IPPA Nigeria & AfricanRoundtable.org Invites You to a Luncheon Roundtable on-  Qualitative Education: Lessons from India. The forum will feature Dr. Parth J Shah, President, Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi, India (www.ccs.in; http://www.schoolchoice.in/) and be moderated by Mr. Thompson Ayodele, Executive Director, IPPA Nigeria

Date: Thursday June 26, 2008

Time: 11:00am-1.30pm, with Lunch to follow

Venue: IPPA Main office, 9A Adekunle Odunlami Street  Ilupeju, Lagos

Since independence, Nigeria has tried various approaches to improve school enrolment and quality of education received. The debate has largely centered on how government should spend more money to increase the quality of education. But increased public funding has not translated into qualitative education.

Faced with this reality, a lot of parents particularly the poor who want education that best equips their children for the challenges of the 21^st Century are voting against free public funded schools preferring private fee paying schools. In the process, two brands of education systems have been created: those who can afford fees go to private schools and those that cannot go to free public schools.

Ironically, many of these private schools that serve poor communities are unrecognized. A former education minister referred to these schools as "illegal." They are harassed and shut down for not complying with regulations. Private schools are vital to the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The challenge is not how much money the government has spent on education but how the money is spent. There is need to critically analyse the age-old solutions and explore innovative ideas including school vouchers, deregulation and decentralization of curriculum, examinations and textbooks.

Education should be competitive like any other product with alternatives and options for parents and pupils. What should policymakers do to get this end view? Should government fund students directly or fund government schools?

This event is free but STRICTLY by invitation. To reserve a place, please contact  michael@ippanigeria.org or call 01-791-0959 or 080 5670 6884.

Thompson Ayodele

Director, Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA)

P.O.Box 6434

Shomolu,Lagos

Nigeria

Email:thompson@ippanigeria.org

Backup: thompsondele@onebox.com

Website: www.ippanigeria.org

Tel:01-791-0959

Cell:080 2302 5079