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