaign against it. That’s the right way to voice your judgments about the merits of educational policy. You don’t want to sacrifice your son’s education to abstract principle, especially given that you’re not going to end the voucher program by failing to make use of it. Our roles as parents, friends, employees and citizens can make conflicting calls on us.

But be sure you’re right about what’s in your child’s best interests. You should take a closer look at your local public elementary school, and not content yourself with the general skepticism you express about the “public-school landscape” and the effects of “standardized testing.” If it turns out that the private option isn’t obviously better, you can bring your beliefs as a citizen into a more natural alignment with your duties as a parent.

My children are currently in private school, although both were in public school for many years, and my younger one may switch back to public school for high school. I’m a big supporter of public education, so I was already feeling guilty about my choice — and then the federal tax bill passed in December. New tax rules allow pretax 529 savings accounts to be used not just for higher education but also for private precollege education. What should I do, if I want to do all I can to be a public-school ally? It seems there are three options: 1) Not take the tax deduction; 2) Take the deduction and give the money I save to the P.T.A. of a local underresourced public school or an organization working to improve public education; or 3) Take the deduction, figuring that as an N.Y.C. resident it will help offset the huge increase I expect to see in my taxes.Name Withheld

 Under the new federal tax act, you can withdraw up to $10,000 a year from a 529 savings account to pay for a student’s private precollege education. Vouchers lite! Previously, these accounts could be used only for higher education. But the way that the relevant “deduction” works hasn’t changed. When you pay into these accounts in New York State, your state income-tax liability is reduced up to a limit of $5,000 for a single person or $10,000 for a couple. Once in the fund, your money grows federal- and state-tax-deferred; but you don’t have to pay taxes when you take the money out, if it’s for a qualified educational expense. (The details here, as with much tax law, get complicated, but this is the basic picture.) You may well be paying into one of these funds already for your child’s college education and getting the maximum state-tax deduction. If so, this particular change in the tax law should not affect your income taxes very much.

Of course, any money you take out in the next few years won’t be available later for college expenses and won’t have compounded for long. Still, the new federal law does encourage you to save for private school as well as college in one of these funds. If things remain as they are, the federal provision that increases the use of these funds threatens to reduce state income-tax revenue. Then again, a “preliminary report” from New York’s tax department suggests that K-12 payments may not be considered qualified educational expenses and that the state could recapture any associated tax benefits. And, as you’re aware, this new use for 529 funds may do little to offset the loss to you that comes from no longer being able to deduct more than $10,000 in state property and income taxes from your federally taxable income.

None of that is ethics, though. My ethical view is you should take all the tax deductions you’re legally entitled to. Many features of our tax system are ridiculous; many are the product of lobbying without much regard for the public good. But you don’t have a duty to pay more than you are required to by law just because you and people like you are benefiting from bad policies, any more than you have the right to pay less than you’re required to when you take a hit from bad policies. The right thing to aim for is tax reform that makes the system fairer. (We will all have our own views about whether the recent tax reforms did that. Count me a skeptic.)

You’re already helping to pay for New York’s public schools through your taxes. Your choice to give your children a private education doesn’t lessen your financial support for public schools. If you want to lend additional assistance to public schools without sending your kids to them, you can, as you say, support the local P.T.A. You can also pay attention when voting for candidates for public office and vote for those who will do their best for those schools. And you could lobby your state to make sure that it excludes deductions related to 529 funds used for K-12 expenses — deductions that encourage people with your sort of income to leave the public schools. With more people like you as parents, those schools might provide better education for all our children.

*Fuente: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/magazine/i-disapprove-of-school-vouchers-can-i-still-apply-for-them.html

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United States: DeVos’s ineptitude demonstrates how little America cares for its public schools

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United States / March 24, 2018/Dailycampus

Resumen: Una reciente entrevista de 60 minutos con la Secretaria de Educación, Betsy DeVos, reveló cuán inadecuado es el Secretario para el puesto. DeVos, entrevistado por Lesley Stahl, no respondió varias preguntas, incluso sobre escuelas en su estado natal de Michigan. Por ejemplo, cuando se le preguntó si las escuelas de Michigan habían mejorado debido a las escuelas charter, DeVos no pudo responder. Ella también admitió que no ha visitado escuelas de bajo rendimiento. La ignorancia y la completa falta de preparación mostrada por DeVos durante su entrevista son simplemente inaceptables para un Secretario de Educación.

A recent 60 Minutes interview featuring Education Secretary Betsy DeVos revealed just how unfit the Secretary is for the position. DeVos, interviewed by Lesley Stahl, failed to answer several questions, including ones regarding schools within her home state of Michigan. For instance, when asked whether Michigan’s schools have improved due to charter schools, DeVos was unable to answer. She also admitted that she has not visited underperforming schools. The ignorance and complete lack of preparation displayed by DeVos during her interview is simply unacceptable for an Education Secretary.

Numerous scholars have also expressed disappointment with DeVos; Claire Smrekar, a professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, told The Atlantic that DeVos’s interview “demonstrates…an appalling lack of understanding of some public fundamental principles and practices related to public education. America’s students deserve much better than this. Public education is one of the most important issues that we face today, and proper leadership is required to navigate America through the difficult problem of improving schools. The fact that the Trump administration nominated someone so unqualified for this job indicates that they do not care about improving public education; they only care about undermining public schools in favor of charter/private schools.

Secretary DeVos’s main idea for improving education in the United States is to use public funds on charter and private schools instead of using funds to improve public education. A Washington Post article from early Thursday morning reveals that DeVos wanted to cut funding for programs that help kids in need and programs that help low income students reach college in order to procure $1 billion to fund charter, magnet and private schools. This is misguided because public schools are the cornerstone of American education; everyone has access to them, and purposefully keeping funds from them in order to favor institutions which only wealthier students are able to attend means that students from low income families are especially harmed. Thankfully, Congress rejected DeVos’s budget plan and instead chose to support increasing funding to her department by $3.9 billion.

Senator Patty Murray commented on DeVos’s ideas, saying “After more than a year on the job, I would have hoped Secretary DeVos would have learned by now that her extreme ideas to privatize our nation’s public schools and dismantle the Department of Education do not have support among parents or in Congress”; it is hopeful that Congress came together to reject DeVos’s radical ideas on education and that they still have faith in America’s public school system. Privatizing schools in America is not the solution to providing quality education to everyone; education should remain public and free for all students. Education is a right, not a privilege, and low income students should not be at a disadvantage. The fact that DeVos wanted to end programs that help low income students achieve their college goals in favor of using public funds for charter/private schools that are for wealthier students is inexcusable, and against the American Dream. All students in America should have an equal opportunity to achieve success, and education is crucial to that.

Charter schools are not even necessarily better than their public counterparts. In DeVos’s home state of Michigan, for example (which has more charter schools than any other state), charter schools underperform,with English scores from students between third and eighth grades dropping. If the state with the highest number of charter schools has schools that underperform, then perhaps they are not all that different from public schools after all. If this is the case, ripping funding away from public schools is not justified. Thus, keeping education a public institution is necessary. If Betsy DeVos really wants to help American students, she must realize this.

Fuente: http://dailycampus.com/stories/2018/3/23/devoss-ineptitude-demonstrates-how-little-america-cares-for-its-public-schools

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How an education crisis is hurting Morocco’s poor

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Por: www.aljazeera.com/07-03-2018

Unsuccessful attempts at reform and the growth of private schools are hurting underprivileged families.

Rabat, Morocco – Overcrowding, the lack of an efficient strategy and poor administration are harming public schools in Morocco and diminishing the opportunities available to underprivileged children, experts, teachers and students have told Al Jazeera.

The crisis in the education sector comes despite repeated efforts by successive governments to reform the archaic system.

Meanwhile, social disparity is widening with the growth of private schools as higher-income families increasingly opt to pay for better services, threatening those who rely on free and quality education.

Despite high tuition costs, the number of those shifting from public to private schools soared from 4 percent in 1999 to 15 percent in 2015.

A World Economic Forum report in 2015 placed Morocco at 101 out of 140 countries in a quality of education index.

According to a 2014 Unesco report, Morocco was ranked among the 21 worst countries in the field of education, with more than half of students in public schools failing to acquire necessary reading and maths skills.

It has become very difficult for students at public schools to pursue a decent career.

ANAS MRABTI, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has highlighted the dire situation on several occasions.

«The education system faces many difficulties and problems especially due to adopting some programmes and educational curricula, which do not suit the requirements of the labour market,» King Mohammed said in a speech on August 20, 2013.

«The current situation in the education and training sectors requires an assessment process that measures achievements and identifies the weaknesses and imbalances,» he added.

Anas Mrabti, a high school student at a public school in Rabat, expressed concern over the future of underprivileged pupils.

«It has become very difficult for students at public schools to pursue a decent career,» he told Al Jazeera. «The majority of students at public schools come from poor families, who cannot afford to send their kids to private schools. The dilemma is that there is a big gap between the public and private schools in terms of quality education and services.»

He added that financial disparities could affect higher education.

«Students from public schools find it very difficult to compete with students from private schools to access reputable institutions and universities. Parents normally send their kids to private schools because they know that those schools can earn their kids higher marks,» he said.

Because privately-educated children usually attain better grades, it becomes «very difficult for students from public schools to … access major universities and institutions,» said the student.

‘Students not equipped’

In recent years, successive governments have tried to implement structural adjustments to increase access to education and improve the education system’s performance, the latest of which is the Council of Education’s «Strategic Vision for the Reform of the Moroccan School».

This strategy was first implemented in 2015 and is expected to continue until 2030. 

But so far, there have been few solutions.

According to Mohammed, a headmaster of a public school in Tetouan who declined to give his last name, «the educational field has been suffering for a while from the gap between theory and practice, and of the gap between ideas and application».

He told Al Jazeera: «Students are not equipped with the practical skills they need to integrate them into the job market.

«Our public schools are like buildings lacking pillars that keep them standing. Any major reform bid needs to transform goals into practical solutions.»

An academic researcher, who preferred not to give his name, agreed that the Ministry of Education’s previous and current attempts at reform were superficial.

«All reform attempts were inspired by Western models that do not take into consideration the possibility of application, and whether the country is ready to apply such reforms on ground.

«The country has its own identity and characteristics. The setup of any effective reform plan can only be achieved through a participatory approach that should include academics, educational syndicates, researchers and trainers.

«Securing logistics and funding are not enough to ensure good educational quality. Public schools used to enjoy a good reputation in the past, and the authorities in this country should restore that dignity by finding solutions for such a vital sector.»

Mohamed Jouji, a retired father who has two daughters in private schools, said Morocco is far from achieving its goals in the public education sector.

«The issues are mainly school dropouts, weak numbers of schooling in the rural world, the high illiteracy rate, and the deterioration of educational performance,» Jouji told Al Jazeera.

The end of free education?

Another headache added to the Moroccan burden is a new draft bill introduced by the government, which aims at putting an end to free education in the kingdom.

The bill proposes that preschool, primary and secondary education should remain free of charge for all Moroccans, but suggests registration fees for high schools and universities for middle and high-income families.

The draft law has angered parents and education syndicates, who consider the move a violation of Moroccan citizens’ right to free education.

 Fuente: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/education-crisis-hurting-morocco-poor-180306225706337.html
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afb Ghana declares $10m support to education sector

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Ghana/March 06, 2018/By: Abubakar Ibrahim/Source: https://www.myjoyonline.com

One of the leading financial services companies in the country, afb Ghana, has launched an education solution to support the players in the educational sector of the country.

The new solution was launched in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of Private schools (GNAPS), during its education week celebrations in Accra.

The solution, designed to address the respective needs of schools, teaching and non-teaching staff and even suppliers who conduct various businesses with the educational institutions, will range from asset financing, project financing to personal loans.

Speaking at the launch, the Director of Education-Pre Tertiary Institutions, Catherine Appiah-Penkra said, the education of the citizenry remains a critical agenda of Government.

«One of the deepest concern is the collaboration of the private sector to support this agenda. I will commend afb Ghana for this move and encourage other players within the financial services landscape to join the course to enhance the quality of education in Ghana,» she said.

“It is my hope, that with the provision of this support, owners and management of schools and other players within the value chain will take advantage it, as well as meet their obligations in a timely manner to make this solution sustainable”.

Arnold Parker, Managing Director of afb Ghana said, “this year, we are committed to supporting the education sector with a 10-million-dollar fund to finance school projects, assets acquisition and personal loans for all parties within Ghana’s educational system.”

He also added, “I am confident that this solution will help to improve Ghanaian lives as it ensures access to good quality education which is a key agenda for the government of Ghana”.

James Abuyeh, Head of Financial Inclusion at afb, also added that “the move to launch this solution has come as a result of the insufficient financial support to players within the education ecosystem”.

He again mentioned that “products from financial institutions are often designed to focus on supporting other sectors with little attention to the education ecosystem which also requires equal attention. The introduction of this solution underpins our vision to foster financial inclusion.”

Source:

https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2018/March-5th/afb-ghana-declares-10m-support-to-education-sector.php

 

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