Expert Blog Series

Welcome to the new Expert Blog Series! We have gathered some of the industry's brightest minds to discuss challenges and seek innovation around APS education quality, policy and impact investing. We hope you enjoy the discussions and invite you share your thoughts, comments or suggestions on topics of interest.

Where Does One’s Joy End and The Other’s Begin?

May 18, 2010

My son Gus and I were fishing, wading the flats in Belize. In one shallow spot, we watched a large school of bonefish cruise the pool in front of us. The rhythm of the collective movement was extraordinary. Gus explained, "The fish have latera

Musings on The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act

Jun 03, 2010

The Central Government of India signed into law The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 on April 1, 2010. Under the Act, all schools need to immediately seek recognition from the appropriate authority, and then they have to

The Time is Now

Jun 07, 2010

In the evolution of a sector - from nascent to mainstream, and all that is in between - there are moments that stand out, moments that signal “arrival,” in a sense. And I can’t help but think that the Affordable Private School sec

The Biggest Stakeholder of All - The Students

Jun 10, 2010

The sector of “Affordable Private Schools” (APS)—independent schools in low-income areas that can cost as little as $2/month—has the opportunity to transform education for low-income children worldwide. The sector is g

APS: A Ringside and Inside View

Jun 14, 2010

Learning more about Affordable Private Schools is perhaps more about unlearning our ideas and perceptions about the consumption of schooling by the poor in India.

The “Affordable Private School” Market is Too Big to Ignore

Jun 17, 2010

“India is a land of diversity -- of different castes, peoples, communities, languages, religions, and culture. Although these people enjoy complete political freedom, a vast part of the multitude is illiterate and lives below the poverty l

Affordable Private Schools: A Market in Themselves

Jun 23, 2010

In Pakistan, for every 4 primary schools, there is one middle school, for every 10 primary schools, there is only one secondary school. Affordable Private Schools are a response to fill this gap.

Getting APS on the Map

Jun 30, 2010

How do we get the APS sector on the map, on the national consciousness, on the national policy agenda? Sometimes we just need a change of government.

Frugal Innovation in Education

Jul 05, 2010

Emerging markets are home to innovation in a variety of sectors. They are also home to innovative names for innovation such as frugal innovation and reverse innovation. Frugal innovation is innovation to meet the specific needs of the population at

The Market for English Communication Programs

Jul 12, 2010

At a public policy seminar recently, we sent out students for a field trip to a village nearby. The idea was to know the state of the local health facilities. Most people chose the private counterpart because of the high responsiveness. The apathy

Developing Ratings to Address Specific Needs of Stakeholders

Jul 20, 2010

Education is recognized as a basic right by the United Nations. In accordance with this, India has recently passed the Right to Education (RTE) Bill, which mandates that every child between the ages of 6 and 14 has the right to free and compulsory

Innovations in Education Delivery – E-Reader with Cutting Edge Content for Affordable Private Schools

Aug 02, 2010

The affordable private schools demonstrate an innovation in business model. The sector is now witnessing innovations in service delivery, where edu-preneurs are actively seeking and utilizing existing mechanisms and new ones to cater to the needs o

Developing a School Chain Brand for Affordable Private Schools

Aug 09, 2010

I think that one of the most stimulating developments in market- based/entrepreneurial solutions in affordable private education is the emergence of chains of low cost private schools. After I wrote the prize winning essay ‘Educating Amaretch

The Challenge of Finding Entrepreneurs

Aug 16, 2010

It should be blindingly obvious – a market with millions of children, thousands of schools and the possibility of having tremendous impact. You’ve read elsewhere about how incredibly important external support beyond the school’s

Crowd-sourcing Social Innovation

Aug 23, 2010

A few weeks ago I met with an entrepreneur who started an Affordable Private School (APS) in Hyderabad, India. He had beautifully painted murals decorating his space, with images and English words – like giant flash cards demonstrating that,

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