User Payments for Basic Education in Low-Income Countries

November 1, 2002

Preview Citation

Format: Chicago

Eva Jenkner, and Arye L. Hillman User Payments for Basic Education in Low-Income Countries, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2002) accessed December 3, 2024

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

Insufficient resources and inadequate public expenditure management often prevent governments in low-income countries from providing quality basic education free of charge. User payments by parents are an alternative means of financing basic education. This paper assesses how user payments affect educational opportunities and quality of education for children of poor families in low-income countries. Conditions are identified under which user payments can or cannot improve educational outcomes. User payments, whether taking the form of compulsory benefit taxation or voluntary user fees, are a temporary solution and second-best compared with free-access, publicly financed quality education that is consistent with macroeconomic stability.

Subject: Education, Education spending, Expenditure, Gender, Gender inequality, Public financial management (PFM)

Keywords: Central Asia, Community schooling, East Africa, East Asia, Education, Education spending, Enrollment rate, Gender inequality, Government expenditure and education, Primary education, School enrollment, School fee, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, User payment, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

33
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2002/182
Stock No:

WPIEA1822002
ISBN:

9781451859270
ISSN:

1018-5941

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