The increased marketisation and privatisation of schooling in economically developing countries struggling to achieve Education for All and Millennium Development Goals warrants a focused examination of the phenomenon. However, there is little work on the nature and extent of private provision in countries that, on the one hand, are striving to meet international commitments of universal schooling provision and, on the other, face such challenges as constrained public budgets, low levels of quality, and persistent schooling gaps. This volume brings together new research evidence from academics and policy makers on the nature and extent of private provision in a range of countries across Asia and Africa. As South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa account for the majority of the world's population of children out of school, this book sheds new light on the changing context of schooling provision in some of the most vulnerable regions. Of particular interest is the nature and potential impact of private provision on the educational opportunities of economically and socially disadvantaged children. Contents include: (1) Examining Private Schooling in Less Economically Developed Countries: key issues and new evidence (Geoffrey Walford & Prachi Srivastava.); (2) Private Education for Low-income Families: results from a global research project (James Tooley & Pauline Dixon.); (3) The Limits to Growth of Non-government Private Schooling in Sub-Saharan Africa (Keith M. Lewin.); (4) Private Sector Contributions to Education for All in Nigeria (Pauline Rose & Modupe Adelabu.); (5) Education for All and Private Education in the Developing and Transitional Countries (Igor Kitaev.) (6) Cinderella or Ugly Sister? What Role for Non-state Education Provision in Developing Countries? (Colin Bangay.); (7) Universalizing Elementary Education in India: is the private sector the answer? (Santosh Mehrotra & P. R. Panchamukhi.); (8) For Philanthropy or Profit? The Management and Operation of Low-fee Private Schools in India (Prachi Srivastava.); and (9) Private Schools and Political Conflict in Nepal (Martha Caddell.)