Public-private partnerships in education : exploring different models and policy options

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly perceived as an appropriate policy approach to provide education for all in many different contexts. Key education stakeholders suggest that, by partnering with the private sector, governments can expand their education systems in a more efficient and effective way. For this and other reasons, many governments are establishing PPP frameworks within their education systems. This is happening in both industrialized and non-industrialized countries, and in countries with very different administrative, financial, and political situations, including those affected by crisis and conflict. Nonetheless, in education, PPP frameworks cover many policy options and follow very diverse rationales. As such, one of the main objectives of this framing paper is to unpack PPPs as a policy category and to reflect on its different translations and implications in the educational sector. Specifically, the paper argues that not all the PPP policy options and rationales are equally appropriate to achieve the expected goals in all types of education settings