Education
EducationOverview of key findings: The cost of secondary education, including fees, other direct costs and opportunity costs constitute the primary barrier to secondary education in most contexts. The costs are often higher for girls than boys. Strategies that address the cost barriers, such as fee elimination and cash transfers are generally effective at increasing girls’… Read more
Research on education and conflict shows that education systems are not politically neutral but are an important part of the political economy that can exacerbate or mitigate conflict. The curriculum can be used as a vehicle to promote dominant ideologies. There are numerous instances where school curricula have been used to oppress particular ethnic groups… Read more
In no region other than Africa is the trade-off drawn more sharply between the achievement of skills development with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and providing universal basic education. Both are important to economic growth and poverty reduction, but the fiscal and administrative capacity of the state to meet both goals is limited…. Read more
The last decade has witnessed a notable increase in the volume of publications on human resource management (HRM) in Africa, particularly in reputable management journals. Yet, within the broader context of the mainstream HRM debate, advances in research and theoretical sophistication have not quite kept pace with the actual practice of management. This is particularly… Read more
This paper argues that foreign aid is partly responsible for the lack of structural change in Africa. Africa’s development partners have devoted too few resources and too little attention to two critical constraints to private investment, infrastructure and skills, focusing instead on easily understood, but potentially low impact regulatory reforms. The author argues that a… Read more
Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) commissions vocational training by engaging training service providers (TSPs) through a competitive bidding process. It designs training schemes that allow for quality and cost competition among training providers from different sectors. Skills for Job 2012 (SFJ 2012) was one of the schemes that had been designed by PSDF to expand… Read more
This publication takes stock of the steadily increasing demands and expectations on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems around the globe and presents recent policy trends in the field of TVET. The authors provide insights into what it takes to unleash the potential of TVET systems around the world. They propose an integrated… Read more
The informal economy has grown in importance within Sub-Saharan Africa, yet there are debates about its role within national economies that appear not to take cognisance of the interests and the weak power base of those working within the informal economy. This article argues that a cross-cultural perspective should be taken in understanding the geopolitical… Read more
Recent studies have illustrated that higher education (HE) is distinctively positioned to make a positive contribution to national economies and societies in the context of the 21st Century global knowledge economy. It is now high on the post 2015 development agenda for national governments and the international development community alike. It is included in Sustainable… Read more
This report synthesises the findings from 2 rigorous literature reviews entitled: The role and impact of private schools in developing countries, and The role and impact of philanthropic and religious schools in developing countries. It aims to bring together and compare and contrast key findings from the 2 reviews, and to identify areas of research… Read more
Higher Education (HE) plays a major role in building a nation’s intellectual capital required for poverty reduction, sustainable development and positive engagement in the global knowledge economy. This topic guide aims to answer the questions, how can the capacity of HE systems and structures in LMICs best be built and how can effective partnerships be generated to best support the process. To answer these questions, the guide presents evidence of the critical role of HE for overall national development, examines the key policy issues and barriers to building capacity in HE in low income settings and reviews the evidence from a number of different innovations that have attempted to overcome these barriers. Read more