Tooley recounts his journey from the largest shanty town in Africa to the hinterlands of China, and introduces the families and teachers who taught...
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Jan 09, 2010
Skylar
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Summary: Beguiled educator and researcher travels all over the Third World and learns that the private market provides the poor with a better education than the government. Is shocked by discovery. Is even more shocked that those with a vested interested in public education refuse to believe his evidence. Researches. Lectures. Suggests that maybe public, government-funded education is not the best solution for educating the world after all. Offends. Is mocked. Is threatened. Makes relatively f
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Dec 01, 2009
Through Atanu.
Tooley's research apparently found that even the private schools at the bottom of the heap catering to very poor people, are doing much better than the ones funded by the Govt. Is anyone surprised? I hope not; Anyone with a brain the size of a sand grain would have figured that out.
There are better alternatives to public schools, through which the Govt. can fund education. Education vouchers is a good way of doing that.
Apparently an U.S. Govt. pilot pr More...
Tooley's research apparently found that even the private schools at the bottom of the heap catering to very poor people, are doing much better than the ones funded by the Govt. Is anyone surprised? I hope not; Anyone with a brain the size of a sand grain would have figured that out.
There are better alternatives to public schools, through which the Govt. can fund education. Education vouchers is a good way of doing that.
Apparently an U.S. Govt. pilot pr More...
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May 11, 2010
Cathy
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James Tooley traveled the third world researching small private schools for the poor. In every country, he found that public schools are a disgrace, and, more importantly, that there are small entrepreneurial schools providing services for the desperately poor. Some how, some way, poor parents scrape together the money to pay the small tuition, especially for their girls, to give them a safe place to study. The conditions and sacrifices should make every American parent blush with shame for what
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Sep 21, 2010
Michelle
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This magnificent book should be required reading in every teacher training program on the planet. Tooley's intent is to show how many poor children are already being educated by private schools, demonstrate how this is much better than the public school disasters all over the world, show why (using basic economic incentives a high schooler ought to be able to figure out on his own) and then urge the world to begin to get behind private educational solutions now, so as not to leave even more chi
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Aug 20, 2009
Cait
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Toole portrays the reality of the education system around the world. I found the most impressive aspect of the book was reading about the sacrifices families made to send their children to private schools. It did get a bit redundant, but that may have been Toole's intention. Maybe he wanted to show how out of touch the bureaucracy is.
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Dec 03, 2009
Ilan
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I skim/read this for a research project I am working on. I will be using it and it's references heavily. I would say it's only an interesting read if you are a teacher in a developing country, or work for an education NGO in a developing country. It's not for everyone.
Jul 20, 2009
Anne
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As an advocate of "education for all" children around the world, I never thought I would be in favor of private schools. After reading this book, I want to work for their development! This is an extremely important read.
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Nov 03, 2011
Saicharan Abhishek
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Found it quite boring after a while. The theme keeps recurring over and over again. I find Tooley's research papers on the topic more informative than the book.
Apr 29, 2010
Anna
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Enjoyed reading about the author's discoveries as he traveled to developing countries to study how the poorest of the poor receive an education. His research on the private schools he found in distant villages - private schools run by the poor, for the poor - was interesting. Would have liked more discussion about how to fix the issue of poor-quality public schools in developing countries.
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Oct 23, 2011
J. J.
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Very interesting and informative. It was slow at times. It often made me angry to learn just how intransigent governments and the development establishment are in refusing to acknowledge the existence and accomplishments of private schools for the poor.
Jan 07, 2010
Andy
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So far - WOW. Hard to find book, had to Interlibrary Loan. Worth buying. Amazing that this has not been trumpeted throughout the world. Everyone who supports universal elementary and secondary education should read this book.
Nov 18, 2010
Mandy
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This book was very informative, but it was also very slow. Still, since I'm interested in the topic of education for low-income students in developing countries, I'm glad I pushed through.
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