Sources: Demirgüç-Kunt and Torre (2022); World Bank Human Capital Index Database.
Note: This graph plots, for every country with available data, the quality of higher (vertical axis) against the quality of basic education (horizontal axis). The grey straight line shows the predicted quality of higher education conditional on the quality of basic education. The dashed horizontal line indicates the region’s average quality of basic education, and the dashed vertical line indicates the average quality of higher education. The quality of basic education is proxied by the country’s average harmonized test score (HLO score) from the World Bank Human Capital Index Database. The quality of higher education is proxied by the aggregate university quality score (Demirgüç-Kunt and Torre 2022).
What Can Be Done?
There are cost-effective interventions to reverse the decline in the quality of basic education. Among them are the provision of information on the educational system to parents, principals, teachers, and students; supporting teachers with strengthened training and structured pedagogy; and teaching at the right level – i.e., targeting teaching instruction by learning level, not grade. Raising the prestige of the teaching profession and bringing in younger and more motivated teachers is essential. But stronger reforms may be needed, including a revamp of VET systems. This should include raising the age of selection and emphasizing closer collaboration between the industry and educational institutions. If VET systems cannot deliver the skills that students will need in a dynamic labor market, it is better to reconsider their size and format altogether.
Improvements in the quality of higher education can only come from better management, focus on merit, and greater accountability. These include increased reliance on competitive grants, enhanced competition for students and faculty, and regular assessments. Universities are also more productive when they are both more autonomous and face more competition. Merging research institutes with universities in countries where they are separated will help bring research closer to teaching and help bolster quality.
A high-quality education system, particularly at the tertiary level, is paramount to fostering innovation and driving economic growth. The best time to act on these crucial reforms in ECA was a decade or two ago. The second-best time is now.
Source link : https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/europeandcentralasia/improve-education-to-reach-high-income-status-in-europe-and-cent
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Publish date : 2024-10-17 10:08:00
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