Emerging Evidence on Vouchers and Faith-Based Providers in Education: Case Studies from Africa, Latin America, and Asia (Directions in Development - Human Development) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0821379763 ISBN 13: 9780821379769

Publisher: World Bank Publications, 2009

Synopsis

While public-private partnerships in education in the United States have received a lot of attention, research on such partnerships elsewhere has been limited―even though such partnerships have been steadily gaining prominence, particularly in developing countries. Aiming to fill this gap, this book presents fresh, technically sound empirical evidence on the effectiveness and cost of various public-private education partnerships from around the world, including voucher programs and faith-based schools.

The evidence on the impact in terms of school performance, targeting, and cost of public-private partnerships is mixed. Some evidence suggests that voucher schools outperform public schools, but the difference between both types of schools is not as large as one might think, and is often smaller than simple statistics suggest. Evidence on faith-based schools tends to show slightly better performance than public schools, but this is not the case in all countries. While in some countries faith-based schools reach the poor better than public schools, in other countries the reverse is observed. As for the private costs of education, evidence shows that costs depend on the systems in place in each country, but that when school choice is limited, parents can still influence the performance of their children through private expenditure for tutoring. More rigorous studies on such partnerships, particularly in developing countries, are necessary.

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Review

Religious bodies of different types play a vital role in education in many countries, but the nature of their role and the policy challenges they face are shrouded in myth and poor information. This book offers an important first step in changing that situation. It recognizes the important role that schools run by religious bodies play and tests common assumptions against rigorous analysis. It contributes important indicators for the countries analyzed and elements of a significant policy agenda that should be a central part of reflecting on how to improve the reach and quality of education for poor communities." --Katherine Marshall, Executive Director, World Faiths Development Dialogue

About this edition

• Publisher: World Bank Publications
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0821379763
• ISBN 13: 9780821379769
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208
• Editor: Barrera-Osorio Felipe, Patrinos Harry Anthony, Wodon Quentin