Private schools for the poor and the right to education : a study in political economy

• Main Author: Stanfield, James Boyd
• Published: University of Newcastle upon Tyne 2014
• Subjects: 371.02
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.658367

The primary research question of this thesis is: Are fee paying private schools serving low income communities in developing countries consistent or in conflict with the United Nations concept of the right to education? A classical liberal framework is then used to explore the following four additional supplementary questions: a. What is meant by the United Nations concept of the right to education? How did it come to be and what were the implications for the role of government, the private sector and parents? b. How and why did the colonial authorities intervene in education in Kenya? What role did the private sector play in these developments? And what were the hidden costs and unintended consequences associated with these interventions? c. Is there any evidence of private schools serving low income communities in Kenya either prior to or during colonial rule? d. Did the introduction of free primary education in Kenya in 2003 have a negative impact on local private schools and did the crowding out process take place and was it similar to the UK experience previously documented by E.G. West? The thesis uses a classical liberal approach as its theoretical framework which is discussed in Chapter Two. The research methods used in this thesis are set out in Chapter Three. The case study approach is discussed and the issues concerning best practice in research are explored. Chapter Four introduces historical and contemporary evidence of the growth of private schools serving low income communities in developing countries and in Chapter Five the United Nations concept of the right to education is examined and defined. The findings from the Kenya case study will be reported and discussed in Chapters Six, Severn and Eight. Chapter Six is an historical study of the initial missionary and colonial interventions in education in Kenya and Chapter Seven will examine the rise and fall of Kenya’s independent school movement during the 1930’s and 40’s. Chapter Eight will then fast forward to 2003 and the introduction of Free Primary Education (FPE) in Kenya. Based on these findings and conclusions the final chapter (Chapter Nine) will introduce an alternative to the current rights based approach to education for all.