A BALANCING ACT Assessing the quality and financial viability of low-fee independent schools
Low-fee independent schools (LFIS) are a growing phenomenon in South Africa. In many parts of the country, they offer an alternative choice of education to poor communities, they address the lack of public schools, offer access to better quality learning, and fulfil parents’ desire for schools with a religious affiliation or alternative philosophies not provided for by public schools. In South Africa, as elsewhere, there is growing interest from investors and donors to support these schools or invest in them. One of the key findings identified in CDE’s 2015 report, Investing in Potential: The financial viability of low-fee private schools in South Africa, is that all LFIS are engaged in an endless balancing act between keeping fees low to allow access to the poor, and providing quality teaching and learning for high learner achievement. Financial viability and quality of instruction are intricately inter-connected. Schools that provide quality education are more likely to attract a growing number of learners, achieve economies of scale and have a better chance of becoming financially sustainable. If schools raise their fees too high, they will exclude large numbers of poor learners, but if the fees are too low, they may not be able to achieve the quality that parents and government require. In exploring the relationship between quality, fee-level and financial viability in LFIS, CDE undertook a comparative study of pertinent international and local quality assurance processes and instruments. This included five international school assessment frameworks, 10 national frameworks for state schools, 13 private international school instruments and nine South African public and independent school instruments. This report provides an overview of the key issues involved in assessing the quality and viability of LFIS in South Africa and other developing countries.
August 2016