Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) - Volume 21 - Issue 1 - Justifications and Impacts of Low-Fee Private Schools in Kenya and Uganda

Oct 15, 2026

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Low-fee private schools (LFPS) have expanded in the developing world as public free primary education struggles to serve the poorest children. Focusing on Bridge International Academies (BIA), one of the largest LFPS chains, the study uses newspaper discourse from Kenya and Uganda and applies cultural political economy to variation, selection, and retention. Scholarship is reviewed for justifications and impacts, then discourse is examined for what it emphasizes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Overview and research purpose

Rationale for studying LFPS and BIA

Theoretical and policy context

Privatization and global education markets

Case focus and data approach

Media representations in Kenya and Uganda

Conceptual framework and analytical lens

Cultural political economy: variation, selection, retention

Definitions and growth of LFPS

Pricing, access, and enrollment trends

Reported findings direction

Presence of justifications vs limited emphasis on impacts

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) Volume 21, Issue 1, 2019 Justifications and Impacts of Low-Fee Private Schools in Kenya and Uganda: Understanding Policy Evolutionary Mechanisms through Public Discourse of Bridge International Academies Jeremy Monk Teachers College, Columbia University Low-fee private schools (LFPS) have grown considerably in the developing world as public free primary education has been unable to cater to the poorest children. Bridge International Academies (BIA), one of the largest chains of LFPS, has positioned itself asa solution to issues of access and quality of primary education. Using newspaper articles from Kenya and Uganda, this paper examines public discourse of BIA through the lens of cultural political economy, or how public discourse can influence variation, selection and retention regarding LFPS. After exploring scholarship to understand the justificationsand impacts of LFPS, this paper finds that justifications are present in public discourse while impacts are not. Therefore, public discourse has given voice and promoted the need for improvements, with LFPS as an option, but that discourse (and scholarship) has yet to emphasize LFPS as a real solution, due to inconclusive evidence and ongoing battles with governments. The privatization of education has become a growing global phenomenon, with a sharp increase in private actors entering education markets over the past two decades. The education sector is gaining large investments from private organizations, providing opportunities for immense profits on a global scale (Komljenovic & Robertson, 2017; Verger, Lubienski & Steiner-Khamsi, 2016) . While the global education industry is headquartered in the global north, the untapped and growing education markets of the developing world have led to greater investments in education in the global south (Robertson, Mundy, Verger & Menashy, 2012) . The World Bank’s policy advocacy for education privatization since the early 2000s has created an environment in which governments, aid agencies and the private sector see education privatization in the developing world as sound economic and education policy and a good investment. The World Bank’s philosophical lead has led to an unprecedented growth in education privatization in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, leading to more, and larger, investments from a range of actors (Mundy & Menashy, 2014). One area of education privatization which has received greater attention recently are lowfee private schools (LFPS). The purpose of this paper is to examine how one of the largest and most controversial chains of LFPS in East Africa is represented in public discourse and how their representations in media may help or hinder policy evolutionary mechanisms concerning education privatization. This paper differs from research exploring legal, educational achievement and human rights issues concerning LFPS and is instead grounded in the public discourse of these schools, or how these schools are represented and perceived in an important communication medium. © 2019, Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Current Issues in Comparative Education 21(1), 35-53. Justifications and Impacts of Low-Fee Private Schools in Kenya and Uganda LFPS are understood as schools owned by individuals, groups or companies which offer their services to children for a small fee, either paid directly by parents or by a third party, for the purpose of making a profit (Srivastava, 2013; Phillipson, 2008) . The fee differs depending on the country and the provider but is vaguely calculated as the price-point deemed affordable for those living in poverty (Riep & Machachek, 2016; Verger, 2012) . The realization that the quality of public primary education was subpar and that not all children had access to public schools, even following the push for universal primary education, has led to a rapid increase

FAQs

What is the main research purpose of the paper?

To examine how Bridge International Academies and low-fee private schools are represented in public discourse in Kenya and Uganda, and how those representations may support or hinder policy evolutionary mechanisms around education privatization.

Which data source and countries are used to study public discourse?

The paper uses newspaper articles from Kenya and Uganda, focusing on one prominent newspaper from each country.

How does the paper evaluate the relationship between justifications and impacts?

After reviewing scholarship on LFPS, it finds that justifications appear in public discourse, while impacts are not emphasized in the same way.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by nayy☆