08 October 2014

Parental Choices in Tajikistan's School Market


A recently published special issue of "European Education" examines the emergence of various forms of education privatization in the former socialist countries. In "Parental choices in the primary and secondary school market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan," Chris Whitsel explores the factors motivating parents in Tajikistan to choose schools for their children in an educational landscape that includes elite public and private schools, low-fee private schools, and neighborhood public schools. Watch a short interview with Chris Whitsel discussing his study!




If this piqued your interest and you would like to read the entire paper or any other content from our journal, you can find out more about subscriptions at this page. See the abstract of the article for more information:


This paper presents findings about factors parents consider when choosing schools in the new educational market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The eco- nomic and political chaos of the early independence period led to greater dif- ferentiation between public schools. Policies were enacted that encouraged the growth of private schools and fee-charging specialized public schools (lyceums and gymnasiums). In this paper, I first outline some of the causes for the growth of diversity among schools. I then present results about the factors that parents in Dushanbe weigh when deciding among schools. I find that parents utilize a complex matrix of factors—school location, child aptitude, child’s gender, and school quality—in making their decisions. Sur- prisingly, cost is not at the forefront of the decision matrix as most parents make choices that are comfortably in their range of affordability. 

03 October 2014

Interview with Svitlana Schudlo, a co-author of "Reworking of school principals' roles in the context of educational privatization: A view from Ukraine"

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, market forces have fundamentally transformed the education system of Ukraine. In "Reworking of school principals' roles in the context of educational privatization," Serhiy Kovalchuk and Svitlana Schudlo examine how various forms of education privatization have affected Ukrainian schools and how school principals have adjusted to the new realia.


Listen to an interview (in Ukrainian language with English subtitles) with Svitlana Schudlo, a co-author of the article, who discusses the influence of market forces on the education sphere in Ukraine, the fundamental changes in the role of school principals, and the implications of the changing social functions of school administrators for education quality and equity in the context of privatization. If you would like to read the entire paper or any other content from our journal, you can find out more about subscriptions at this page.


Переосмислення ролі директорів шкіл в контексті приватизації освіти: 
погляд з України

З часу розпаду Радянського Союзу ринкові відносини фундаментально трансформували систему освіти України. У статті «Переосмислення ролі директорів шкіл в контексті приватизації освіти: погляд з України», Сергій Ковальчук і Світлана Щудло аналізують вплив різних форм приватизації освіти на українські школи, а також  шляхи адаптації директорів шкіл до нових реалій.

Послухайте інтерв’ю (українською мовою з англійськими субтитрами) Світлани Щудло, Доктора Соціології Дрогобицького Державного Педагогічного Університету ім. Івана Франка, яка обговорює вплив ринкових відносин на сферу освіти в Україні, фундаментальні зміни ролі директорів шкіл, а також значення зміни соціальних функцій шкільних адміністраторів для якості освітнього процесу в контексті приватизації.

02 October 2014

Reworking of School Principals’ Roles in the Context of Educational Privatization: A View from Ukraine

Educational privatization created new arrangements for funding, provision, and regulation of educational systems and their various stakeholders worldwide. In "Reworking of school principals' roles in the context of educational privatization," Serhiy Kovalchuk and Svitlana Schudlo examine the driving forces of privatization in the public education of Ukraine, focusing specifically on the professional roles of school principals who have been compelled by state underfunding to search for external private funds to maintain and develop their educational establishments.


Listen to one of the author's of the article, Serhiy Kovalchuk, who discusses the factors driving privatization, offers examples of how these factors have reshaped principals’ professional roles, and explains how the Ukrainian principals have adapted to varying degrees to accept the new professional role of fundraisers. 

If you would like to read the entire paper or any other content from our journal, you can find out more about subscriptions at this page.