Pupil premium is a direct grant paid to state-funded schools in England which aims to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils aged 5-16. As disruption to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils, the recovery premium grant was introduced in 2021 to help address this. Recovery premium funding finished…

This paper examines the financial transparency and accountability practices before and after the 2023 state takeover of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Superintendent Mike Miles and his Board of Managers reallocated critical district resources towards troubling new "priorities," while the district was facing a sizable…

Purpose: This paper investigates the key determinants affecting household spending for university degree in Vietnam. This paper serves as empirical evidence for policymakers to select appropriate factors to estimate financial needs for university students in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: We employ an innovative variable selection approach…

Purpose: This article reports on a study that explored how the Tanzanian government can support the development of research-intensive universities in its higher education system. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through document analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews with participants obtained from national higher…

This study empirically examines the predictive relationship between Institutional Autonomy (IA) and Academic Freedom (AF) whilst controlling for the mediating effect of corporate governance (CG) amongst selected higher education institutions in Ghana. It also looks at the difference between females and males and their perceptions of the predictive…

The number of private schools in the United States has been flat or slightly declining in the last few decades. However, in states that broadly offer families scholarships or vouchers for private school tuition, the number of private schools has gone up. This report analyzes if and how increased demand for private schooling and homeschooling,…

Increasing attention has been paid to rural education policy and research, yet few studies have examined the conceptualization of rural school districts. This study provides a conceptual and empirical examination of the definitions of rural districts. The results illustrate that a common, singular definition of rural is elusive and there is a…

Historically, states' child care subsidy programs have used market rates, or tuition charged by providers, to set subsidy rates that support income-eligible families in accessing child care services. However, the market rate is often based on what families in a specific community can afford to pay, not necessarily what it actually costs to provide…

Many schools are challenged concerning the development and the execution of the budgets. For this reason, this study intends to explore stakeholders' experiences in executing budget development and further explore how implementation is executed in a South African context. A qualitative methodological approach within the constructivist approach was…

One way to help frame a focus on problems instead of things is the Grand Challenges concept, which has been used in many other fields to date. Grand Challenges are an articulation of large-scale, complex problems that may be addressed through coordinated and sustained efforts but require long-term effort. Often, the articulation of Grand…

This paper addresses the pressing challenges and uncertainties faced by higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide. It analyzes recent global disruptions--including economic instability, evolving labor market demands, the impacts of the pandemic, and rapid technological advancements--and assesses their effects on traditional educational…

More than 70 years ago, Milton Friedman argued in favor of vouchers as a policy tool to increase the quality of the nation's education system. Since then, economists and other education policy researchers have studied several waves of taxpayer-funded private school voucher policies that have emerged. Too often, these researchers have ignored the…

Although the fee-free basic education (FFBE) policy was widely communicated through various channels, confusion and mixed understanding about the waived fees and their implementation persist. Various policy interpretations have led to ongoing confusion among stakeholders (e.g., parents, teachers, administrators), affecting its effective…

Twenty-two times, state courts have ruled that legislatures are inadequately funding K-12 schools based on constitutional rights to public education. When states implemented court-ordered financing reforms, the poorest school districts increased per-student spending by 11.5% to 12.1%. Those districts then showed increased graduation rates by…

The Universities Accord 2024 in Australia and the Augar Review 2019 in England both argue for a more cohesive tertiary education system and consider promoting mid-level qualifications. This paper compares the roles of mid-level qualifications in the two countries' current systems. We review government reports and analyse national statistics, and…