The Beautiful Tree : A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves

Everyone from Bono to the United Nations is looking for a miracle to bring schooling within reach of the poorest children on Earth. James Tooley found one hiding in plain sight. While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, and worried he was doing little to help the poor, Tooley wandered into the slums of Hyderabad's Old City. Shocked to find it overflowing with tiny, parentfunded schools filled with energized students, he set out to discover if schools like these could help achieve universal education. Named after Mahatma Gandhi's phrase for the schools of pre-colonial India, The Beautiful Tree recounts Tooley's journey from the largest shanty town in Africa to the hinterlands of Gansu, China. It introduces readers to the families and teachers who taught him that the poor are not waiting for educational handouts. They are building their own schools and educating themselves. While Researching Private Schools In India, Tooley Wandered Into The Slums Of Hyderbad's Old City. He Found It Overflowing With Small, Parent-funded Schools And Set Out To Discover If They Could Help Achieve Universal Education. This Is The Story Of Tooley's Travels In Developing Countries And Of The Children, Parents, Teachers And Entrepreneurs Who Taught Him That The Poor Are Not Waiting For Educational Handouts. They Are Building Their Own Schools And Learning To Save Themselves--from Publisher Description. A Discovery In India... -- ...that Was No Discovery After All -- A Puff Of Logic, Nigeria -- The Shifting Goalposts, Ghana -- The Logically Impossible, China -- A Kenyan Conundrum-and Its Solution -- Poor Ignoramuses -- An Inspector Calls -- Old Monk, And Young Nuns On Motorbikes -- Making Enemies With Joy Beside Me -- The Men Who Uprooted The Beautiful Tree -- Educating Amaretch. James Tooley. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 277-282) And Index. The author is a professor of education policy, and was given a contract to study private schools in India. He wasn't looking forward to studying what he thought would be expensive schools for the elite. However, while walking the back streets of an Indian city, he saw a cardboard sign advertising "St. Mary's School" with an arrow. He followed it and discovered a whole world of small homegrown schools for the poorest kids which were started by local people fed up with the poor quality of public schools. Apparently about a quarter of all Indian children go to these schools, while the government doesn't even acknowledge their existence. He later discovered the same phenomenon in poor countries around the world. Everyone from Bono to the United Nations is looking for a miracle to bring schooling within reach of the poorest children on Earth. The author found one hiding in plain sight. While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, and worried he was doing little to help the poor, he wandered into the slums of Hyderabad's Old City.