Education expansion continues, but is it sustainable?

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/mnt/tmp/tmpBbLE3z EI analysis of Education at a Glance 2008

Education expansion continues, but is it sustainable? Further expansion of education at odds to education as a "public enterprise", OECD says in its annual report Education at a Glance 2008 Introduction OECD has published its annual international indicators survey Education at a Glance 2008. Its main emphasis, as before, is on the effectiveness of education systems. OECD tries to measure this by using internationally comparative indicators. These indicators are constructed, as in previous reports, along three main aspects - "inputs" into education, measured in terms of student enrolment, money, time and resources spent in education; "outputs" from education in terms of students graduation rates, learning outcomes and participation in labour market; and, policy contexts, focused on institutions, organization and management. The main policy conclusions are made based on correlations between these three aspects. The broadest and most far-reaching goal of this survey is to assess and measure the private and social returns to the investment in public education. This clearly economic approach, illustrated by economic concepts and terminology, characteristic of OECD reports in general, but applied here to education, raises the questions as to the role of education in modern knowledge societies. EI believes that education cannot be considered as commodity and has to be maintained as human right, which explains our first and major critical reaction to the Education at a Glance - the report has a limited approach to education in its selection and interpretation of indicators. Yet, Education at a Glance is one of the most outstanding research initiatives in OECD and partner countries, providing policy makers, researchers and educators with broad collection of statistical data which is of course very useful. According to the OECD, governments are paying increasing attention to international comparisons as they search for effective policies that enhance individuals’ social and economic prospects, provide incentives for greater efficiency in schooling, and help to mobilise resources to meet rising demands. Consequently, the OECD Directorate for Education devotes a major effort to the development and analysis of quantitative, internationally comparable indicators that it publishes annually in Education at a Glance. These indicators are intended to enable educational policy makers and practitioners alike to see their education systems in the light of other countries’ performances and, together with OECD’s country policy reviews, are designed to support and review the efforts that governments are making towards policy reform. In the introduction the report puts forward the dilemma of sustaining the expansion of education - mainly at tertiary level. Tough choices or tough times - towards sustainable strategies for investing in expanding education systems is the leading subtitle of this publication. According to the report, OECD governments have high ambitions for their education systems, wanting them to grow both in volume and quality. Yet public budgets face tight constraints, while education remains

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Education expansion continues, but is it sustainable? by Education International - Issuu