Global learning progress remains limited despite rising school enrollment rates
In short: Researchers constructed a new global database covering 164 countries from 2000 to 2017 to track human capital, representing 98% of the world's population. They found that while more children are enrolling in primary and secondary schools, actual progress in learning has been limited globally.
The study used an accounting exercise that incorporates schooling quality to estimate how much knowledge and skills contribute to income differences between nations. The results suggest human capital explains between one-fifth and half of these gaps. A limitation is that the data relies on international achievement tests, which are primarily administered in developed countries.
This research highlights that average estimates often hide significant differences based on a country's economic stage. It also shows this new measure correlates more closely with economic growth than existing indicators like the Human Development Index.
Why it matters: Measuring true learning quality, rather than just school attendance, is essential for understanding global economic development.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Angrist et al. (2021). Measuring human capital using global learning data. Nature. · cc-by
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