This document discusses several issues facing basic education in developing countries. It outlines that parents must weigh providing household needs now against their children's future income potential, with practical and financial difficulties causing many to prioritize current consumption. It also examines equity and gender issues like how parental characteristics and socioeconomic status influence school enrollment differences between males and females. Cultural and religious attitudes are explored too, with some tribes prohibiting schooling as it challenges customs. Financial issues like inadequate priority of education in state expenditures are also covered.

1. ISSUES IN BASIC EDUCATION
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Devindra Oktaviano
Hetri Pima Anggara
Jefri Januardi
Muhammad Nur Islami
Bella Risasta
Aida Rahma Suci
Efrania
International Relations – Riau University, 2013
Political Development Issues

2.  Parents face a trade-off between:
Household Consumption now
vs
Children’s expected future income
o Practical and Financial difficulties become major factor
(95%) why the parents consider the opportunity cost.
o Case study:
 many children in Malawi began working on the estate farms at very
early ages and were not enrolled in at all.
 In Nigeria, establishment of neighbourhood schools appeared to
have been an effective answer to the problem of rural parents who
wanted to be compensated for the loss of their children’s labour on
the farm as the child is available after school hours.

3. Equity and Gender Issues
• Parential Characteristic and Sosio-economic status of the
household influencing male and female differentials in
literacy and school enrolment.
• Schools need to be adapted to the specific needs of
deprived local communities. (Ahmed & Carron, 1989)
• Discrimination in basic education sometimes explicit,
(school designed along region, ethnic, or rasial lines), and
sometimes implicit (through language instruction).
(Lockheed & Verspoor, 1992)

4. CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES
 Culturally determined ways defining men
and women and their roles in a given
society shape gender-specific
opportunities and constraints.
 Case study:
many under-developed tribes in Indonesia
prohibit school for their children because
break over the customs.

5. Repeaters cause overcrowding which
raises school costs.
Case study:
 Brazil: poor teachers and inadequate
support to poor children were to blame
for increased rates of repetition and
dropout.
high quality schools raise student
achievement and speed students through
the school cycle, thus saving costs. –
Hanushek (1995).
Case study:
 Egypt: if they held achievement and
opportunities constant, students going to
high quality schools were much more
likely to stay in school than those going to
low quality schools.

6. Relevance
of
Education
Curriculum
Innovation
Meaningful
content of
primary
education
Social
demands
for formal
education
Cost-
effective
methods

7. Financial Issues
 Inadequate priority to basic education in
state’s or public expenditure.
 Low income-states more considerable to
spending more in education sector.

8. Bibliography…
 Chimombo, Joseph (2005), Issues in Basic
Education in Developing Countries: An
Exploration of Policy Options for Improved
Delivery. Journal of International Cooperation
in Education: Hiroshima University.