Abstract
The rise of education features prominently in the debate on the sources of modern economic growth. Existing accounts stress the importance of popular demand for its public provision. We argue that such an explanation for the spread of schooling is a poor fit for many nations’ schooling histories, such as Imperial Austria. We show that in the Austrian case, schooling and economic development had limited impact on each other; that the popular demand for schooling was weak and that the push for school expansion came mainly from the top of the political hierarchy.
Highlights
Across the industrialized world, economic modernization historically went hand in hand with the emergence of modern mass schooling
Using the Austrian institution of school patronage (Schulpatronat), we show that the central authorities and aristocratic elites, not the mass of villagers in local communities, were the most determined and single-minded, if not always successful, force for the extension of schooling in Austria
The analysis reveals several important features of the Habsburg educational system
Summary
Economic modernization historically went hand in hand with the emergence of modern mass schooling. Proposals regarding the provision of schooling count among core policy recommendations issued to developing countries around the world (Easterlin 1981) Apart from these economic considerations, primary and secondary education has historically served as a vehicle of political. As we discuss in greater detail, when the masses support schooling, they expect to benefit from the economic advance and modernization that it enables In those circumstances, traditional elites (such as landed aristocracy) are usually the main bulwark of opposition. Traditional elites (such as landed aristocracy) are usually the main bulwark of opposition This line of argument, recently revisited by Lindert (2004), Go and Lindert (2010), Mariscal and Sokoloff (2000) and others, sees modern growth as a consequence of (among other things) the rise of national public systems of education which themselves were the product of broadened political voice and mass electoral support for tax-based schooling. High enrollment and high public outlays are not a boon to the economy but only a costly burden
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