This paper illuminates the direct and profound implications of urban marginalisation on educational decisions. Using survey and interview data from Mumbai, we trace the distinct profiles of families who select public, private, and aided schools. Our effort to look closely at the distinct lives of these families and our conceptual framing, drawing…

This ethnographic case study presents findings of an 18-month research study focusing on the ways in which families residing in an urban slum were using mobile phones and how this use supported literacy practices. Data collection included participant observations and interviews with 42 participants including parents, children and community…

This study investigates the emergence and supply-demand dynamics of a market for low-fee private schools (LFPS) at the level of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in a slum of Lusaka, Zambia. Based on data collection over 1.5 years, the study reveals that, despite a government policy to support ECCE, over 90% of ECCE centers are private;…

An idea took shape in the slums of Mumbai in the early nineties and went on to become a peoples' movement to address the problem of providing quality education for all of India's children. This piece profiles Dr. Madhav Chavan, the man who provided the dynamic vision for and creative leadership of that mission/movement. Dr. Chavan combined the…

This paper uses difference-in-difference and multivariate analyses procedures to examine the effects of two community-based intervention packages on mathematics achievement of primary school girls from low-income urban households in Kenya. The data involved in this study were collected between 2013 and 2015 from 748 12-19 years old primary school…

This paper examines effects of life-skills, mentoring, and counseling education intervention implemented among primary school attending girls aged between 10 and 19 years, living in Nairobi slums. We hypothesized that interaction between the intervention and aspiration, self-confidence and interest in schooling, mediates the impact of risky…

There is a sound research base attesting to the importance of parental involvement and to the many potential benefits it can offer for children's education. This study sought to examine differences in parental aspirations (as a mechanism of parental involvement in their children's education) for their children's educational attainment between slum…

This paper examines pupil school mobility in urban Kenya using African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) household survey data which contain information on pupil transfers between schools. The aim is to identify which school characteristics attract the greatest demand for incoming transfers. The analysis reveals that there are frequent…

One of the conundrums of free primary education (FPE) policy in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is the "mushrooming" of fee-paying private schools. Several researchers have become interested in studying this phenomenon and have raised the question--does free primary education meet the needs of the poor? Emerging voices among this…

A census and survey of schools in the slums of East Delhi, India, explored the nature and extent of private education serving low-income families, and compared inputs to public and private schooling. Around two-thirds of all schools were private unaided, with more unrecognised private than government schools. Teaching activity was found to be…

ROLE-PLAYING IS A VALUABLE TECHNIQUE FOR WORKING WITH DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS CONGENIAL WITH THE LOW-INCOME PERSON'S STYLE. ROLE-PLAYING ALLOWS THE PRACTITIONER TO REDUCE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE DISADVANTAGED, IT PERMITS MORE LEARNING ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE LOW-INCOME PERSON FROM THE "INSIDE," AND IT IS AN…

Summarizes the global efforts of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to ease poverty and help developing nations to build their capacity for sustainable development. Includes a glossary of poverty and human development terms, a human poverty index ranking for developing countries, and suggested teaching activities. (MJP)

The economic and physical decline of urban neighborhoods has become a widespread and widely misunderstood phenomenon in post-war America. It has not been restricted to aging central cities: most growing cities and many suburbs possess areas of decay as well. After decades of changing occupancy, dwellings have fallen into disrepair, and the quality…

INTERLOCKING ACTION PROGRAMS WERE DESIGNED TO OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW INCOME, MINORITY GROUPS IN A SLUM AREA. TODAY, THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ARE IMPOVERISHED PUERTO RICAN IN-MIGRANTS, WITH A SMALLER SPRINKLING OF LOW INCOME NEGRO, CHINESE, JEWISH, ITALIAN, AND POLISH GROUPS. MYF PROVIDES JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH, GROUP…

Illustrates how poor women were able to move out of poverty and dehumanization through a process of mobilization and organization. The process was catalyzed by the intervention of a non-governmental organization, the Working Women's Forum. Outlines the Forum's program of economic, social, and technological empowerment. (MJP)