Director: Daniel C. Levy

Blurring of British Private and Public Schools

PROPHE Summary (by Yingying Xu):
In Britain, clear distinctions blur between public schools and once exclusive private schools. One reason is competition from new private schools that are more affordable and customer-focused. Another is a fresh government approach, allowing private schools to sponsor public education. New independent state schools financed by a mixture of public and private money have been established. Yet some private schools remain wary and many public sector supporters are horrified by the implications for spreading inequalities.

The original publication is "Untying independent schools," The Economist, Oct 16, 2003, reposted in the EDUCAR listserv (shown with permission. Inscription at www.educarchile.cl and there will soon be an archive of EDUCAR pieces at www.educarchile.cl/modulos/noticias/constructor/investigador.asp).

PROPHE Observation (by Daniel C. Levy):
Although this news feature does not deal with higher education, it calls attention to tendencies that in fact are common at that level worldwide. One is the blurring of prior private-public distinctions. Another is the bitter debate surrounding private gains, especially when seen by many to bring increased inequality and decreased effort at public quality. A third element is the involvement of religious institutions in management, at relatively low cost. Fourth is the related issue of tax breaks for private organizations that only some see as charitable and in the public interest. A fifth element is government's new interest in bringing the perceived benefits of private forms to a wider share of the population, through novel private-public mixes, rather than to remain indifferent or hostile to the private sector. And a sixth intriguing parallel with higher education trends is the surge of institutions focused on students and families as "consumers," which poses a threat not just to public but also to traditional private institutions.