Chapter Five - Conclusion, Summary and the Way Forward
At the end of our study centred on primary education and
entrepreneurship in East Africa, a number of information and reflection have
emerged from the case study of Kibera concerning the contributions of the
private educational entrepreneurs in combating illiteracy and boosting the
United Nations campaign of Universal Primary Education (UPE). The high demand
for private schools provision and the mushrooming of independent schools
catering for the poor in Kibera as well as in other countries in Africa have
been noted in the course of this study. Further, some impressions have equally
been drawn from the actions undertaken by educational entrepreneurs in Kenya in
the perspective of improving the quality of their schools.
This chapter sets out to discuss our study findings and their
relation to existing literature so as to be able to determine if they answer
all the research questions. From there on, suggestions and implications will be
developed so that education in Africa in general and Entrepreneurship can
evolve positively and contribute efficiently to the development process of the
continent. The research has revealed the overwhelming existence of many private
schools catering for low income families across Africa. Whether in Ghana,
Nigeria, or Kenya, it has been noted that the greater majority of parents
living in slums and remote areas give more credit to private schools, this
taking into account the number of enrolments in these settings.
In Kibera where we set out to focus the study, our findings
clearly states the key role played by educational entrepreneurs in the general
process of offering quality educational provision at affordable costs to the
entire population living together in the slum. From a critical stand point, we
were amazed to notice that a good number of these entrepreneurs live in the
communities in which they have set their schools (see Tooley and Dixon 2005)
and it denotes that these entrepreneurs generally individuals with backgrounds
in education; do have at heart the education of the children of the development
of their respective communities. It was found that the schools owners have
either been trained as teachers in the government for some time or simply have
been teaching in private schools for a good number of years prior to
establishing their own schools. Having such a background can only be of
greatest importance in a project like providing education to the mass.
Questioning their motivations for investments in the field of
education, the general view point which emerged was the fact that the overall
quality level of education in the public sector was left to be desired with
overcrowded classrooms and absence of professional conscience from its
teachers. The entrepreneurs did mention that there were no adequate government
schools in their localities. Being themselves parents, they felt the utmost
desire to provide their offspring with quality education at affordable cost.
Their investments were equally geared towards bringing the school settings
close to the pupils and henceforth solving the problems of long distance
schools (see Tooley and Dixon 2006). Another striking reason was the peculiar
attention given to socially excluded children, vulnerable children and the
poorest. The research revealed that considerable amount of money in forms of
scholarship and financial assistance was allocated in most schools to orphans
and the brightest children. Equally on a more specific side, the school owners
made sure that the standards and quality of their schools remained very
positive, this in the perspective to secure the loyalty of their pupils and
attract more students in a long run given the highly competitive environment in
which they operate.
By investing in such an important sector of a country's life,
the entrepreneurs do not only think of the financial outcomes as it is claimed
by some critics (see Lewin 2007, Rose 2006).Indeed they charge school fees to
pupils and this is somehow the only source of their funding. The private
schools in Kibera rely solely on the contributions derived from students'
tuition to run effectively. However parents and community members apparently do
not find any problem with the charges in the private sector provided they are
satisfied with the children progress.
Looking at the question related to regulatory issues and
investment climate in Kenya, the study came out with no specific guidelines
regarding it. Based on the answers that were given by school entrepreneurs, we
assumed that effective regulatory guidelines for investors seem to be flawed or
simply nonexistent. In such an instance, it would be quite difficult to assess
government willingness to expand and promote private investment. However we
noted that the private school owners were quite pleased with the situation
considering the huge number of private schools existing in the slum.
The Free Primary Education campaign launched in Kenya in the
year 2003 has not ha d a major impact on pupils enrolments in private schools,
our study reveals. Earlier before the initiative, private schools in Kenya
already existed and years after it, many pupils still attend private schools.
From the responses gathered through questionnaires, it has been noted an
increasing number of enrolments in private schools of Kibera after the year
2003.Some pupils equally mentioned that prior to enrolling in private schools;
they had earlier attended government schools and were not satisfied with the
overall system in spite of the fact that it was supposedly free. Hence, the
private schools for the poor in Kibera can still claim leadership over the
government schools in terms of provision thanks the importance which is being
attached to quality education in these settings. The state might be the sole
responsible for making the reality of the delivering of universal right of
primary education to the poor of Kibera and Africa as it is claimed by
Lewin(2007), however our research shows that this assertion is not generally
accepted by the population concerned. They actually know what is good for
them.
Measuring the satisfaction level of these investments as
perceived both by pupils and teachers, the general trend that emerged is the
overall contentment with the functioning system of private schools in Kibera.
Pupils said to be happy with their teachers' ability in their respective
subject. The degree of teacher's involvement in private schools is likely to
out pass that of their colleagues in government schools. This same phenomenon
was revealed earlier by Tooley and Dixon with the case of their study in India
were they found that there was a feverish classroom activity going on in
private schools were they called unannounced.
Teachers in private schools in Kibera as it is likely the case
in other countries are very punctual and always present in schools and in
addition, they pay extra attention to their pupils, treating them fairly and
all this in a very disciplined environment. The reason behind all the qualities
observed with teachers here may be related to the scarcity of job opportunities
in developing countries especially in remote areas. The prevailing competitive
environment warrants the teachers to take their duty seriously if they want to
be kept by the school administration and the community. However nearly all the
pupils taking part to this research admitted their disappointment concerning
the schools infrastructures but did not stress so much on it as what matter the
most for these pupils was the knowledge that they were able to gain from such
dilapidated structures.
On their own, teachers expressed relative satisfaction with
their working environment, the number of days allocated for leave of holidays
within the academic year and their social status in the community. From a
general point of view, what constitutes the major handicap for almost all the
teachers in this slum is the amount of money they perceive in form of wage. In
fact just three teachers out of the 25 that formed the basis of our research
said to be satisfied with their salaries and in some cases the agreed amount of
salaries were not paid on regular basis thus putting the teachers sometimes in
extremely difficult situations. Rating in order of importance what teachers
felt was a real handicap in private schools of Kibera; they mentioned firstly
the poor infrastructures, followed by a lack of teaching aid including books
and teaching aids, and finally irregular salary payments.
The assessment which was done in this research through
questionnaires and interviews did not only depict a positive picture of private
investment in Kibera. Indeed the amount of population living together in slum
need enough educational institutions to ensure that the level of illiteracy
gradually reduce, something which the government cannot claim to be able to do
all alone. «The heart of the population of Kibera and other poor areas in
Africa seem to be beating for private schools» and for this reason several
points need to be reconsidered in order to render the quality of these schools
of better standard. The commendable efforts deployed by the Kenyan Independent
Schools Association (KISA) need to be revitalized through general, technical
and logistic support. There is no doubt that the private sector in Kenya and we
presume elsewhere in Africa too, is a key determinant factor in the global
vision of expanding primary education.
Further while elaborating policies on Universal Primary
Education, it would be wise enough for state leaders, educational
stakeholders, international organisation, national and multilateral agencies to
consider and involve private schools entrepreneurs' ideas in the general
consensus for a better appraisal of the sets goals. Refuting the role played
of the private sector in the millennium campaign for Universal Primary
Education as advocated by many critics (Watkins, Lewin, Rose) thus give the
false impression that nothing is happening on the continent as far the
development of education is concerned.
Inextricably, the various factors which could be identified
as the major gap in the private provision of education in Kibera in our
research converged to the same conclusions by Tooley and Dixon: The private
schools in Kibera are not regulated, they suffer from the absence of buildings
and infrastructures and lastly they all face striking financial
difficulties.
These three aspects could be ameliorated if the private
schools in Africa were given the least of attention and interest from the above
mentioned institutions and partners.
Finally, it is suggested that in the perspective of boosting
Entrepreneurship in Africa especially in the field of education, a study of the
regulation of private schools in Africa should be carried. Ayittey (2007)
stated the importance of the investment environment in the developmental
process of Africa. An environment which, according to him is shaped by various
government legislations, policies (taxes, duties, and subsidies), institutions
and attitudes. In a case where this environment is such that it fosters
peoples' effort, it becomes a catalyst for development. Such an environment is
described as «enabling» or «conducive» to productive
effort. (Ayittey 2007:159)
The study of the regulation of private schools for low-income
families in Andhra Pradesh, India undertaken by Dr Dixon in 2003 has been of
tremendous help in the understanding and the development of this sector in
India. By carrying such a similar study in Africa, it would enable a better
appraisal of the private educational sector and shall henceforth establish the
basis for future support educational entrepreneurs of Africa.
Finally, it is equally felt that associations such as the
Kenyan Independent schools Association (KISA) are better placed to act as a
regulatory board for all the private schools operating within their sphere of
competency. Considering their familiarity and their expertise with the sector,
they could actively foster the development of private schools in terms of
quality if they were given just half of the support that is being given to
government schools.
From the foregoing analysis we can assume with little fear of
contradiction that the contribution of private schools entrepreneurs in East
Africa in the overall campaign for Universal Primary Education is commendable
and worthy of support. Be it in Kibera (Kenya), in Makoko (Nigeria) or in
Mbouda (Cameroon), private schools do play acting roles in educating the
increasing number of people and they much more preferred by the population than
the government schools even in a context of Free Primary Education(FPE) across
states of Africa.
Our wish is to see that this research continues it course for
a better understanding of the private educational sector and its contribution
to the development of Africa in general.
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