....Can't Expand Low-Cost Schooling

Ghana Government is "bollowing and blowing" huge amount of monies from all over the world but unfortunately not in the capacity to expand low-cost schooling for his People. The U.K. Company, Pearson, who is helping to operate nurseries and elementary schools in Ghana has provided low-cost schooling to about 20,000 children in the country.

The U.K. education and media company Pearson is expanding its private-school business aimed at developing countries, planning to open 30-50 junior high schools in some Asian and African including Ghana, where the government is doing Little in Education by 2015.

The schools in countries like Ghana, typically charge several dollars in monthly tuition in countries where many families cannot afford the cost of other types of schools. The hope is that Pearson's expertise in running schools will improve the quality of education in developing countries in Asia and Africa, aiding the fight against non-quality and high-cost of Education so as poverty.

Pearson specialises in the development of educational materials. It is also a major media company and owns U.K. business news publisher Financial Times Group. Local businesses and nongovernmental organisations in some developing countries like Ghana often operate schools where the public school system is underdeveloped, it is however rare for a large multinational such as Pearson to enter these markets.

The U.K. Company is assisting to operate nurseries and elementary schools in Ghana and some Asian countries like India, and is gearing up to expand into other parts of Asia and Africa.

In Ghana, the company is involved in managing 40 schools in and around the capital of Accra, where it has taught about 20,000 students so far. In addition to basic subjects such as languages and math, it offers courses on topics such as leadership.

In many developing countries, where they do not charge tuition for public schooling, other fees, such as for textbooks and meals, can be prohibitively expensive for many families.

According to Pearson(UK) executive Michael Barber, Pearson holds down costs by operating networks of schools and standardising facilities. This allows it to hold costs down to several dollars a month, including textbook fees, which is about half the cost parents incur when sending their children to public Schools.

Pearson schools also let parents pay tuition by the day to ease the financial burden of educating their kids. And the schools have flexible operating hours to allow children to help their parents out in the fields during harvest or any crucial time.

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg - Germany)..