Publication: Faith-Inspired Schools in Sub-Saharan Africa : An Introduction to the Summer 2014 Issue
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Date
2014-06-10
ISSN
1557-0274
Published
2014-06-10
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At a time when many sub-Saharan African countries may not achieve the education targets set forth in the Millennium Development Goals, and discussions on the post-2015 agenda are the topic of the day in development circles, the contribution of private providers of education, including faith-inspired schools (FISs), is crucial. For these providers to work alongside the state in the delivery of services, and possibly benefit from state support, basic information is required on their market share, reach to the poor, cost for households, and satisfaction of users with the services received. Yet today little systematic evidence is available on the role of FISs, at least in sub-Saharan Africa, and how they compare to other (public and private secular) schools. This special issue of The Review of Faith & International Affairs aims to bridge this knowledge gap. The purpose of this introduction is to briefly summarize the articles’ main findings and suggest some areas for further research.
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Publication Faith-Inspired Education in Ghana : A Historical Case Example(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10)In order to understand the current role of faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Africa and some of the debates about the magnitude of the services they provide, it is useful to consider their presence in a historical perspective. Faith-inspired schools have a long and distinguished tradition in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this article is to sketch that history using the case of Ghana, a country where FISs date back to early Islamic schools and, as of the 16th century, to Christian missionary activities.Publication Assessing the Role of Faith-Inspired Primary and Secondary Schools in Africa : Evidence from Multi-Purpose Surveys(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10)What is the share of students attending faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Africa? Do FISs reach the poor in priority? How much do they cost for households? And how do FISs compare with public schools and private secular schools in these areas? This article provides tentative answers to these questions using evidence from multi-purpose household surveys.Publication What Drives the Choice of Faith-Inspired Schools by Households? Qualitative Evidence(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10)Why do some parents send their children to faith-inspired schools (FISs), while others choose to rely on public schools? Within FISs, are the motivations to send a child to a Christian school different from those to send a child to an Islamic school? How well are FISs performing—along various dimensions—according to the students’ parents? This article provides tentative answers to those questions using qualitative and small sample data collected in 2010 in Burkina Faso and Ghana.Publication Public, Private, and Faith-Inspired Schools in Ghana : A Comparative Assessment(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10)There is no doubt that the contribution of private schools, both faith-inspired and secular, is significant in Africa: private schools fill a gap left by insufficient public education and they provide choice to households. Yet detailed evidence on their market share and characteristics is often not available. How large is the market share of private secular and faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Africa in comparison to public schools? Is it correct to assume that while private secular schools are often affordable only for wealthier families, FISs do reach the poor and provide services at low cost to households? Is it also correct to assume that the education provided by private schools, whether faith-inspired or secular, is on average of better quality than that provided by public schools, or at least that the satisfaction of parents with the schooling provided to their children is higher in private schools than in public schools? The purpose of this article is to consider these questions through a case study of Ghana.Publication Education in Sub-Saharan Africa : Comparing Faith-Inspired, Private Secular, and Public Schools(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014)The purpose of this study is to build a stronger evidence base on the role of faith-inspired, private secular, and public schools in sub-Saharan Africa using nationally representative household surveys as well as qualitative data. Six main findings emerge from the study: (1) Across a sample of 16 countries, the average market share for faith-inspired schools is at 10-15 percent, and the market share for private secular schools is of a similar order of magnitude; (2) On average faith-inspired schools do not reach the poor more than other groups; they also do not reach the poor more than public schools, but they do reach the poor significantly more than private secular schools; (3) The cost of faith-inspired schools for households is higher than that of public schools, possibly because of a lack of access to public funding, but lower than that of private secular schools; (4) Faith-inspired and private secular schools have higher satisfaction rates among parents than public schools; (5) Parents using faith-inspired schools place a stronger emphasis on religious education and moral values; and (6) Students in faith-inspired and private schools perform better than those in public schools, but this may be due in part to self-selection.
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