School Choice in Lagos State

Abstract

Previous research has highlighted the prominent role private schools play in education in Lagos State, Nigeria, suggesting a large majority of schoolchildren were in private education and that children in private schools were outperforming those in public schools, even after controlling for background variables and possible selectivity bias. The current study aimed to build on the earlier work by conducting a detailed and representative household survey across the state of Lagos that would improve understanding of three main questions:

  • Who goes to which type of school (public, private) or not to school, and why?
  • How are schooling decisions made by households?
  • What is the influence and impact of poverty on who goes to which schools and why?

This report explores the major issues that emerge from the data in response to the research questions, including a focus on what types of school the children attend, the issue of affordability, relative costs between public and private, and the school choice process. The final three chapters are more technical, building on the descriptive statistics of the earlier chapters to create statistical models that shed further light on the research questions.

Citation

Tooley, J. School Choice in Lagos State. Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (2013) 129 pp.

School Choice in Lagos State

Published 1 January 2013