scholarly journals Shadow education in Africa. Private supplementary tutoring and its policy implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Punjabi

Formal education has always been the principal model through which societies educate their young. Today, however, schools are seen as non-analytical and are being replaced by logic-based approach of competitive examinations. In India, the growth of shadow education, which is preponderant at the level of secondary education, is providing informal avenues through which the youth garner knowledge and skills. One such avenue is the private coaching for the Joint Entrance Exam to enter into the premier Indian Institute of Technology(s). The article draws on an exploratory study carried out in the city of Delhi and examines the credentialing strategies of IIT aspirants through Joint Entrance Exam coaching and how the pedagogical practices of coaching institutes influence the perceptions and proclivities of aspirants and their families towards school education. I also discuss the policy implications of such practices for formal schooling.


2001 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Baker ◽  
Motoko Akiba ◽  
Gerald K. LeTendre ◽  
Alexander W. Wiseman

The growth of structured, outside-school activities for improving students’ mathematics achievement is an enduring feature of modern schooling with major policy implications. These "shadow education " activities mimic, or shadow, formal schooling processes and requirements. Using extensive cross-national data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, we examine shadow education as a macro-phenomenon of modern schooling through its (a) prevalence, (b) strategies for use, and (c) associated national characteristics. We find that shadow education is prevalent worldwide, but that there is consider­able cross-national variation in its use. Contrary to findings from single country studies, we find most shadow education is remedial in nature. We then test hypotheses concerning the national origins of shadow education and its impact on nations’ production of mathematics achievement. Our results show that institutional factors of education, including limited access and lower levels of funding, drive the use of shadow education, instead of high-stakes testing and national achievement incentives. We conclude by discussing implications for both educational policy and theory regarding the degree to which institutional­ization of mass schooling increasingly dominates contexts of schooling.


2020 ◽  
pp. 209653111989014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bray

Purpose: Private supplementary tutoring, widely known as shadow education, has long been visible in East Asia, and now has spread to other parts of the world including Europe. This article maps the phenomenon, showing variations within Europe and analyzing its growth, underlying forces, and policy implications. Design/Approach/Methods: The article assembles a regional picture from available national sources. It focuses on the 28 members of the European Union. Findings: Within Europe, four subregions may be identified. Most prominent for the longest duration has been Southern Europe, pushed by political forces and cultural factors. In Eastern Europe, shadow education became prominent following the collapse of the Soviet Union and accompanying economic and social structures during which teachers and others had to earn extra incomes. In Western Europe, the advent of marketization alongside government schooling has fueled the growth of shadow education. Only in Northern Europe does shadow education remain modest in scale, but it is growing there too. Originality/Value: The article identifies forces underlying the growth of shadow education in Europe and highlights policy implications. By contributing this regional perspective to the wider literature on shadow education, the article permits juxtaposition with patterns in East Asia and elsewhere.


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