Free Education Program Research Articles

Free Primary Education in Kenya: An Impact Evaluation Using Propensity Score Methods

This paper attempts to evaluate the impact of the free primary education programme in Kenya, which is based on the premise that government intervention can lead to enhanced access to education especially by children from poor parental backgrounds. Primary education system in Kenya has been characterised by high wastage in form of low enrolment, high dropout rates, grade repetition as well as poor transition from primary to secondary schools. This scenario was attributed to high cost of primary education. To reverse these poor trends in educational achievements, the government initiated free primary education programme in January 2003. This paper therefore analyzes the impact of the FPE programme using panel data. Results indicate primary school enrolment rate has improved especially for children hailing from higher income categories; an indication that factors that prevent children from poor backgrounds from attending primary school go beyond the inability to pay school fees. Grade progression in primary schools has slightly dwindled. The results also indicate that there still exist constraints hindering children from poorer households from transiting to secondary school. The free primary education programme was found to be progressive, with the relatively poorer households drawing more benefits from the subsidy.

Assessment Of Distribution Adequacy Of Universal Basic Education (Ube) Building Facilities In Ogun State Primary Schools Of Nigeria

The recent introduction of "basic education" and Education for All "is not entirely new in the history ofeducation in Nigeria. Several attempts at providing basic education for Nigerians have been made inthe past. These attempts can be summarized as follows:The defunct Western Region free primary education programme of 1955.The defunct Eastern Region Education of 1957.The federal Government National Universal Primary Education of 1976.Over the years, universal access to education has been the prime target for Nigeria, since the middleof the 1970s when the universal primary Education (UPE) scheme took off. Predictably, pupils’enrolment rapidly increased from 6.2 million in the 1975 1976 session to 14.8 million in 1992. As usual,the burst of educational activities brought in its wake a plethora of changes, some positive, somenegative. The overwhelming unanticipated results of this sudden educational expansion brought abouta profound shortage of learning facilities including space, a severe dearth of teachers and funds toimplement the scheme. These problems still persist in our schools today, especially at the primaryschool level (FGN, 1993, NPEC/ World Bank 1997 & Adeyemi 2007).

Managing Free Education Programme in a Partially Deregulated Economy: Nigeria in View

Managing Free Education Programme in a Partially Deregulated Economy: Nigeria in View

Do household characteristics matter in schooling decisions in urban Kenya?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine household characteristics and schooling decisions in terms of enrollment and type of school in an urban setting in Nairobi.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a cross‐sectional data set collected in 2005. The sample comprises 7,475 primary school‐aged children. A probit model was estimated to show what influences decisions at household level.FindingsAnalysis shows that different household and individual attributes motivate different decisions. A considerable proportion (40 per cent) of children from the poorest quintile attends non‐public schools compared to 34 per cent from the richest quintile. The findings reveal that better‐off households are more represented in the free primary education (FPE) programme. The predicted probability of a decision to attend a public school for a primary school‐age child increases as the household wealth increases.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes that poorer households are least attending and may be excluded from free public schools.Originality/valueThe paper demystifies the notion that introduction of FPE in developing countries is a pro‐poor policy.

Revisiting Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in Ghana

When Ghana became independent in 1957 it had one of the most developed education systems in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Over the next forty years its education system expanded to provide places for most, but not all, of its children. Since the education reforms of the late 1980s enrolments have grown steadily; this contrasts with some SSA countries with universal free primary education policies, which have experienced short periods of rapid growth. Education reforms in Ghana, however, have fallen below expectations. The Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme introduced in 1995 promised universal education by 2005. This paper revisits Ghana’s FCUBE policy for clues as to why it did not achieve the target goal and especially why poorest households seem to have benefited least from it. One disappointment with FCUBE is that its input did not go far enough to offset the opportunity costs of schooling for the poorest households by abolishing all forms of fees and reducing significantly the indirect costs associated with attending school. The incidence of late entry, overage attendance and poor households’ need for child labour also posed a further threat to the benefits FCUBE promised.

Universalising primary education in Kenya: the elusive goal

Since Independence in 1963, Kenya has launched three Free Primary Education programmes: the first in 1974, the second in 1979 and the most recent in 2003. Using historical data, this paper first outlines each initiative in turn, and discusses why, in the case of the earlier initiatives, impressive initial gains in improved access proved difficult to sustain. Then in the final section, insights gained from a recent micro‐level case study of the impact of the third Free Primary Education programme in nine schools are used to explore three access‐related issues, and their implications for current and future policy.

The Black Panther Party: service to the people programs

Black Panther represents Black Panther Party members' coordinated responses over the last four decades to the failure of city, state, and federal bureaucrats to address the basic needs of their respective communities. The Party pioneered free social service programs that are now in the mainstream of American life.The Party's Sickle Cell Anemia Research Foundation, operated with Oakland's Children's Hospital, was among the nation's first such testing programs. Its Free Breakfast Program served as a model for national programs. Other initiatives included free clinics, grocery giveaways, school and education programs, senior programs, and legal aid programs.Published here for the first time in book form, Black Panther makes the case that the programs' methods are viable models for addressing the persistent, basic social injustices and economic problems of today's American cities and suburbs.

Next Generation of Self-Management Education: Web-based Bipolar Disorder Program

Education and self-management training assist patients with bipolar disorder to take control of their condition and to reduce disability, but the timeliness and availability of the education are important. A free Web-based bipolar education program has been recently developed to provide accessible evidence-based information for patients, carers and health professionals. The present paper describes the nine-module program, reports usage data and user profiles, and overviews the aims and methodology of a randomized controlled trial to measure its impact. Customized Web reports were developed to measure usage of the Web-based program, and to profile its users on a month-by-month basis. Data on the percentage of completers of each module were also collected. A randomized controlled trial evaluating the program in people with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder was also commenced. More than 8,000 visitors used the online program in its first 6 months. Users were predominantly female, of a broad cross-section of ages, 43.5% with bipolar disorder, and with the remainder describing themselves as health professionals, carers/family/friends of a person with bipolar disorder or members of the general public. The majority (76%) completed the sessions they commenced. The Web-based education program is attracting a steady stream of users and is exhibiting good completion rates. This preliminary support for the program's utility requires validation from our randomized controlled trial before definite conclusions can be drawn.

Body Mass Index and Intake of Selected Foods in African American Men

There are minimal data on the relationship between dietary consumption of fats, vegetables, and fruits and body mass index (BMI) in African American men. This study tested the relationships between selected dietary consumption and BMI. The sample was a community-based cohort of 204 African American Southern men who attended a free prostate cancer educational and screening program. The screening was part of an all-day African American celebration that included a health fair. Diet was assessed with a Brief Dietary Scale for Selected Food Intake and Preparation. Most of the men were overweight (34%) or obese (47%). The majority of men ate their chicken (90%) and fish (96%) fried. Few men ate vegetables at supper (29.4%) or lunch (15.8%). Three fatty food items were significantly associated with BMI: leaving the chicken skin on chicken (p=.03); intake of low-fat or skim milk (p=.02); and cooking vegetables with butter (p=.03). African American men need culturally appropriate dietary interventions to reduce obesity.

Estimates of Mincerian Returns to Schooling in Nigeria

In the face of declining rates of primary and secondary school enrolment and increasing post-secondary school enrolment rates, the Nigerian government introduced the free universal basic education programme in 1999. To understand better the economic forces underlying the recent trends in school enrolment rates and appraise the new education policy from the perspective of private efficiency returns, I estimate the private returns to schooling associated with levels of educational attainment for wage and self-employed workers using data from the General Household Survey. The estimates for both men and women are small at primary and secondary levels, 2–3% and 4%, respectively, but are substantial at post-secondary education level, 10–15%. Inter-generational returns to schooling decline for primary education but rise for post-secondary education. These schooling return estimates may account for the recent trends in school enrolments. Thus, increasing public investment to encourage increased attendance in basic education is not justifiable on grounds of private efficiency, unless investments to increase school quality have higher private returns. With high private returns to post-secondary schooling, students at this level should pay tuition to recoup more of the public costs of schooling, which may be redistributed to poor families through scholarships.

Knowledge and Attitudes Toward a Free Education and Ashkenazi Jewish Carrier Testing Program

Carrier testing is offered on the basis of Ashkenazi Jewish background in both the prenatal and preconception settings, with the goal of decreasing the prevalence of affected individuals and allowing informed decision-making during childbearing. The purpose of this study was to (1) document the demographic characteristics of individuals who attended a free education and screening program, (2) learn how the education program changed attendees' knowledge and attitudes by learning more about these disorders, and (3) determine how participants perceived their carrier status risk. One hundred seventy-four individuals completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of an educational program about the Ashkenazi Jewish genetic disorders. There was a statistically significant difference in the participant's level of knowledge from the pre- to post education (p < .001). Females reported a significantly higher level of concern about the disorders (p = .004) and their carrier status (p = .006) before the education, as well as about their carrier status post education (p = .05). Finally, having one or more parent affiliated with Orthodox Judaism was related to higher knowledge before the education program (p = .05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that an educational carrier screening program increased knowledge about the disorders and also produced mild anxiety regarding personal and reproductive risks.

Intake of selected nutritional supplements by African-American men

Objectives To measure the self-reported intake of vitamins, selenium, vitamin E, and saw palmetto supplements in African-American men. Methods A correlational study was conducted of 198 African-American men, aged 40 to 70 years old, who attended a community-based free prostate cancer educational and screening program. The rates of supplement use were compared among demographic groups. Results Just more than one half of the men (51%) took one or more of the supplements. Almost one half (46%) took multivitamin supplements. About 34% took vitamin E supplements, 6% took selenium supplements, and 7% took saw palmetto. Higher income men were more likely to take nutritional supplements. No statistically significant associations were found between supplement use and age, education, or marital status. Almost all use of selenium, vitamin E, and saw palmetto was among men who were already taking a multivitamin supplement. Conclusions The implications from the results of this study include the need to conduct an assessment of supplement intake as part of the health history.

L'école consistoriale élémentaire de Paris, 1819-1833. La « Régénération » à l'œuvre

The creation of the consistorial school in Paris is part of the whole planning to regenerate the poor Jews which was ordered by the Napoleon Empire and supported by the prominent Jews of Paris in order to make their mise-rable coreligionists become French citizens of israelite religion more rapidly. These projects were started as early as 1812, and the school for boys opens in 1819, that for girls in 1822. From the start, they adhere to the method of mutual teaching, which was then popular, and they offer a free and original educational program&#160;: a gene-ral teaching centered on the knowledge of the French language and a basic jewish religious education&#160;; this is a way to learn the Hebraic language and thus to foster a specificity going beyond the sole religion. Because of various hardnesses, the city of Paris was impelled to take charge of these schools as early as 1833.

Diffuse pollution: lessons from soil conservation policies

Diffuse pollution of water from various land uses requires a control approach different from the uniform regulations that were successful for point sources. Local solutions, designed by local watershed councils, are preferred over national directives. Soil erosion control policy, based on voluntary measures coordinated by local conservation districts, provides a guide for improvement of water quality in watersheds. Local planning and action are supplemented by government provision of free technical advice, economic incentives and public education programs. There are no national standards, because land use decisions are a guarded prerogative of individual landowners. Among the lessons that can be transferred to diffuse pollution control are the practicality of the voluntary approach, the need for continuing financial incentives, local solutions to local problems, the wide range of effectiveness of local groups, the uncertainty whether the most critical problems are resolved and the need for education to foster a normative attitude of what we ought to do for watershed health.

Soil testing for an economically and environmentally sound wheat production

With wheat yields below normal for two consecutive years (1995 and 1996) in most Oklahoma wheat fields due to abnormal weather conditions and disease pressure, soil nutrients probably had accumulated at a level that would allow application of lesser amounts of fertilizers to produce normal yields the following year. A free wheat soil testing and education program was initiated to promote statewide soil testing for improved fertilizer recommendations and for helping farmers to cut wheat production cost. This was offered to wheat producers from June 15 to August 15, 1996 by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services. Three thousand and seventy‐nine surface (0–6 inches) and 2,957 subsurface (6–24 inches) soil samples were sent to Oklahoma State University (OSU) Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory over a two‐month period. Surface soil samples were analyzed for pH, buffer index (BI) if pH was less than 6.5, nitrate‐nitrogen (NO3‐N), available phosphorus (P) index, and available potassium (K) index. Subsurface soil samples were analyzed for NO3‐N only. Twenty‐four informational meetings, with a total attendance of 980, were conducted at the end of the program to help fanners interpret soil testing results and understand fertilizer recommendations. Topics at the meeting also included fertilizer nutrient management, soil‐plant‐nutrient interactions, economics of liming low pH soils. Soil testing results showed that 39% of the wheat fields had soil pH less than 5.5. About 50% and 84% of the fields did not need any P and K, respectively. Significant amounts of NO3‐N were found in subsoil samples. By combining NO3‐N from the surface and subsurface samples, there were 54% of the fields that had NO3‐N greater than 80 lb A‐1 which is enough nitrogen (N) for a yield goal of 40 bu A‐1. Farmers would save more money on fertilizer cost if the fertilizer programs had been based on recommendations from soil testing reports. This program clearly demonstrated the need for regular soil testing and the importance of taking subsoil samples for estimating residual N.

Screening Behaviors and Long-Term Compliance With Mammography Guidelines in a Breast Cancer Screening Program

Screening for breast cancer is generally underused. In an effort to remove common barriers to screening, a free breast cancer screening and education program was created for the employees of a large hospital, incorporating mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE), and breast self-examination (BSE). The present study was conducted to evaluate the screening behaviors and long-term compliance of asymptomatic women over age 50 who participated in the program. Data were obtained from questionnaires administered at the time of enrollment (time 1) and annual reenrollment, as well as from radiology records. (Time 2 represents the most recent data.) Long-term compliance with mammography guidelines was measured by calculating a compliance quotient (CQ) for each participant. From time 1 to time 2, subjects significantly increased their use of mammography, CBE, and BSE. At time 2, 89.5% of women had ever received a mammogram, 42.7% had gotten one in the last year, nearly all women (94.6%) had received at least one CBE, 58.0% reported annual CBE, and 44.6% of women practiced monthly BSE. CQ was higher among women who remained in the program longer, were still active in the program at the time of the study, and used screening prior to enrollment. It was also higher in Caucasians and women with a family history of breast cancer. These results show that a worksite program that eliminates common barriers to screening can significantly increase use of early detection practices. It also demonstrates one method of quantifying long-term compliance with mammography guidelines.

REFLECTIONS ON HEALTH CARE IN CUBA

In the 20 years since the revolution, Cuba has gone from the health profile of an underdeveloped country to that of a developed one. Heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death. Infant mortality has been drastically reduced. Maternal mortality is lower than any other Latin American country. Improvements have been accomplished through better nutrition, a medical system that is national, free, accessible, and well-organized, and health education and immunization programs. The health system is doctor-dominated. The nurse is subservient to the doctor, who has acquired technical skills and status comparable to his American counterparts. Curative, rather than preventive, medicine is emphasized. The diet is high in fat and sugar. Many in the population, including the medical profession, smoke cigarettes. The medical profession and the revolutionary leaders are in a struggle to shift emphasis from further improvements in curative medical care to an expansion of the role of mass organizations. Yielding to the idea that only doctors could deliver good health care, Cuba has created a generation of doctors who believe that they make the primary contribution to the people's health. Although most physicians support the ideals of the revolution, status is still accorded to those with diagnostic acumen, specialized qualifications, and academic credentials.