PPP Paradox
Promise and Perils of Public-Private Partnership in Education
- Pritha Gopalan - Educational Anthropologist
PPP Paradox discusses a swathe of PPPs in education and assesses their approach and contribution to genuine school change. This broad and even-handed survey of a variety of policy positions is followed by specific accounts of reform efforts in two case studies—one from a partnership in middle-school change in curriculum and instruction that took place in the state of Michigan in the United States, and the other from a partnership to bring Montessori education to government-run schools in Chennai, a large Indian city.
Written in a way that is interesting to the reader and reasonable priced it is within reach of all and is a useful one for all those keen to understand the nuances of PPP in education. The book gives a balanced picture of PPP in education… It also offers good critical analyses of various complex issues related with participation of private partners, including replicating of such efforts.
The book is highly readable and the language is lucid, organization is logical...programmes are well described in detail...(the author) examines both the promise and the perils of the paradox.
PPP Paradox… provides a good read with thought provoking insights into Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) in public education… PPP Paradox explores how PPP approaches the notion of genuine school change and extends a supportive hand… Support from outside partners seems difficult to digest… She (the author) will surely persuade you; for, such strong are the cases she presents in support of the claim.
Based on a survey of literature on American public schools, and a case study on Michigan state in USA and ethnographic study of Chennai Corporation Schools, PPP Paradox is an important study and a valuable addition to the meagre literature on the subject…. A very useful book.
In this book the term (PPP) is deconstructed using an interpretive approach that presents and assesses different types of partnership arrangements…. It contributes to the literature on public–private partnerships with two details case studies drawn from her (author’s) own research and experience…. Readers seeking to better understand the differing presentations of PPPs and explore what constitutes a successful partnership will find Gopalan’s analysis useful and balanced.
I see the book as offering many useful insights into the issue of quality of education and the manner in which citizens and citizen groups can initiate reforms in this direction, the strategies they can adopt for a successful intervention, and the pitfalls they should avoid. This book is a valuable contribution to existing literature on PPP in education.