James Tooley
James Tooley has been described as "the high priest of privatised education in Britain".[1]
He is a vocal lobbyist for low-fee private schools in developing countries.
He is currently Professor of Education Policy at Newcastle University (School of Education Communication and Language Sciences); and a director of the University's E.G. West Centre, which carries out research-based advocacy, particularly around the development of low-fee private schooling across the developing world.[2]
He is also co-founder and chairman of Omega Schools, a chain of low-fee private schools in Ghana launched in 2009 with significant investment from Pearson; and Empathy Learning Systems in Hyderabad, India.
Contents
Lobbying for market-based education reform
According to an 2007 article by Andrew J. Coulson, director of Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom on the Philanthropy Roundtable website:[3]
- Tooley’s interest in [low-fee private schools] dates back to the 1980s... His work leapt into high gear in 2002, after a fortuitous meeting in Goa, India, with John Templeton Foundation senior vice president Charles Harper. Impressed with Tooley’s study of private schools in Hyderabad, Harper encouraged him to draft a proposal for expanding his investigations on an international scale. The result was a John Templeton Foundation grant of nearly $800,000... In September 2006, Tooley wins top honors in the first International Finance Corporation/Financial Times 'Private Sector Development' Competition for an essay reporting his Templeton project findings. He is invited to write an article (“Low-cost schools in poor nations seek investors”) for the Financial Times. One of the tens of thousands of readers of that article is Richard Chandler, founder of the Singapore-based Orient Global investment firm... Fast forward to 2007, when the philanthropic arm of Orient Global announces the creation of a new $100 million Orient Global Education Fund. James Tooley is named its inaugural president two months later.
Affiliations
Tooley lists the following roles (as of August 2015):[4]
UK
- Institute of Economic Affairs (free market think tank in London); member of academic advisory council. In 1995 Tooley established the Institute's 'Education and Training Unit', which he ran for its duration.
- Reform (free market think tank in London); member of academic advisory council
- Civitas (right-wing think-tank in London); member of academic advisory council
- Taxpayers Alliance (free market lobby group); Tooley does not currently list his role at the Taxpayers Alliance in his biography, however, he was known to be an adviser to them in 2010[5]
Brussels
- Globalisation Institute (think tank that 'promotes ideas to help Europe thrive in the global economy')
US
- Cato Institute, Adjunct Scholar (2009-); the Cato Institute also launched Tooley's book, “The Beautiful Tree, as a paperback and audio book.[6]
Rest of world
- India: Edupreneurs Council of India; member of academic advisory council
- India: president of four educational societies serving low cost private schools in the country.
- Nigeria: Association of Formidable Educational Development, patron.
- Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, adviser (2005-).
International
- Mont Pelerin Society, invited Member (from 2003)
Activities
James Tooley attended a Heritage Foundation event entitled 'Resource Bank 2004' in 2004 on behalf of the E.G. West Centre. The subject was 'Social Entrepreneurship: Building Constituencies for Limited Government'.[7]
Publications
- “The Beautiful Tree: A personal journey into how the world’s poorest are educating themselves”, published by Penguin (2009).
References
- ↑ Professor James Tooley: A champion of low-cost schools or a dangerous man?, Guardian, 12 November 2013
- ↑ E.G. West Centre, accessed August 2015
- ↑ Andrew J. Coulson, An “Invisible Hand” Up, 'Philanthropy Roundtable, July / August 2007 issue
- ↑ James Tooley profile, Newcastle University, accessed August 2015
- ↑ Correspondence Between James Tooley and the Taxpayers' Alliance, Response to FOI Request from 31st January 2010, Newcastle University, Accessed February 2011
- ↑ James Tooley speakers profile, TEDxNewcastle, accessed August 2015
- ↑ James Tooley, 27TH ANNUAL RESOURCE BANK MEETING APRIL 29-30, 2004 - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Heritage Foundation, 29-April-2004, Accessed 08-May-2010