This working paper describes the growing influence of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in managing schools in the developing world. Promoted as a market-based reform to address state failure, PPPs often fall short and do more harm than good. This analysis lays out how PPSs are negotiated, what governments should consider before entering PPPs, why many PPPs have not lived up to expectations, what governments may do to extricate themselves from disappointing PPSs, and how other paths to school improvement stand to be much more effective. Among those paths drawn from school systems in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America are participatory governance, high-quality teacher training, more teacher autonomy, and greater equity in school funding.

Publisher’s Note: IPSEP working papers are distinct in content and style from other NEPC publications. They are “works in progress” by academics offering cutting-edge analyses of developments in educational privatization. Though not peer reviewed, they typically represent early versions of articles to be submitted to refereed academic journals. As such, their primary audience is academics, but they also serve the wider community of policymakers and practitioners by providing a first look at the latest research in the field.

Suggested Citation: Adamson, F., Tanega, A., & Walker, J. (2025). Demystifying education public-private partnerships: What every policymaker should know. Boulder, CO: International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization, National Education Policy Center. Retrieved [date], from http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/ipsep-working-paper-2