Public versus private : a case study of primary school education quality Gamba, Gabon

Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Ken Williams

Abstract

This case study attempts to compare the quality of public and private primary education provided in Gamba, Gabon, during the 2004-2005 academic year. Analyzing data collected through qualitative and quantitative research methods, this paper presents the opinions of various stakeholders (parents, teachers, school directors, and founders) regarding differences in the quality of education in Gamba's primary schools. The paper also demonstrates stakeholders' diverse definitions of "quality education" and its indicators. The education presently provided in Gamba's primary schools does not meet most stakeholders' expectations. Finally, this capstone explains that the recent proliferation of private primary schools in Gamba stems from a wide variety of motivations-civic duty, educational innovation, and profit. Thus, this paper aims to contribute to the larger discourse regarding private education trends in Gabon today by challenging long-held views on indicators of quality education. Teacher training, discipline, and availability of didactic materials are better indicators of quality education than class size or school building conditions. This capstone concludes that while public and private primary schools in Gamba require significant improvement to meet stakeholders' expectations, public primary school education is superior to that provided by private primary schools.

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