Private, Private, Private

Monday, February 19, 2007

I read with interest over the weekend that a Singapore investment fund has decided to invest one hundred million dollars in education programmes in the developing world.Is this another publicity hungry, wealthy, opportunist lurching into the philanthropic space in order to gain a few cheap brownie points, column inches and after dinner gasps of admiration? On the face of it, it appears not. The Orient Global Foundation (OGF) has burst on the scene apparently from nowhere, with a fresh approach and a massive vote of confidence in the work of Professor James Tooley. Professor Tooley is an advocate of Private Education for the poor. He states in his research that in the developing world, state run schools are failing, often badly run, under funded and run down. Realising that education provides a potent pathway out of poverty, many parents in the developing world (China, India, Africa) have reacted by starting their own private schools. With meagre funds (as little as one dollar per month), schools are founded. They are well run, teachers are motivated and they deliver practical results.In working with the Orient Global Foundation, Professor Tooley will have ample opportunity (and funds) to apply his theories in real world circumstances.The author of this blog is a fan of Tooley and will watch with interest how this relationship develops, but for now, BRAVO OGF!Links:Orient Global Foundation: http://www.orientglobal.comJames Tooley: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/egwest/tooley.html