Private Education

The document examines the rapid expansion of private schooling in Africa since the 1990s, noting that while it provides a quality alternative to failing public systems in some areas, it often exacerbates inequality and is increasingly driven by profit-seeking and foreign investment rather than charity.

• Private school enrollment in Africa grew rapidly starting in the 1990s, with primary school enrollments doubling during that decade, while public school growth was approximately half that rate. By 2017, 19 sub-Saharan African countries had 20% or more of their primary and secondary students in non-state facilities, with Equatorial Guinea (54% of primary students), Liberia (60% of secondary students), and Mauritius (57% of secondary students) showing high proportions.
• The expansion of private education is largely driven by foreign investors and the World Bank's promotion through lending and advice, filling gaps left by government failures in education quantity and quality. In Kenya, private schools have become highly sought after due to overcrowded public schools where teachers may handle classes of 100 students and 40% of Grade 2 students were found to be illiterate or innumerate.
• Private education is criticized for exacerbating inequality and diverting resources from the public sector. The gap in achievement between the wealthy and poor is widened not only by private school quality but by a decline in public school standards as resources and better teachers move toward the higher pay and conditions of the private sector.
• While some private schools achieve high rankings, others fail to outperform the public sector despite higher costs. This is attributed to loose regulations that allow profit-seeking investors to operate schools with inadequate facilities and underpaid, poorly qualified teachers.

APA

Aikins, E. R., & Cilliers, J. (2026). Private Education. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=05-private-education

Chicago

Aikins, Enoch Randy, and Jakkie Cilliers. Private Education. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=05-private-education.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aikins |first1=Enoch Randy |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=Private Education |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=21 April 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=05-private-education |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aikins2026private, author = {Aikins, Enoch Randy and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Private Education}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=06-education&topic=05-private-education}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }