Podcast appearances and mentions of James Tooley

In a special episode of the Curious Task, Matt sits down with James Tooley and Robyn Mulcahy at Blueberry Creek Forest School and Nature Centre to discuss the benefits of private education, outdoor education programs including forest schools and the history of approaches around the globe that strive to offer students a more well-rounded alternative to government schools.  References: James' profile at the University of Buckingham: https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/directory/professor-james-tooley/  Robyn's bio on re-cognition: https://re-cognition.ca/portfolio-item/educators/  Blueberry Creek Nature Centre: https://re-cognition.ca/home-page/blueberry-creek-forest-and-nature-centre/  James' Book “The Beautiful Tree”: https://a.co/d/9SbGCMp    Thanks to Our Patrons Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask 

We were already editing this episode when the L.A. fires broke out on January 7, 2025. In fact, our editor Dean Grinsfelder had to evacuate as the flames moved in. So did my 91-year-old dad, and so did my co-producer James Tooley's parents and brothers and their families; one of those brothers saw his house burn to the ground. All of which is to say, I guess, that podcasts, though they live in the ether, don't exist in a vacuum, and neither do we. We're all connected. And so, while those impacted by the LA fires regroup and recover, we want to share an important story – recorded live at the 2024 Conference – about another, eerily similar and catastrophic fire that was the centerpiece of journalist John Vaillant's award-winning book Fire Weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Effective Giving Podcast, Lane interviews Professor James Tooley, Vice Chancellor at the University of Buckingham. Professor Tooley shares his extensive experience and research on low-cost private education in various parts of the world, including India, Nigeria, and Somalia. He discusses the surprising ubiquity, sustainability, and quality of these schools that serve some of the poorest communities globally. The conversation also touches upon the challenges these schools face, including regulatory issues and the need for appropriate capital. Professor Tooley provides insights into best practices for supporting these schools and announces his ongoing research on similar educational movements in the United States, highlighting a global trend in private education solutions.

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James Tooley shows how the world's poorest people educate their children without government.Today's Book: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education, by James Tooley

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 3/4: Back to good schools: 3/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  .by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1/4: Back to good schools: 1/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  .by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 4/4: Back to good schools: 4/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  .by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 2/4: Back to good schools: 2/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  .by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.

We're taking a break this week, but in the meantime, enjoy this treasure from the Free Thoughts vault where Trevor explains the “Statrix”, how government warps our perception of the world around us, and how it disproportionately affects the poor.Trevor mentions the recent spate of track problems and fires that have been plaguing Washington D.C.‘s metro system, which led to the creation of this website, ismetroonfire.com. He also explains this song by the Kingston Trio, which was meant to a protest fare increases on Boston's public subway system.Here's a series of articles by Megan McArdle on Washington D.C.‘s streetcar project, written in 2009, 2014, and 2015 (the project was originally slated to be completed in 2006 and is still not fully rolled out today, in 2016). Trevor also mentions our podcast episode with Randal O'Toole, “Transportation, Land Use, and Freedom,” James Tooley's book “The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People are Educating Themselves,” and NeuCare, a new way to think about medical care. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

John is joined by Professor James Tooley, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Buckingham, for an insightful conversation about the role of education in the modern age, the relationship between parental and government oversight in education systems, the differences between public and private education, ideological uniformity in universities and more.

Our real heroes are often backstage. Montek Singh Ahluwalia joins Amit Varma in episode 285 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, his learnings and the liberalisation of 1991. Also check out: 1. Backstage: The Story behind India's High Growth Years -- Montek Singh Ahluwalia. 2. Breaking Through: A Memoir -- Isher Judge Ahluwalia. 3. The M Document -- Montek Singh Ahluwalia's legendary note from 1990. 4. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms — Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah). 5. The Forgotten Greatness of PV Narasimha Rao -- Episode 283 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati). 6. Public Choice Theory -- Episode 121 of The Seen and the Unseen. 7. Principles of Economics -- Alfred Marshall. 8. Alexandre Dumas on Amazon. 9. Gurbani and Heer Ranjha. 10. The Life and Times of Abhinandan Sekhri -- Episode 254 of The Seen and the Unseen. 11. India's Problem is Poverty, Not Inequality — Amit Varma. 12. On Inequality — Harry Frankfurt. 13. The Cantillon Effect: Because of Inflation, We're Financing the Financiers -- Jessica Schultz. 14. Population Is Not a Problem, but Our Greatest Strength -- Amit Varma. 15. State Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century — Francis Fukuyama. 16. The Origins of Political Order — Francis Fukuyama. 17. Political Order and Political Decay — Francis Fukuyama. 18. James Buchanan on Amazon. 19. Jawaharlal Nehru's speech about our "tryst with destiny." 20. Fixing Indian Education — Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan). 21. Education in India — Episode 77 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Amit Chandra). 22. Fund Schooling, Not Schools (2007) — Amit Varma. 23. Our Unlucky Children (2008) — Amit Varma. 24. The Beautiful Tree — James Tooley. 25. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Ajay Shah: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 26. In Service of the Republic — Vijay Kelkar & Ajay Shah. 27. The Business of Winning Elections -- Episode 247 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shivam Shankar Singh). 28. Most of Amit Varma's writing on DeMon, collected in one Twitter thread. 29. Narendra Modi Takes a Great Leap Backwards — Amit Varma 30. Minoo Masani, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Hugh Trevor-Roper, Isaiah Berlin, John Hicks and Ian Little. 31. Spontaneous Order. 32. The Evolution of Everything -- Episode 96 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Matt Ridley). 33. Jagdish Bhagwati and Padma Desai on Amazon. 34. Elite Imitation in Public Policy -- Episode 180 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok). 35. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 36.  The Life and Times of Mrinal Pande -- Episode 263 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Mrinal Pande). 37. Beware of the Useful Idiots -- Amit Varma. 38. The Lost Decade — Puja Mehra. 39. India's Lost Decade — Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra). 40. Managing Climate Change: A Strategy for India -- Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Utkarsh Patel. 41. Mahabharata. 42. Ingmar Bergman, Vittorio de Sica, Federico Fellini and Roman Polanski. 43. Amit Varma's tweet on velociraptors and turkeys. 44. The James Bond films. Check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! The illustration for this episode is by Nishant Jain aka Sneaky Artist. Check out his work on Twitter, Instagram and Substack.

He's been an academic who's studied the country, and a businessman who's created wealth and jobs. Now he wants to help India achieve its potential. Naushad Forbes joins Amit Varma in episode 282 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life and learnings -- and the roadmap that can help India lift its citizens. Also check out: 1. The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential -- Naushad Forbes. 2. Ram Guha Reflects on His Life -- Episode 266 of The Seen and the Unseen. 3. Aakar Patel Is Full of Hope -- Episode 270 of The Seen and the Unseen. 4. PG Wodehouse on Amazon. 5. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms -- Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah). 6. Elite Imitation in Public Policy -- Episode 180 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok). 7. The Great Redistribution -- Amit Varma. 8. Early Indians — Tony Joseph. 9. Tony Joseph's episode of The Seen and the Unseen. 10. Who We Are and How We Got Here — David Reich. 11. Two-and-a-Half Bengalis Have an Economics Adda -- Episode 274 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswaro Sengupta and Shrayana Bhattacharya). 12. India's Problem is Poverty, Not Inequality — Amit Varma. 13. On Inequality — Harry Frankfurt. 14. Our Unlucky Children (2008) — Amit Varma. 15. Fund Schooling, Not Schools (2007) — Amit Varma. 16. The Beautiful Tree -- James Tooley. 17. Fixing Indian Education -- Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan). 18. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman -- Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 19. Black Beauty -- Anne Sewell. 20. Enid Blyton and Gerald Durrell on Amazon. 21. Leave it to Psmith -- PG Wodehouse. 22. Survival In Auschwitz -- Primo Levi. 23. Homage to Catalonia -- George Orwell. 24. Steven Van Zandt: Springsteen, the death of rock and Van Morrison on Covid — Richard Purden. 25. Marginal Revolution. 26. Econ Talk — Russ Roberts's podcast. 27. Conversations With Tyler — Tyler Cowen's podcast. 28. Deirdre McCloskey on Amazon. 29. Manmohan Singh's budget speech on July 24, 1991. 30. Government's End: Why Washington Stopped Working -- Jonathan Rauch. 31. The oddest entry in Business Week's 2009 list of the 50 Most Powerful People in India. 32. India's Lost Decade — Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra). 33. The Lost Decade — Puja Mehra. 34. State Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century -- Francis Fukuyama. 35. The Origins of Political Order -- Francis Fukuyama. 36. Political Order and Political Decay -- Francis Fukuyama. 37. James Buchanan on Amazon. 38. Public Choice Theory -- Episode 121 of The Seen and the Unseen. 39. Public Choice: A Primer — Eomonn Butler. 40. Wonder Woman, the God of War and Public Choice Economics -- Amit Varma and Kumar Anand. 41. Narendra Shenoy and Mr Narendra Shenoy -- Episode 250 of The Seen and the Unseen. 42. The Tragedy of Our Farm Bills -- Episode 211 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah). 43. Why Children Labour (2007) -- Amit Varma. 44. Becoming Modern -- Alex Inkeles and David H Smith. 45. The Overton Window. 46. Exit, Voice, and Loyalty — Albert O Hirschman. 47. India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy -- Ramachandra Guha. 48. Wealth And Poverty Of Nations -- David S Landes. 49. The Uncommon Reader -- Alan Bennett. 50. On Liberty -- John Stuart Mill. 51. Patriots and Partisans -- Ramachandra Guha. 52. Democrats and Dissenters -- Ramachandra Guha. 53. 1984 -- George Orwell. 54. The Passions and the Interests: Political Arguments for Capitalism before Its Triumph -- Albert O Hirschman. 55. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin on Spotify. 56. Brahms: Second Piano Concerto in B Flat. 57. Beethoven: The Piano Concertos. 58. Beethoven: Symphonies 1 to 9. 59. Schubert: Impromptus. 60. The Philadelphia Story -- George Cukor. 61. Casablanca -- Michael Curtiz. Check out Amit's online courses, The Art of Clear Writing and The Art of Podcasting. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! The illustration for this episode is by Nishant Jain aka Sneaky Artist. Check out his work on Twitter, Instagram and Substack.

Photo:   Group of Girls of a Music School - Mysore, c1890 @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.   ..

About the book:  Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them? Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan. And there, in places where education "experts" fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist. Why? Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than "free" government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ¦ What proportion of poor children is served? ¦ How good are the private schools? ¦ What are the business models for these schools? ¦ And can they be replicated and improved? The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation. Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:  Chanpatia- Boys's school, India, 1914              Tinted lantern slide showing the school for boys run by Regions Beyond Missionary Union in Chanpatia, Bihar, India. The school is a thatched building with a tiled roof, and boys sit on benches and stand on the grassland immediately in front of the school. Chanpatia was opened up as a mission district by Regions Beyond Missionary Union in 1905.  ..  ..  ..   @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Professor James Tooley is a professor of educational entrepreneurship and education policy at the University of Buckingham and the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham. ---- Guest Links ----- https://twitter.com/james_tooley https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-tooley-320a8410/?originalSubdomain=uk https://www.jamestooley.org/ https://www.amazon.com/James-Tooley/e/B001HPGPTM%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share WorldView is a media company that delivers in-depth conversations, debates, round-table discussions, and general entertainment. Most of our content will be focused on news and politics, centered on South Africa. But the rest will be chats with figures around the world and from all walks of life to create a package that will inevitably broaden your WorldView. ---- Links ----- https://twitter.com/Broadworldview https://web.facebook.com/BroadWorldView https://anchor.fm/broadworldview You can donate at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=461365... Music: https://www.bensound.com​​​​​

Photo:  @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG 1/4   Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:  @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG 2/4   Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:  @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG 4/4     Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:   SER-Niños Charter School, a charter school in the Gulfton area of Houston, Texas CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: The Browning school near Dublin, Georgia. CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: View of Timbuktu, Heinrich Barth (1858).  In its Golden Age, Timbuktu's numerous Islamic scholars and extensive trading network made possible an important book trade: together with the campuses of the Sankore Madrasah, an Islamic university, this established Timbuktu as a scholarly centre in Africa. Several notable historic writers, such as Shabeni and Leo Africanus, have described Timbuktu. [In fact, for centuries TImbuktu was a world center of scholarship.  Only recently, during the Malian civil war, have the magnificent libraries been raided and partly burned by Tuareg using radical Islam as an excuse for territorial expansion. A thrilling and literate book on this is the oddly-named, The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu : And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts, by Joshua Hammer. --ed.] CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley  “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:   Eagle School, Old Eagle School Road (State Route 543) (Tredyffrin Township), Strafford, Chester County, PA CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:  Group of Girls of a Music School - Mysore, India  c1890 CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo:  Early illustration— AN EDUCATOR "In learning," proudly said the birch,  "I've long l=played quite a part: Whenever little boys are dull, Why, I can can make 'em smart!" *This is the birch rod, regularly used to beat wayward children. "Only if the recipient was a small child could he or she practicably be punished over the knee of the applicant. Otherwise the child would be bent over an object such as a chair. For judicial punishments the recipient could even be tied down if likely to move about too much or attempt to escape." CBS Eyes on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow  James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. LXX. GLXXG Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education –  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.      

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. CBS Eyes on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

A good education can provide a pathway out of poverty, but how do we improve the quality of schooling in poor countries? One solution is to enable low-fee private schools to flourish. In this episode of the 'Solutions With David Ansara' podcast, I speak with Prof. James Tooley, Vice Chancellor at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom, and author of several books on education in the developing world. Prof. Tooley and I discuss: - Why parents in poor countries tend to prefer low-cost private schools to free public schools. - Why international aid agencies are reluctant to acknowledge the role of private schooling in development. - How teacher's unions undermine accountability and quality in public schools. - Whether low-fee private schools provide a sufficiently high standard of education. - The effectiveness of voucher-based systems. - How private schools help young girls to be better educated. - The potential for disruption in higher education. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Intro (0:29) The importance of low-fee private schools in the developing world (3:00) Private vs. public schools in poor countries (4:56) Do low-fee private schools have lower standards? (6:58) The state-centric bias in international development (12:36) The politics of education (18:08) The business of education (21:48) Is standardised testing desirable? (25:55) Voucher systems (35:15) Civic education (38:25) The benefits for young girls (42:11) Alternative models of higher education (47:05) Conclusion RESOURCES 'Really Good Schools' by James Tooley (2021) 'A Beautiful Tree' by James Tooley (2013) VIDEO WATCH this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/c9mU1vOU4RM

Photo:.Burning of the 'Tin School' January 5, 1945 This photo in the Bolton Family album shows the fire on January 5th, 1945.. This school came to a sad end when it burned to the ground on Jan. 5 1945. The fire was caused by a torch used to thaw frozen water pipes. Within three days classes commenced in the community hall across the road.'. CBS Eyes on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way

In Special Episode 2, Matt Bufton pointed to The Curious Task Episode 77 with James Tooley as one of his favourites. If you haven't had a chance to listen to it before, we hope you find it interesting. If you have, enjoy its re-release!

Photo: After moving to Worcester, MA, the Kelleys sent their daughters to the best private girls' schools in Worcester, where Abby proved to be a top student. No high school for girls was available in the city, so Abby attended the New England Friends Boarding School, now called the Moses Brown School, in Providence, RI. This co-educational school was the highest form of education available for middle class girls. However, classrooms and the playground were segregated by gender. While boys learned to become merchants, doctors, and professors, the girls were taught to become teachers at less prestigious schools.. CBS Eyes on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow GX James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021. GXX. Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way

Photo: Boston Latin School. Permissions: see below CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow James Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way ..  ..  ..  Permissins: Boston Latin School - Exterior View 4, Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA. School building photographs circa 1920-1960 (Collection # 0403.002), City of Boston Archives.   25 April 2011 Source | https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/5653244453/ Author | Boston Latin School

Photo: No known restrictions on publication.CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowJames Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddlingwith rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way

Photo: Eastern High School, Washington, D.C.: Good Fellows club .CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowJames Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education —  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way...

Photo: Berea College students present quilt, 6/3/26.CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowJames Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author) “James Tooley has taken his argument about the transformative power of low-cost private education to a new and revelatory level in Really Good Schools. This is a bold and inspiring manifesto for a global revolution in education.” —Niall C. Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Almost overnight a virus has brought into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system—and prompted an urgent search for alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?  Enter James Tooley's Really Good Schools. A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

James Tooley joins us to discuss his recent book, "Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education." We discuss school choice, school shutdowns and more. For more information, visit www.edchoice.org.

Photo: High School Building, Abilene, Texas.CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowJames Tooley #Unbound: the complete, forty-minute interview. May 14, 2021.  Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education -  Hardcover – April 12, 2021.by James Tooley (Author)

Photo: Education.   Claude Gillot (French, Langres 1673–1722 Paris)CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@Batchelorshow1/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education.  Hardcover – April 12, 2021 by James Tooley   https://www.amazon.com/Really-Good-Schools-High-Caliber-Education/dp/1598133381/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1621647673&refinements=p_27%3AJames+Tooley&s=books&sr=1-1A distinguished scholar of education and the world’s foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world’s most impoverished communities located in some of the world’s most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: Certificate.CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@Batchelorshow2/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education.  Hardcover – April 12, 2021 by James Tooley https://www.amazon.com/Really-Good-Schools-High-Caliber-Education/dp/1598133381/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1621647673&refinements=p_27%3AJames+Tooley&s=books&sr=1-1A distinguished scholar of education and the world’s foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world’s most impoverished communities located in some of the world’s most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: The teaching Confucius. Portrait by Wu Daozi, 685-758, Tang Dynasty..CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@Batchelorshow4/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education.  Hardcover – April 12, 2021 by James Tooley https://www.amazon.com/Really-Good-Schools-High-Caliber-Education/dp/1598133381/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1621647673&refinements=p_27%3AJames+Tooley&s=books&sr=1-1A distinguished scholar of education and the world’s foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world’s most impoverished communities located in some of the world’s most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

Photo: Boys's school inSfax, Tunisia.CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@Batchelorshow3/4: Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education.  Hardcover – April 12, 2021 by James Tooley https://www.amazon.com/Really-Good-Schools-High-Caliber-Education/dp/1598133381/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1621647673&refinements=p_27%3AJames+Tooley&s=books&sr=1-1A distinguished scholar of education and the world’s foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, Tooley takes readers to some of the world’s most impoverished communities located in some of the world’s most dangerous places—including such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.  And there, in places where education “experts” fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government, multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.  Why?  Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K., and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist. But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing—often enrolling far more students than “free” government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families. In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: ■ What proportion of poor children is served? ■ How good are the private schools?  ■ What are the business models for these schools?  ■ And can they be replicated and improved?  The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost. Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed possible—and likely far better—without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars, absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom, parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.  Thankfully, they have Really Good Schools to show the way.

A professor at the University of Buckingham, James Tooley, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Tooley's new book, Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education, and the success of some low-cost, effective private schools in the developing world. Peterson reviewed Really Good Schools for Education Next, in "To Critics of The Beautiful Tree, a Pearl of a Reply." https://www.educationnext.org/to-critics-of-the-beautiful-tree-pearl-of-reply-review-really-good-schools-tooley/ Tooley profiled low-cost private schools in the Fall 2005 issue of Education Next, in "Private Schools for the Poor." https://www.educationnext.org/privateschoolsforthepoor/

Alex Aragona speaks with James Tooley as he retells some of his experiences discovering quality private education solutions in poorer communities, and how they compared to the government's offerings.

James Tooley is a specialist in private education. One day, on a work trip to India, he was frustrated that his position seemed to only allow him to help the rich, and not those who were most in need. So he decided to take a walk around the local slum. What did he find? Private schools. A *lot* of private schools! All affordable, run for and by those living in the slums. As he investigated further, he found that such low-cost private schools abound in the slums and villages of India. Later he went on to Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, and found exactly the same thing. He even found some in China. How can it be that there are private schools for the poor? Why aren't they attending the free government schools? Are these places actually any good? What is the government's response? Governments and NGOs responded with either dismissal or contempt, saying that the schools were insignificant in number and enrollment, or that they were exploiting poor families and providing low-quality education. What James Tooley found was quite different. It was the government schools that were failing, and the people were exercising their free choice to send their children to the private schools, which were significantly better. The Beautiful Tree documents Tooley's personal adventure through the world of private schools for the poor; his struggles with government bureaucrats, both well-meaning and corrupt; and his encounters with parents, children, and teachers doing what they can for themselves and each other. He explains his research about the economics and pedagogy of these schools, and explores the little-known history of private schooling in India, and how it has affected instruction in places as far away an the UK and South America. This is the first book about economics of education on the podcast, and as such it is difficult for me to add much commentary or be very critical. But Tooley provides ample evidence (as well as sharing many personal experiences) about the structure of the education sector in developing countries, and writes in a balanced way that makes him seem trustworthy. In future, I intend to get more into economics of education, as I now see it as one of the key elements in coming to understand the nature of education as a whole. Enjoy the episode.

It is a humanitarian and moral failure that 73 years after Independence, our education system remains broken. We have failed our children through all this time. Karthik Muralidharan joins Amit Varma in episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his insights from years of research on the ground. We can fix this. Is the NEP part of the solution?   Also check out: 1. Karthik Muralidharan's bio at UCSD. 2. Walking the Talk -- Inga Kiderra's profile of Karthik Muralidharan. 3. Reforming the Indian School Education System -- Karthik Muralidharan's chapter from What the Economy Needs Now. 4. The State and the Market in Education Provision -- Karthik Muralidharan. 5. Karthik Muralidharan interview by Pranav Kothari for EI Dialogues. 6. Charting a Course for the Indian Economy -- Karthik Muralidharan in conversation with Arvind Subramanian. 7. Karthik Muralidharan's archived research and articles. 8. Education in India -- Episode 77 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Amit Chandra). 9. The Profit Motive in Education -- Episode 9 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Parth Shah). 10. The Right to Education Act -- Episode 19 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 11. Our Unlucky Children (2008) -- Amit Varma. 12. Fund Schooling, Not Schools (2007) -- Amit Varma. 13. A Prize for Evidence-Based Policy -- Karthik Muralidharan. 14. Why Abhijit Banerjee Had to Go Abroad to Achieve Glory -- Amit Varma. 15. Poverty and Famines -- Amartya Sen. 16. India’s Problem is Poverty, Not Inequality -- Amit Varma. 17. On Inequality -- Harry Frankfurt. 18. A Theory of Justice -- John Rawls. 19. Anarchy, State and Utopia -- Robert Nozick. 20. Arguments for Liberty -- Aaron Ross Powell and Grant Babcock. 21. Saving Capitalism From the Capitalists -- Raghuram Rajan. 22. Out-Arnabing Arnab -- Episode 8 of Econ Central. 23. Parkinson's Law -- Cyril Northkote Parkinson. 24. Myths of Official Measurement -- Abhijeet Singh. 25. Centrally Sponsored Government Schemes -- Episode 17 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pranay Kotasthane). 26. The Aggregate Effect of School Choice -- Karthik Muralidharan and Venkatesh Sundararaman. 27. The Private Schooling Phenomenon in India: A Review -- Geeta G Kingdon. 28. Extending access to low-cost private schools through vouchers: an alternative interpretation -- James Tooley. Also, do check out Amit's writing course, The Art of Clear Writing.

Is the UK's education system in need of dire reform?   The IEA's Academic and Research Director Professor Syed Kamall is joined by IEA Head of Education Dr Stephen Davies and Professor James Tooley, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham.   Together they discuss recent attempts at education reform, low cost private schooling - both in the UK and abroad - and ask what more can be done to improve standards.   In 1998 the IEA published James Tooley's book 'Education Without the State' which is available here.

James Tooley is consultant neonatologist in Bristol. We gave him the task of bringing us a little more up-to-date with the neonatal literature.

James Tooley is Professor of Educational Entrepreneurship and Policy at the University of Buckinghamshire. His research work and other activities mostly focus on low-cost private schools, which he has come to see as one of the most powerful contributors to making high-quality education accessible to the poor in developing countries. In this conversation, we discuss how such schools work, why they are often overlooked in the development discourse, and how they can make a contribution. We also briefly explore James' general beliefs regarding the value of private schools that are independent of the state, and his attempts to make private education more accessible in the UK. As always, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions for guests, I'd be happy to hear from you. Email me at lukas.wallrich@empower-training.de Further reading If you want to learn more about James' work and research, I would suggest starting with his engaging book The Beautiful Tree in which he shares his journey and his key lessons learned.If you want to look further at the research, James suggested the following articles: - Tooley & Longfield (2016) Affordability of private schools: exploration of a conundrum and towards a definition of ‘low-cost’ - Muralidharan & Sundararaman (2015) report on the Andra Pradesh voucher experiment (https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/130/3/1011/1931887) and James Tooley's alternative interpretation of the results that suggests that low-cost private schools perform better than reported initially - Kremer et al (2005) on the shockingly high rates of teacher absenteeism in Indian government schoolsIf you are interested in the realities of James' work in India, "Imprisoned in India"[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Imprisoned-India-Corruption-Extortion-Democracy/dp/178590101X] is also worth reading. The book tells the story of this imprisonment in Hyderabad after he had angered authorities with his work on the failings of state education and the presence of corruption and highlights the value of the rule of law we often take for granted.Theme music from https://filmmusic.io: "Zigzag" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

To learn more about James Tooley private schools initiatives go to: https://www.jamestooley.org/Like what you hear? Become a sponsor member, get exclusive content and support the creation of more videos like this at https://www.yaronbrookshow.com/support/, Subscribestar https://www.subscribestar.com/yaronbr... or direct through PayPal: paypal.me/YaronBrookShow. #Education #BeautifulTree #PrivatizationWant more? Tune in to the Yaron Brook Show on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/ybrook). Continue the discussions anywhere on-line after show time using #YaronBrookShow. Connect with Yaron via Tweet @YaronBrook or follow him on Facebook @ybrook and YouTube (/YaronBrook).Want to learn more about Objectivism? Check out ARI at https://ari.aynrand.org

I sat down with James Tooley, professor of education entrepreneurship and policy at the University of Buckingham, and the Co-Founder and Chairman of Omega Schools. We had an insightful conversation on low-cost private schools; exploring the current design, methodology, results and policy recommendation for low-cost private schools.

While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, and worried he was doing little to help the poor, James Tooley wandered into the slums of Hyderabad’s Old City. Shocked to find it overflowing with tiny, parent-funded schools filled with energized students, he set out to discover if schools like these could help achieve universal education.Do private schools exist across the world in the poorest of areas? In third world countries, how do you find private schools? Are there low-cost private schools? How much does teacher engagement matter in education?Further Reading:The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World’s Poorest People are Educating Themselves, written by James TooleyLow-Cost Schools Are Transforming Africa, written by Tom Vander ArkRelated Content:The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It, Free Thoughts PodcastPrivate Lives and Public Education, written by Jason KuznickiThe State of State Education in America, Free Thoughts Podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The debate surrounding Parkfield school in Birmingham and wider discussion on the role of sex and relationship classes  within educational programmes, are just the latest incidences of schools becoming a battlefield for the culture wars.  Starting with developments in the 1870s when the state intervention in schooling in England & Wales became more pronounced, James Tooley explores the impact of the ethos of state control over education right up to today’s controversies over Relationship and Sex EducationLecturer James Tooley, professor of educational entrepreneurship and policy, University of Buckingham; author, The Beautiful TreeTalking Points in this podcastIn the 1870s, private non-profit and private for-profit schools made up nearly all the educational establishments, educating 95 per cent of children.State intervention in education reflected a desire to push forward a particular set of values, creating an early instance of the education culture wars.Schools were used to also keep the working class in their own station as opposed to increasing their social mobility.An affordable grassroots private school movement that would create schools of high quality at half the cost of state education is possible.BibliographyThe Beautiful Tree: a personal journey into how the world’s poorest people are educating themselves, James Tooley, Cato Institute, 2013Education and the State: A Study in Political Economy, Edwin G West, 3rd revised edition, 1994THE ACADEMY 2019In the context of today’s instrumental approaches to knowledge, The Academy summer school is a modest attempt to demonstrate the value of scholarship, and of the worth of the university as a place of free enquiry dedicated to the pursuit of truth.IDEAS MATTER PODCASTIdeas Matter is a podcast that takes the most important issues of our times and explores the ideas and intellectual trends that have shaped where we are today.You can subscribe and listen to Ideas Matter on iTunes, Podbean or SoundCloud.  For full details of all episodes, visit the podcast page on our website  Keep up-to-date with Ideas Matter and all the initiatives organised by the Battle of Ideas charity by following us on Twitter and on Facebook.Email us at info@theboi.co.uk

James Tooley has both chronicled and contributed to the extraordinary phenomenon, unknown to almost everyone, of low-cost private schools in the developing world. He's now bringing this model to England itself, his home country, and he's already got people talking. Of course, the usual suspects are trying to throw obstacles in his way, because his low-cost model is obviously an embarrassment to them. A truly wonderful discussion.

Why is Theresa May pulling up the drawbridge to Britain, exactly when she should be advertising Britain's openness in a post-Brexit world? We also discuss why charities are working to shut down schools in Africa, and hear from Quentin Letts on his experience of being pursued by the Establishment. With Fraser Nelson, Joey Jones, James Tooley, Sylvain Aubry, and Quentin Letts. Presented by Isabel Hardman.

Fight, Flight and (more commonly) Freeze are common reactions when faced with the critically ill child. In this talk i will discuss recognising these states and developing techniques to prevent and recover from them

James Tooley, Professor of Education at Newcastle University, talks to EconTalk host Russ Roberts about low-cost for-profit private schools in the slums and rural areas of poor countries. Tooley shows how surprisingly widespread private schools are for the poor and how effective they are relative to public schools where teacher attendance and performance can be very disappointing. The conversation closes with whether public schooling should remain the ideal in poor countries.

James Tooley, Professor of Education at Newcastle University, talks to EconTalk host Russ Roberts about low-cost for-profit private schools in the slums and rural areas of poor countries. Tooley shows how surprisingly widespread private schools are for the poor and how effective they are relative to public schools where teacher attendance and performance can be very disappointing. The conversation closes with whether public schooling should remain the ideal in poor countries.

In the early 1980s, James Tooley went to Zimbabwe to help support and build socialism by teaching under the then hopeful leadership of Robert Mugabe. Returning to England in the midst of the Thatcher Revolution, he aimed to discredit all ideas of market reforms in education. Instead, as he researched his PhD, he became convinced that private education was the way forward and that the government should be kept out of it. However, even as his newfound faith in private education deepened, he saw no way to align it with his desire to help the poor. That all changed on January 26th, 2000 (which as we discover is Bryan’s birthday) when while walking through a slum in Hyderabad, India, he came across a private school for the poor…and then another…and then another. When he mentioned these schools to other development experts and local government officials, they denied the existence of these schools.In the fourteen years since then Professor Tooley has found these schools in India, China and throughout Africa and a distinct pattern has emerged. Although these people are only living on a dollar a day, these schools are providing poor parents and students with a far higher quality education than what they’d get in the public sector. As detailed in his book The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves, teaching positions in the developing world are often used as a form of political patronage, a way to buy off political supporters and allies. (Many of these government teachers then never, ever show up to their schools and even if they do they come from the middle classes and so treat the students who live in the slums with utter contempt.) In this interview with Professor Tooley, Hunter, Bryan and Leo Flowers discuss the book and what his research means for developed countries like the US. The Beautiful Tree is available on Amazon.

James Tooley, author of The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves, defies the conventional wisdom about education, the poor, and the state.

December 2013 featuring Tim Lynch, Steve Silverman, James Tooley, Clark Neily, Daniel W. Drezner, Jonathan Rauch, Sen. Ron Wyden See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Purchase BookAfter its release in 2009, The Beautiful Tree drew widespread praise. The book tells the remarkable story of author James Tooley's travels from Africa to China, and of the children, parents, teachers, and others who showed him how the poor are building their own schools and learning to save themselves. Publishers Weekly declared it "a moving account of how poor parents struggle against great odds to provide a rich educational experience to their children." Writing in The Claremont Review of Books, John Blundell called it "a masterpiece." In conjunction with the release of the book's paperback edition, James Tooley will discuss the extraordinary changes in educating the poor that have occurred since The Beautiful Tree was published, as well as his experiences as a cofounder of both Omega Schools, a chain of low-cost private schools in Ghana, and Empathy Learning Systems, an educational service company that runs a chain of inexpensive private schools in Hyderabad, India.We hope that you will join us to hear James Tooley discuss what's going right in some of the world's poorest nations and communities. The entrepreneurial spirit, Tooley makes clear, and the love of parents for their children, can be found in every corner of the globe. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.