What are children in Lagos learning? Comparing learning outcomes in low- and medium-cost private schools, public schools and bridge schools in Lagos

With 1,200 primary-age children for every available public primary school, Lagos state has the fewest number of public schools per capita in Nigeria. Despite this, only 4% of primary-aged children in Lagos were out of school in 2011. High enrollment rates are made possible by private schools filling the gap in provision. In 2011, 60% of primary and secondary students in Lagos studied in more than 12,000 private schools. Private schools in Lagos do not cater exclusively to the wealthy. Recent research suggests that 69% of children attending low-cost private schools and 56% of those attending medium-cost schools in Lagos live in households that earn below $313 per year at current exchange rates. Until recently, little was known about the quality of most of these private schools in Lagos. Were they better, for instance, than public alternatives that do not charge school fees? Which student, teacher and school characteristics are correlated with more learning? What is the best way of engaging with the private schools sector? This brief begins to fill these gaps in knowledge using data from three separate studies of private schools in Lagos.