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This paper is the second in a set of two on the extent to which Catholic and other faith-based schools are serving the poor well. Catholic and other faith-based schools reach millions of children who live in poverty, yet this does not necessarily mean that they are serving these children well enough. The paper considers two separate issues. First, beyond academic subjects, Catholic and other faith-based schools emphasise learning related to values and religion. Do they succeed in doing so? Based on small sample survey data and qualitative fieldwork, as well as broader data on parental satisfaction with schools, the paper provides a tentative and mostly positive answer to this question, at least from the view of parents. The second issue is where performance is weaker. Education systems are affected by a learning crisis in the developing world. All schools should ensure that students learn, but too often this is not the case. The second part of the paper documents this learning crisis and the fact that Catholic and other faith-based schools are not immune to it. This is done in part through a rapid review of the recent World Development Report on education's promise, and a companion piece for sub-Saharan Africa. Estimates of performance for selected African countries are also provided. The results are sobering: too many children are not learning while in school. Finally, the paper briefly summarises evidence from the literature on interventions that could improve learning, including in Catholic and faith-based schools. [For Part I of the series, see EJ1206878.]

The article explores a historical case on the faith-inspired education in Ghana as faith-inspired schools (FISs) have distinguished tradition in sub-Saharan Africa. It presents the history of mission schools divided into pre- and post-independence periods, the origin of Islamic education in Ghana and the role of missionary education in the colonial oppression and suppression of African culture. The significant advocacy voice of Christian and Islamic bodies in educational policy is outlined.

The article presents a qualitative evidence in Burkina Faso and Ghana on what drives the choice of faith-inspired schools (FISs) by households. It explores the parental motivations to send children to Christian, Islamic, and public schools, and at the extent to which parents are satisfied with the schools. It reveals that faith and values matter a lot for the choice of a school for parents who chose to send their children to FISs.

The article presents a case study of comparative assessment of the public, private and faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Ghana. It explores the differences between various types of schools in terms of whether they reach primarily urban or rural households as well as households from different levels of well-being. It reveals that FISs have a large market share, able to manage to keep their fees low and provide higher-quality services than public schools.

The article discusses the role of faith-inspired institutions(FIIs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in providing health services and response efforts for HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana. It explores the health programs and activities of Christian health institutions and Christian churches in Ghana. It details the health services provided by FIIs in the aspects of market share participation, differences in the services provided, and the patient satisfaction of the services received.

A simple decomposition is provided to analyse the gender gap in educational attainment with an application to Ghana. The decomposition considers six conditional steps required for completing high school, namely starting and completing primary school, starting and completing junior high school, and starting and completing senior high school. Using household surveys parameters are estimated conditionally on having completed the previous step. By estimating the decomposition over time and comparing parameters between groups, we are able to assess whether the gender gap is being reduced over time and where dropping out takes place in the education system for various groups. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]