Almost any economist will agree that education plays a key role in determining a countryβs economic growth and standard of living, but what we know about education policy in developing countries is remarkably incomplete and scattered over decades and across publications.Education Policy in Developing Countriesrights this wrong, taking stock of twenty years of research to assess what we actually knowβand what we still need to learnβabout effective education policy in the places that need it the most.
Surveying many aspects of educationβfrom administrative structures to the availability of health care to parent and student incentivesβthe contributors synthesize an impressive diversity of data, paying special attention to the gross imbalances in educational achievement that still exist between developed and developing countries. They draw out clear implications for governmental policy at a variety of levels, conscious of economic realities such as budget constraints, and point to crucial areas where future research is needed. Offering a wealth of insights into one of the best investments a nation can make,Education Policy in Developing Countriesis an essential contribution to this most urgent field.