Design, Evaluation, and Sustainability of Private Schools for the Poor: The Pakistan Urban and Rural Fellowship School Experiments
Contributor Name:
Kavita
The Balochistan province of Pakistan initiated two pilot programs attempting to induce the creation of private schools for girls. The authors used randomized assignment to treatment and control groups to measure program effectiveness. Findings indicate that:
- Pilot programs were successful in urban areas but relative failures in rural areas;
- Urban schools benefited by larger supply of children not served by government schools, better availability of teachers, and more educated parents with higher incomes;
- Use of experienced school operators in the urban pilot made a difference;
- All urban schools are self-sustaining or need a modest subsidy, while only one of the rural schools is likely to survive as a private school.
The pilots indicate that a partnership between private school operators and the government can have a significant impact on enrollment. The cost of subsidizing these schools is a fraction of the cost of educating the children in a government school.