WASHINGTON, D.C., May 3, 1999 – Private
schools in developing countries provide innovative alternative education
that bolsters development rather than introducing social inequality, according
to a new book published jointly by the International Finance Corporation
and the Institute of Economic Affairs, The Global Education Industry:
Lessons from Private Education in Developing Countries.
Author James Tooley uses examples from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, India,
Indonesia, Peru, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and other countries
to conclude that changes in private education in the developing world could
have a dramatic impact on the lives of millions of people.
He finds that, contrary to some expectations, the private education sector
is large and growing, it is innovative, and it is not the exclusive domain
of the wealthy. Professor Tooley challenges the conventional wisdom that
private education in developing countries creates social and economic rifts,
citing evidence that private schools equalize by providing creative programs
for social responsibility, subsidized attendance, and student loan programs.
The book focuses on the regulatory regime as one of the key factors that
can hamper or facilitate the private education sector. It outlines how
innovative private education sector can influence the education policy
of international agencies and national governments and considers how for-profit
education enterprises can promote equitable development.
James Tooley is professor of education policy at the University of Newcastle,
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. He publishes widely in scholarly journals
and in such periodicals as the Times Higher Education Supplement Guardian
Education, DailyTelegraph, Wall Street Journal, and Sunday Times. His other
publications include Education without the State (1996) and Reclaiming
Education: Challenging the Policy Agenda, which will be published
this year. He holds a Ph.D. in education from the Institute of Education,
University of London.
The International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group, fosters
economic growth in the developing world by financing private sector investments,
mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and providing
technical assistance and advice to governments and businesses. A significant
amount of the funding for the original study upon which this book was based
was provided by the government of Japan, through a trust fund that it maintains
with IFC.
To obtain a copy of this publication, please contact the IFC Corporate
Relations at (202) 473-7711 or send an e-mail request to Vincent Yemoh
at vyemoh@ifc.org
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