Page 65 - Education for Development:George Psacharopoulos University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
P. 65

Education for Development:

                                        What Policies?






                                          George Psacharopoulos

                                University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA


                                              Introduction



                       Conventional wisdom today, is that education is a catalyst for economic
                   and social development. Yet, there is no universal agreement on what specific
                   education policies lead to beneficial socioeconomic outcomes. This is evidenced

                   by the continuous education reforms in all countries, rich or poor, that soon have
                   to be replaced by other reforms in the hope of improving the system.

                       The purpose of this paper is to take stock of what education policies seem
                   to work and what do not. Section 2 reviews the education-related problems that
                   all countries face and policy solutions that have failed. Section 3 provides a
                   theoretical framework and reviews research findings on the many links between

                   education and socioeconomic outcomes. Section 4 presents a series of evidence-
                   based policies for a more efficient and equitable education system.



                             Common Problems, Failed Solutions


                       “Education crisis” is found in the title of many books and scholarly articles

                   yielding over 200,000 references in an internet search, e.g. Fleisch, 2008;
                   Gandara, 2010; Blumenstyk, 2015. Although education problems are similar in
   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70