Charisse Gulosino and James Tooley, E.G. West Centre, School of Education, University of Newcastle
August 2002
This fascinating new report from the imaginative British education researcher James Tooley, here joined by Charisse Gulosino, examines low-cost, low-priced private schools that educate poor children in the Philippines. You may previously have read Tooley on private schooling for the poor in other third-world countries, such as India. This is his first report on the phenomenon in the Philippines, based on a study of 81 such schools in some of the most disadvantaged parts of that land. Most are religious schools. Most charge very low tuitions, offer scholarships, get little government aid, yet manage to make ends meet and, in some cases, to make surpluses or profits. They appear to be doing a good job. Parents are satisfied. The schools have greater curricular flexibility (to teach English, especially) than their government counterparts. Yet various government policies impede their work and curb their expansion. For more information, surf to http://www.ncl.ac.uk/egwest/research/philippines.html.
