Published in All Africa, ambitious commitments to drive socio-economic transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa made by education ministers at a Global Schools Forum event, in partnership with IDP Foundation, Jacobs Foundation, and Vitol Foundation in London.
Published in NORRAG, co-authored by our CEO, Corina Gardner, Aashti Zaidi Haii from Global Schools Forum and Inês Charro from Education Finance Network, arguing for more government recognition of the non-state education sector.
IDP Foundation’s CEO Corina Gardner’s opinion piece in Devex emphasizes a need for investment by The World Bank in the affordable non-state education sector to support initiatives that provide vital education opportunities for vulnerable children, helping achieve global education goals. If we extend support to low-fee private schools we are extending support to all education for all children, now. Taking an all-hands-on-deck approach feels like the only way forward and must include the hands of local actors committed to building a better educational future from the ground up. However, resistance remains, with these schools too often ignored, whether willfully or systematically, keeping SDG 4 far out of reach.
IDP Foundation’s CEO Corina Gardner’s writes for the Global Partnership on Education blog on the important role of low-fee private schools in contributing to national education budgets and support national education goals. This piece looks at the growth of the sector as a significant part of a mixed economy of education provision and the financial challenges faced by education as a whole.
IDP Foundation's CEO Corina Gardner and Country Director Stephen Caleb Opuni talked to Next Billion about the urgency of the current learning loss due to the COVID 19 pandemic, and how that within the development sector there is often a significant disconnect between the global debate over whether the non-state sector should play a role in the global education landscape – and the reality on the ground.
Following on from IDP Foundation's webinar, News Ghana highlighted our call for recognition and support of low-fee private schools. "According to the Foundation, patronage of low-fee private schools (LFPS) by low-income families who constitute 48% of the population, has been increasing over the years – hence the need for a state-led intervention to boost education."
IDP Foundation's Executive Director, Corina Gardner recently spoke to Liz Longley at Inside Philanthropy about IDP Foundation’s support of the affordable non-state education sector – specifically low-fee private schools, and why we believe building their sustainability is key to tackling the continuing education crisis.
“If low-fee private schools did not exist today, the number of out of school children that we would have to deal with would be at alarming levels,” observed Stephen Opuni, the Country Director for the IDP Foundation in Ghana.
Before schools started to reopen this spring, more than 80 public education instructors in Ghana participated in virtual training sessions that featured Sesame Street Muppets Zobi and Kami, along with Ghanaian actress Matilda Asante playing their teacher Ms. Efia.
Financial assistance to school proprietors provides urgent relief to low-fee private schools, helping them to reopen, and preventing permanent closures.