This week’s current event about international education is
about Africa’s growth sparks controversial rise of private secondary schools.
The Gems education company that is expanding in Africa to meet demands, but
concerns about high fees exacerbates inequality. Due to the lack of state funding a market has
been created for private school and all across Africa. The private school
company operates in 10 countries, but is doing a major expansion in Africa
supported by strong economic growth. The first secondary school was opened in
September in Kenya, Africa. More schools are being planned to be built in
Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa. The Gems school
company is meeting the demand for private education in developing countries
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 the South and West Asia and
sub-Saharan Africa. The last of these
regions has doubled the number of students enrolling over the, yet has the
world’s lowest total secondary enrollment, at 40% in 2010.” One of the biggest problems in Africa with
the expanding of private schools is inequality. Inequality has climbed greatly
with the development agenda. The fees disproportionally FA young people with
poor families, which prevents them from enrolling in continuing with secondary
education. With the starting fees being that $1700 a term, it will be hard for
many families to afford tuition to attend the schools. “Rwanda introduced a nine year basic
education cycle and eliminate fees for lower secondary school, was boosted the
number of lower secondary funds by 25% within a year. Kenya has also abolished
fees for secondary schools, increase in roller from 1.2 million in 2002 1.4
million in 2008.” According to Kevin
Watkins, a senior fellow at the Centre of Universal Education, did not really
believe in the private school system in Africa. He also thinks that Africa can
afford decent quality basic education. The biggest problem of the school
company is the money constraints.
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