Education’s Impact on Economic Growth

Among the recommendations from “Education at a Glance 2012,” a report released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is that governments should increase investment in early childhood programs and make higher education more accessible in order to reduce inequality, boost social mobility, and improve employment opportunities.

This report was released against the backdrop of a downturn in the global economy, which for many OECD countries has worsened educational equality.  “Countries need an increasingly educated and skilled workforce to succeed in today’s knowledge economy,” stated OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. This requires laying strong foundations for learning at an early age.  Other factors that boost education equality, according to the report, are greater investment in public education and keeping schools mixed in terms of social backgrounds.

Education at a Glance 2012 includes OECD analysis on the impact of learning, financial investment on education, educational access from early childhood to adult learning, and the learning environment and organization of schools.  The report provides comparable national statistics about education for the 34 OECD member countries, as well as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.

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Education at a Glance 2012: OECD Indicators

Education spending rising by access to higher education remains unequal in most countries, says OECD