A New Model for Universal Education

One of the UN's Millenial Development Goals is to bring Universal Education to every child by 2015. Unfortunately, it doensn't look like this goal will be met.  Enrollment in primary education in the developing world has risen from 83 percent in 2000 to 89 percent in 2008.  Yet there are still around 69 million school aged children, mostly in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, who will not be in school.  What are the barriers to getting these kids into school?

Although the UN report does not explicitly state what they barriers are, it does state that "providing enough teachers and classrooms" is vital to achieving this goal.  It also states that programs to abolish school fees, build more infrastructure (roads and school buildings), and bring "school tents" to rural areas have been successful. However, it does not point out their funding sources. Although I could be wrong, I'd have to assume that the funds for these programs come from either the UN or from the local governments themselves.


  Now, I'm not an expert in this field by any means. Actually, I'm not even a novice.  But I do see a major problem in current efforts to address the problem of universal education.  They are almost all 100% dependent on donations, either from the UN, NGOs, or other non-profits.  Where governments have reprioritized education, populations have flourished. But in many counties, such as Haiti, the topic of my last post, the government is not viable, and doesn't look capable of becoming viable any time soon.  So, here's the question.  How do we get children in school apart from unsustainable donations from abroad or from wavering governments?

I happen to work at an interesting little school in Littleton, Colorado called Front Range Christian School.  Front Range Christian is an interdenominational PK-12 school which shares it's facilities with various tenants. It is the owner of Pierce Stree Village, a small strip mall with tenants who rent space from the school.  In an economic climate that has shut the door of various Christian schools in Denver in the past several years, Front Range Christian has survived.  One of its secrets to survival is it's innovative business model.  Tuition at Front Range Christian is offset by tenants paying rent to the school.  Not only is tuition lower than many competitors, but there is a symbiotic relationship between Front Range Christian and its community. Small businesses like Revolution Martial Arts and Revive Dance Studio offer classes to FRCS students. The businesses love the school because there are hundreds of potential customers coming daily, and the school loves the businesses for both offsetting tuition and bringing a more diverse course offering right on campus.

This synergistic model between school and small business is a potential answer to the problem of universal education.  Money is often the biggest barrier to building new schools, training more teaching, and affording tuition.  But consider a model like that of FRCS.  In the same complex, school and business co-exist and do so mutually beneficially. When this model is transported to the developing world, it has the potential to do various things.  First, it can bring affordable education to a region.

Second, it can facilitate job creation through the small businesses, even in places where there are no jobs.  Job creation is one of the most ignored engines of long term economic development, primarily because it takes so much work. One of my good friends, David Befus, is a professional in the field, helping to create thousands of jobs in the developing world.  This type of job creation can bring more economic prosperity to a community, which in turn can provide enough funds to pay for a reasonable tuition rate to send their children to their schools. 

Third, the proximity of successful small businesses to primary education could potentially help train young students in apprentice roles for trades.  Connecting even early education to training for potential jobs after their schooling is finished could give a major boost to both economic development and education. For example, if a young girl is able to take one course in business basics in 7th grade and 2 courses in making textiles for manufacture (think India) in 8th and 9th grade, even if she drops out, she will have the ability to make a living and break the cycle of poverty.

This model is imperfect, to say the least. Tenants must be recruited, training for both school leaders and business leaders must be prevalent, and the right leaders must be found.  But it's a model worth pursuing.  Should we pursue these routes, should we "spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then our light will rise in the darkness, and our night will become like the noonday" (Isaiah 58:10).