Microschools get top marks

July 28th, 2008

Groundbreaking research by James Tooley, president of The Education Fund for Orient Global, has shown that schools for the poor outperform their counterparts across Africa, India and China. His research showed that, “schools for the poor are superior to government schools, school teachers are more committed and education outcomes are better.”

Tooley’s research provided inspiration for the development of Opportunity International’s new Microschools™ programme.

Getting down to business

Loans to ‘edupreneurs’ are higher and repayment terms longer than the small business loans. They are usually of several thousand dollars and repayment can last a year or longer.

Microschools are now operating in 50 neighbourhoods and towns in Ghana in a pilot programme, and in nine locations in Malawi. The average microschool size in Ghana is about 200 students. The goal is to expand the pilot into several other countries in Africa and Asia.

The gender divide

In some developing countries there is often inequality in access for girls and boys with many girls staying at home. 75% of the world’s illiterate adults are women - just one factor contributing to the fact that 70% of poor people are women. Attendance in school increases health and work opportunities and makes women and girls less vulnerable to exploitation such as child labour and sex trafficking.

Microschools offer girls an equal opportunity for education. As they are in the heart of the local community parents feel it is safer and easier to send their daughters to school. Additionally, emphasis is placed on a gender-sensitive curriculum to support gender equity.

Microschools are an exciting and powerful tool in the fight against poverty and inequality. Equipped with education, children from poor communities face the challenges life brings with increased abilities to change their lives for good.

July 28th, 2008