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Education

The economic returns of private schools

Fri, 11 January 2008

Pupils who go through private schools in Britain achieve enormous personal successes in later life and enjoy an influence on economic and social affairs way beyond their relatively small numbers. In a research project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and led by Professor Francis Green at University of Kent, findings were:

• rising demand for teachers to staff independent schools
• pupil-teacher ratios remained unchanged in the state system but increased by 14% in independent schools
• independent schools employ better qualified teachers and have a larger share of shortage subject teachers
• More job satisfaction for teachers in the independent system
• evidence of a pay premium for independent school teachers trained in shortage subjects
• independent school pupils enjoy better facilities than those available in state schools
• independent school pupils enjoy improved pay in later life

The paper Competition for Private and State School Teachers is available to download here

Further information on the research project can be found on the website http: //cee.lse.ac.uk/research/10.asp. Details of Professor Francis Green's recent work can also be found on his personal webpage http: //www.kent.ac.uk/economics/staff/gfg/currres.html or email him on g.f.green@kent.ac.uk

Last Updated Tue, 5 February 2008