IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/injoed/v60y2018icp100-112.html

Regulating market entry of low-cost private schools in Sub-Saharan Africa: Towards a theory of private education regulation

Author

Listed:
  • Baum, Donald R.
  • Cooper, Rachel
  • Lusk-Stover, Oni

Abstract

This study provides a comparative assessment of policies governing private schools in twenty countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Findings suggest that current regulatory systems are failing to adequately address the negative externalities and failures of private schooling markets. Insufficient capacity on the part of governments is a contributor to uneven policy implementation and creates opportunities for rent-seeking and corruption. Onerous market entry regulations offer constraints on the growth of official private education markets, but facilitate growth in unofficial markets if demand for education is not being fully met by the supply of government service provision, restricting the government’s ability to provide adequate oversight of private providers.

Suggested Citation

  • Baum, Donald R. & Cooper, Rachel & Lusk-Stover, Oni, 2018. "Regulating market entry of low-cost private schools in Sub-Saharan Africa: Towards a theory of private education regulation," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 100-112.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:60:y:2018:i:c:p:100-112
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.10.020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738059316304989
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.10.020?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wolf, Charles, Jr, 1979. "A Theory of Nonmarket Failure: Framework for Implementation Analysis," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(1), pages 107-139, April.
    2. Antunes, Antonio R. & Cavalcanti, Tiago V. de V., 2007. "Start up costs, limited enforcement, and the hidden economy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 203-224, January.
    3. Djankov, Simeon & Glaeser, Edward & La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei, 2003. "The new comparative economics," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 595-619, December.
    4. Andriana Vlachou & Georgios K. Christou, 1999. "Contemporary Economic Theory: Some Critical Issues," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Andriana Vlachou (ed.), Contemporary Economic Theory, chapter 1, pages 1-37, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Andrei Shleifer, 2005. "Understanding Regulation," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 11(4), pages 439-451, September.
    6. Martin Söderström & Roope Uusitalo, 2010. "School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from an Admission Reform," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 112(1), pages 55-76, March.
    7. Harvey, David, 2007. "A Brief History of Neoliberalism," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199283279.
    8. George J. Stigler, 1971. "The Theory of Economic Regulation," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 2(1), pages 3-21, Spring.
    9. Simeon Djankov & Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 2002. "The Regulation of Entry," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 1-37.
    10. Wolf, Charles, 1987. "Market and Non-Market Failures: Comparison and Assessment1," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 43-70, January.
    11. Sietske Waslander & Cissy Pater & Maartje van der Weide, 2010. "Markets in Education: An Analytical Review of Empirical Research on Market Mechanisms in Education," OECD Education Working Papers 52, OECD Publishing.
    12. Pal, Sarmistha & Kingdon, Geeta G., 2010. "Can Private School Growth Foster Universal Literacy? Panel Evidence from Indian Districts," IZA Discussion Papers 5274, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Richard Akresh & Emilie Bagby & Damien de Walque & Harounan Kazianga, 2012. "Child Ability and Household Human Capital Investment Decisions in Burkina Faso," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(1), pages 157-186.
    14. Quynh T. Nguyen & Dhushyanth Raju, 2015. "Private School Participation in Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 20(1), pages 1-46, Jan-June.
    15. Richard A. Posner, 1974. "Theories of Economic Regulation," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 5(2), pages 335-358, Autumn.
    16. Feldmann, Horst, 2009. "The unemployment effects of labor regulation around the world," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 76-90, March.
    17. Hsieh, Chang-Tai & Urquiola, Miguel, 2006. "The effects of generalized school choice on achievement and stratification: Evidence from Chile's voucher program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(8-9), pages 1477-1503, September.
    18. repec:ejw:journl:v:9:y:2012:i:3:p:186-209 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Chumacero, Romulo & Paredes, Ricardo, 2008. "Should for-profit schools be banned?," MPRA Paper 15099, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. R. H. Coase, 2013. "The Problem of Social Cost," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 837-877.
    21. Arrunada, Benito, 2007. "Pitfalls to avoid when measuring institutions: Is Doing Business damaging business?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 729-747, December.
    22. Guillermo E. Perry & William F. Maloney & Omar S. Arias & Pablo Fajnzylber & Andrew D. Mason & Jaime Saavedra-Chanduvi, 2007. "Informality : Exit and Exclusion," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6730, April.
    23. Cynthia Hill & David Welsch, 2009. "For-profit versus not-for-profit charter schools: an examination of Michigan student test scores," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 147-166.
    24. Rita Almeida & Pedro Carneiro, 2012. "Enforcement of Labor Regulation and Informality," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 64-89, July.
    25. Monazza Aslam, 2009. "The relative effectiveness of government and private schools in Pakistan: are girls worse off?," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 329-354.
    26. James, Estelle, 1987. "The public/private division of responsibility for education: An international comparison," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 1-14, February.
    27. Barbara Bruns & Deon Filmer & Harry Anthony Patrinos, 2011. "Making Schools Work : New Evidence on Accountability Reforms," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2270, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wen, Christine, 2020. "Educating rural migrant children in interior China: The promise and pitfall of low-fee private schools," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Sampson Agyapong Atuahene & XuSheng Qian & Thomas Ahoto Ahotovi, 2024. "Impact of psychological safety and inclusive leadership on online learning satisfaction: the role of organizational support," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Hunter, Benjamin M. & Murray, Susan F. & Marathe, Shweta & Chakravarthi, Indira, 2022. "Decentred regulation: The case of private healthcare in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    4. Joshi, Priyadarshani, 2019. "The growth, roles and needs of the private education system: Private stakeholder perspectives from Nepal," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 57-67.
    5. Sabarwal,Shwetlena & Sununtnasuk,Celeste & Ramachandran,Deepika, 2020. "Low-Cost Private Schools in Tanzania : A Descriptive Analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9360, The World Bank.
    6. Díaz-Ríos, Claudia & Urbano-Canal, Nathalia & Ortegón-Penagos, Nataly, 2021. "How do national regulations for publicly subsidized private schools work in a decentralized context?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    7. Härmä, Joanna, 2019. "Ensuring quality education? Low-fee private schools and government regulation in three sub-Saharan African capitals," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 139-146.
    8. David K. Evans & Amina Mendez Acosta, 2020. "Education in Africa: What Are We Learning?," Working Papers 542, Center for Global Development.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhuravskaya, Ekaterina & Yakovlev, Evgeny, 2007. "Deregulation of Business," CEPR Discussion Papers 6610, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Christensen, Hans B. & Liu, Lisa Yao & Maffett, Mark, 2020. "Proactive financial reporting enforcement and shareholder wealth," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2).
    3. Robert Bushman & Wayne Landsman, 2010. "The pros and cons of regulating corporate reporting: A critical review of the arguments," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 259-273.
    4. Diana W. Thomas & Michael D. Thomas, 2022. "Regulation, competition, and the social control of business," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 193(1), pages 109-125, October.
    5. Marine de Talance, 2017. "Quality Perceptions and School Choice in Rural Pakistan," Working Papers hal-01663029, HAL.
    6. Rok Spruk & Mitja Kovac, 2018. "Inefficient Growth," Review of Economics and Institutions, Università di Perugia, vol. 9(2).
    7. Timothy Besley & Torsten Persson, 2011. "Pillars of Prosperity: The Political Economics of Development Clusters," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9624.
    8. Buchen, Clemens, 2010. "Emerging economic systems in Central and Eastern Europe – a qualitative and quantitative assessment," EconStor Theses, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 37141.
    9. Djankov, Simeon & Ramalho, Rita, 2009. "Employment laws in developing countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 3-13, March.
    10. J. Rosser & Marina Rosser, 2008. "A critique of the new comparative economics," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 21(1), pages 81-97, March.
    11. Djankov, Simeon & Glaeser, Edward & La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei, 2003. "The new comparative economics," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 595-619, December.
    12. Erkko Autio & Kun Fu, 2015. "Economic and political institutions and entry into formal and informal entrepreneurship," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 67-94, March.
    13. do Prado, Thaline & Santos, Marcelo & Van Doornik, Bernardus, 2025. "Enforcing compliance with labor regulations and firm outcomes: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    14. Darcy W E Allen, 2020. "When Entrepreneurs Meet:The Collective Governance of New Ideas," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number q0269, March.
    15. David N Margolis, 2014. "By Choice and by Necessity: Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment in the Developing World," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 26(4), pages 419-436, September.
    16. Andrei Shleifer, 2010. "Efficient Regulation," NBER Chapters, in: Regulation vs. Litigation: Perspectives from Economics and Law, pages 27-43, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Lopez-Martin, Bernabe, 2019. "Informal Sector Misallocation," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(8), pages 3065-3098, December.
    18. Gutiérrez-Romero, Roxana, 2021. "Inequality, persistence of the informal economy, and club convergence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    19. Bosch, Mariano & Esteban-Pretel, Julen, 2012. "Job creation and job destruction in the presence of informal markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 270-286.
    20. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson, 2005. "Unbundling Institutions," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(5), pages 949-995, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:60:y:2018:i:c:p:100-112. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-educational-development .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.