Reaching the poor: the ‘costs’ of sending children to school: a six country comparative study

This comparative research study focuses on the main barriers to education for the poorest households in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. Although the study set out primarily to look at the burden of education costs on the poorest households, other barriers to education (e.g. physical access, quality of education, vulnerability/poverty, and health,) are also discussed. The study looks at what motivates parents to send their children to school (and keep them there) through their perceptions of the quality and value of education. It also presents the views of children.

The study shows that for all groups the costs (monetary and non-monetary) of education are a great burden on the households and act as a significant barrier to education. There are a plethora of charges associated with schooling (direct and indirect). Even where education is nominally free, charges at schools are often levied under another name – development funds, contributions etc.

One of the clearest threads running through the reports of all study countries is the strong sense that the poorest income groups are making very sophisticated choices about schooling their children. These choices are based on assessments of the quality of education available, value for money, and investment potential. There is a notable willingness amongst the poorest to pay (though ability is often limited or non-existent), and to make sacrifices for, what they perceive to be good quality education. Perceptions of quality varied between parents, teachers and children. While parents focused on teacher availability, pupils were most concerned by violence and sexual harassment in schools.

Gender inequality also acts as a considerable barrier to education in the countries studied, while in most locations parents claimed not to distinguish between the sexes of their children in whether they supported their schooling or not, their children had a different perception: both boys and girls noting that their parents were more supportive of boys. Other barriers include ill-health, notably the impacts of HIV/AIDS.

In conclusion, that authors state that the most significant issues raised in the study are the need for the voices of the poor and of the child to be heard and responded to, and for flexible systems to exist capable of being sensitive to widely differing local needs – but, without compromising standards of provision.

[Adapted from authors]