Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is concerned with the relationships between attendance at private schooling and wealth inequalities in learning outcomes. It discusses data from household surveys in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and focuses on Mozambique and the role that non-state actors play in poor neighbourhoods in Maputo. The book presents some of the results of a census and survey of two poor neighbourhoods, and provides new data that indicate the nature and extent of non-state provision in pre-primary, primary, and secondary education. It also focuses on private schooling in South Africa where there has been a dramatic growth. The book describes a critique of an important recent article by K. Muralidharan and V. Sundararaman which has gained some influence in policy circles. It argues that puts forward a human rights framework for considering the impact of the privatisation of schooling.