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Forum: Private or Public schools?
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A number of African governments have slashed subsidies for public education, as well as reducing intake, forcing parents to
send their children to private schools.
Is public education in your country in crisis and if so, can you afford to send your children to private schools? Should your government be doing more to educate your children? Is private education in Africa really preferable to public education? Join the Focus Forum To take part in the debate simply fill in the form on the right. A selection of your comments will appear below.
The worst mistake any parent can make in Africa today is to send his child to government-run schools. Considering the crucial role education plays in the life of an individual, children who attend public schools have already been given a setback even before they become adults and odds are that that child will not make it to the level his mates from the private institutions will attain. Sena Nani, Ayanfuri, Ghana: In Ghana the future prospects of pupils in private schools are worth the cost. Besides, you cannot prepare an omelet without breaking some eggs so it is with education. You cannot give your child the best of education by enrolling him/her in a public school where Fridays have virtually become holidays and more seriousness is attached to outdoor activities than academic work. Julius Caesar Anadem, Takoradi, Ghana: Well I think personally I would opt for private schools, because there is more supervision that goes a long way to check efficiency and quality. The public schools are what I term 'mass production' and the private schools I call 'customized production' Yakubu Umar, Kano, Nigeria: You have no alternative other than sending your child to private school if you don't want to cheat your child, and give them a quality education. But, this is not how it is supposed to be. What about the millions of people in the country, perhaps they do not deserve to be educated at all? Justin Okello, Abbotsford, Canada: There was a time when public schools were admirable but today, when education has been eroded by people who do not value the future of the African continent, it is better to send your child to a private school Mohammed Konneh, Monrovia, Liberia: Both private and public schools educate individuals but it is all about prestige and being able to boast that someone has graduated from private education. This gives people an advantange in term of recommendation in Liberia, so I prefer public schools
Augustine Kullie, Monrovia, Liberia: The condition under which public schools, especially those of primary levels are operating in my country is deplorable. When I see how public primary schools are operating in rural counties like Bong I want to study law, after finishing my first degree, to get into educational advocacy. The government of Liberia needs to rethink its policies on public schools and education Tapiwa Tasokwa, Blantyre, Malawi: Somehow education in my country is a crisis. We have Government schools yes, but the conditions of the schools are not condusive for our children as there is poor sanitation, overcrowding and few trained teachers. Due to overcrowding, teachers are unable to meet the demand therefore our children do not get the best of what they are supposed to learn. Government should train more teachers and make sure there is good sanitation in schools. Though private education is preferred, it is not everyone who can afford such education. Tuition fees are high and at times the quality of education in some private schools is not up to standard. Some schools do not have qualified teachers, hence our children do not get what they really need to learn in certain areas. Some private institutions are after making money, they are not mindful of the quality of education they offer. This ultimately gives poor results in schools and it is parents who spend more in the end to have their children get better education
Laura Golakeh, Paynesville, Liberia: Attending a public school in my country is like drinking a cup of tea without sugar. It is just meaningless because you might never learn a thing. Although private schools are expensive they are the best. Just as the saying goes, anyone who thinks education is expensive should try ignorance Paul Mark Luceni, Dublin, Ireland: I am from Africa but live in Ireland for the moment. I think public education over the last 50 years has been excellent, especially back in my country Sierra Leone. But because of corruption, which is not only in Africa; teachers are not well paid. There is a big gap between the pupils and teachers of public schools and private schools. There is lawlessness in public schools, especially on the part of the pupils. In private schools, there is total control over the pupils behaviour. Because of these reasons, I prefer private schools for now until discipline is restored in public schools William Kokulo, Monrovia, Liberia: Here in Liberia private schools are preferable to what we call government schools because the number of students in a classroom is limited to 45, which creates good learning conditions for students and teachers. It is very disappointing that ninety percent of the country's population cannot afford to send their children to private schools and have to divert their dream to send their children to government schools, which have over a hundred and seventy students in a classroom because of the free and compulsory education introduced by the Liberian government. Government must also put in some systematic steps to improve the learning condition in government schools. Remember, anything that is not done properly is not done all
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The government of Liberia needs to rethink its policies on public schools and education 
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