Public Investment In Education Research Articles

Skills mismatches in Cambodian higher education: Major causes and possible solutions

Higher education in Cambodia has made noteworthy strides in recent years. However, as the country experiences rapidly evolving economic needs and technological advancements, the mismatch between the skills graduates possess and those demanded by the job market remains a focal point of discussion. This article aims to discuss the issue of skills mismatches in higher education in Cambodia. It provides an understanding of skills mismatches in Cambodian higher education and delves into the major causes of this pressing issue, including limited public investment in higher education, limited involvement of concerned stakeholders, limited use of up-to-date curricula and teaching methods, limited English proficiency, lack of career guidance for students, and a low level of research engagement among Cambodian academics. The article offers solutions to address this pressing issue by emphasizing potential measures, such as providing sufficient orientation to students on the selection of majors in higher education, enhancing government-university-industry linkages, establishing a clear roadmap for improving higher education quality, modernizing curricula and teaching methods, encouraging learner autonomy and a culture of lifelong learning, promoting diversity and inclusion in higher education, enhancing the circulation of information about the job market and industrial needs, and improving the quality and research capacity of faculty members. The article argues that addressing skills mismatches in Cambodian higher education requires a genuine reform and concerted efforts from all concerned stakeholders. It concludes with suggestions for future research.

Public Investment in Short-Cycle Tertiary Vocational Education: Historical, Longitudinal, and Fixed-Effects Analyses of Developed and Less-Developed Countries

We use three analytic steps to examine public investment in short-cycle tertiary education. First, reviewing the historical development, the literature reveals that national and regional policies on educational development emphasized bachelor’s programs in vocational education in the early twenty-first century, especially in the EU. This historical background informs the longitudinal trend analysis in the second step of the educational and public investment variables (2000–2018) in our econometric analysis. The combined descriptive studies illuminate competitive advantages for EU and ASEAN nations in networks emphasizing open economic and academic exchange. Third, the fixed-effects analysis indicates a higher level of investment in general tertiary education per student, associated with a lower enrollment level in short-cycle vocational and technical tertiary programs. Using insights from this three-step process, we explore the implications of a nation’s capacity to invest in short-cycle tertiary programs as part of economic development and the pursuit of social equity within and across countries. Specifically, we conclude that short-cycle programs are a step toward integrating vocational education into programs in polytechnics and other higher education institutions.

Public Spending and Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on Inclusive Growth In Indonesia: A Spatial Approach

Inclusive growth results in equal access to the benefits of growth and, by that, reduces disparities. Public spending plays an important role in supporting economic growth and people's welfare. On the other hand, financial inclusion has the ability to expand opportunities to participate in growth. Using data on government spending and financial inclusion in 34 provinces in Indonesia in 2015-2019, this study aims to examine the link between the two towards inclusive growth. As a result, spending on education and financial inclusion, as well as investment and trade openness, can promote inclusive growth. Expanding access to education as a result of public investment in education will boost labor capacity and productivity. Meanwhile, access to more affordable credit will be realized through an inclusive financial system. Conversely, due to health development gaps, health spending has a negative impact on inclusive growth. The spatial error model with queen contiguity spatial weight matrix shows a significant spatial effect on the error term or residual. The implication is that policies for expanding education, health, and digital access as well as increasing investment and financial literacy need to be carried out to ensure people's affordability to economic opportunities by considering regional aspects.

Efficiency of Public Investments in Education and Economic Growth in the CEMAC

Efficiency of Public Investments in Education and Economic Growth in the CEMAC

Factors Affecting the Rate of Child Dropout from Multiple Angles

The research background of this study is based on the phenomenon of children out of school worldwide. In the 21st century when the economy is highly developed, the problem of children out of school still exists. In order to protect children's right to education, it is of great significance to reduce the rate of children out of school. The research theme of this study is "Factors affecting the rate of child dropout from multiple perspectives", and the main research methods are literature analysis, comparative analysis and statistical analysis. The results show that the country's economic level, education expenditure and the proportion of public education investment all have a significant impact on the child dropout rate, and the child dropout rate is significantly correlated with it, while gender has no significant impact on the child dropout rate, and the child dropout rate is higher in poor areas, and the lack of education investment seriously affects the improvement of the level of education development and the popularization of compulsory education. The conclusion of this study is that implementing the compulsory education system and increasing the economic investment in the field of education can reduce the dropout rate of children and protect children's right to education.

Uranium and the Macro-Economy in Niger: An Empirical Investigation

Like many commodities, uranium price is notoriously volatile, and such volatility can have serious economic consequences for countries that export them. Niger, which is the fourth-largest producer of uranium in the world, has been dealing with uranium price fluctuations since the start of its production in 1972. Since 2011, Niger is also an oil-exporting country. However, Niger is still one of the poorest countries in the world, and policymakers are keen on learning the impact of natural resource revenue on the economy. Policymakers are particularly interested in knowing whether uranium export has been a curse instead of a blessing. As such, the present study seeks to analyze, empirically, the impact of uranium price fluctuations on key macroeconomic variables in Niger. More precisely, the objective of this article is to document the existence of Dutch "disease" or lack thereof in the economy. The study uses VAR and VECM methodologies and utilizes Granger causality tests, variance decomposition, and impulse response functions to guide the analysis. These approaches allow for an empirical deeper dive into the impact of the uranium sector on the economy. The article uses annual time series data covering the period from 1977 to 2015. The data comes from three main sources, including the World Development Indicators (WDI) database, the Central Bank of West African Countries dataset (EDEN), and Niger's National Institute of Statistics (INS) dataset. The results show that Niger's economy suffered from Dutch disease from uranium export. Indeed, the Granger causality tests show that uranium export revenue cannot be used to forecast real income in Niger. Furthermore, impulse response functions confirm the above result as a shock to uranium price and the resultant effects on money supply, inflation, and the real exchange rate is consistent with the Dutch "disease" theory. In general, uranium export revenue was the source of macroeconomic imbalances observed in the country during the period considered by the study. Now that Niger is also an exporter of oil in addition to uranium, policymakers should avoid the trap of Dutch "disease" by investing natural resources revenue strategically. Given Niger's development challenges, using natural resources revenue for public investment in infrastructure, health, and education should be a priority.

Can impoverished family nurture rich sons any more? The effect of household income on intergenerational transmission of education: Evidence from China.

Family investment in education is an important variable influencing the educational attainment of children. Family investment in education is influenced by family income, and the increase in family income gap will aggravate the inequity of education and enhance the degree of intergenerational transmission of education. But the above theories need to be further tested in reality. This paper uses the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to verify the role of Chinese family income on intergenerational transmission of education through the education transition matrix and the mediating effect model, and examines the effect of college expansion policy on the mediating effect of family income on intergenerational transmission of education. The results show that: (1) The education level of parents has obvious transmissibility to the education level of children. The solidification rate of intergenerational transmission of education between parents and children is 25.72%, the upward mobility rate is 60.58% and the downward mobility rate is 13.70%. (2) The mediating effect model shows that the total effect of the parents' education level on children's education level is 0.279 and the direct effect is 0.272, and the family income plays a mediating effect in the intergenerational transmission of education, and the mediating degree reaches about 2.6%. (3) The expansion of higher education provides more opportunities for children of society, especially lower-middle-income families, to receive higher education, which weakens the mediating effect of family income in the intergenerational transmission of education. The findings of this paper provide support for policymakers to increase public investment in education.

Public expenditure in education at all levels (primary, secondary, and higher) in Bhutan: A critical analysis

This critical analysis delves into the allocation and utilization of public expenditure in education across all levels in Bhutan, including primary, secondary, and higher education. The study aims to provide valuable insights into how public funds are distributed and used within Bhutan's education system. By conducting this analysis, we seek to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in education funding and policy-making to enhance the overall effectiveness of public investment in education for the betterment of Bhutan's educational system and its citizens. The research employs a secondary data research method, allowing for an in-depth analysis of extensive datasets without the need for primary data collection. This method ensures efficiency and enables researchers to gain valuable insights into the education system and its funding. In 2015, public expenditure on education accounted for 25.5% of the total government expenditure in Bhutan. This marked a substantial increase from the previous year's figure of 17%. This is a positive trend that indicates a growing commitment to education. Expenditure in primary education increased significantly, rising from 32% in the previous year to 57% in 2015. This highlights the government's emphasis on foundational education, which is crucial for building a strong educational base. Expenditure per student in secondary education showed fluctuations, with a figure of 53.9% in 2014. However, there was an overall upward trend in expenditure per student from 1971 to 2014. This suggests that while secondary education is receiving attention, there may be room for more consistent funding. Tertiary education received 10.3% of the expenditure in 2014, although there were fluctuations in funding over the years. Ensuring adequate funding for tertiary education is crucial, as it plays a vital role in producing a skilled workforce that can contribute significantly to the nation's development. The analysis reveals that public spending on education as a percentage of GDP experienced fluctuations, with some years witnessing significant increases or decreases. Consistent education funding is vital for Bhutan's socioeconomic progress. This analysis emphasizes the need for stable investment in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. It highlights the evolving budget priorities and underscores education's critical role in Bhutan's development. Policymakers should use these findings toensuresustained and balanced education investment forlong-termprosperity.

Public investment and human capital with segmented labour markets

Abstract We develop a dynamic general equilibrium macroeconomic model with segmented labour markets and efficiency wages to examine how labour market structures influence the impact of human capital investment in low-income countries. For plausible calibration values, public investment in education is much more effective than infrastructure investment in promoting long-run economic development, but because investment in education affects labour productivity with a lag, policymakers face an intertemporal trade-off which depends on their social discount rate and the weight of distributional objectives in the social welfare function. We show the distortionary structure of labour markets matters in leveraging welfare gains from public investment and in shifting the optimal public investment programme further in favour of human capital, relative to the case of flex-wage full-employment labour markets.

Democracy, rural inequality, and education spending

Much research suggests democracies invest more in human capital formation than dictatorships. In particular, scholars have suggested that democracies outspend autocracies on education, due to electoral and interest group pressures. However, some democracies spend no more on education - and some spend much less - than autocracies. What explains this variation within democracies? The answer is the influence of landed agricultural elites. Urban industrial elites support human capital investment because it leads to higher rates of return even if wages increase. Yet greater education spending encourages out-migration from the countryside, reducing the supply and increasing the price of agricultural labor. Given the differential impact of education spending across economic sectors, the effect of democracy on education spending may be conditional on the power of landed elites. We test this argument in two ways. First, we run a series of time series cross-sectional regressions on data from 107 countries for the period 1970 to 2000. Second, we conduct a difference-in-difference analysis, comparing countries that democratize at high versus low levels of land inequality, for 73 countries for the same time period. Results confirm a negative relationship between the power of landed elites and investment in public education under democracy, adding important and novel insight into the sources of differences in public-goods spending and human capital investment both within across political regimes.

It is time to fix the low financing trap: public spending on education revisited

PurposeThis paper aims to explore whether there is a “low financing trap” that results in underfunding of education systems in low and lower middle income countries (LICs and LMICs). It shows public investment in education has not increased over the last two decades despite extensive advocacy and has equilibrated at about 4% of GDP. More than 6% of GDP is needed to achieve the sustainable development goals.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses large scale data from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and the World Bank to analyse patterns of investment across sub-Saharan Africa. The most recent data downloaded in 2022 are used for each country. The analysis uses time series analysis to show how flows of resources for education have evolved and illustrates the limits to growth.FindingsThe research develops a taxonomy of countries and identifies three bands of effort for investment in education. Individual countries tend to remain in the same band of expenditure level and only the highest band countries are likely to be able to finance their development goals from their own resources between now and 2030. Escape from the low financing trap is critical for future educational development.Originality/valueInnovative approaches to external assistance are needed which recognise that domestic revenues are at the heart of sustainable financing and that greater efficiency and effectiveness are critical to sustainable solutions. The priority is to accelerate the development of fiscal states, which can finance public goods from domestic revenue and make good use of concessionary assistance.

Public overspending in higher education

AbstractWe study the trade‐off between governmental investments in pretertiary and tertiary education from an efficiency point of view. We develop a model comprising agents with different incomes and abilities, public and private schools, and public universities that select applicants based on an admission exam. Reallocating governmental resources from tertiary to pretertiary education may positively affect aggregate production and human capital if some conditions are satisfied. For instance, in an economy with a high proportion of credit‐constrained students, a reallocation of expenditure toward public schools benefits many students, compensating for the negative effect of a decrease in public university investments. We also quantitatively investigate the optimal allocation of public investment between pretertiary and tertiary education, and we find that a 10% increase in productivity of public investments in pretertiary education could increase the optimal GDP between 2.1% and 3%.

Information provision and preferences toward tuition introduction in public universities: evidence from a survey experiment in Afghanistan

ABSTRACT Public higher education is chronically under-funded in developing countries, making private investment necessary for human capital development. We investigate if information provision mobilizes support for private investment in public higher education by employing an online RCT in Afghanistan. We find that information cues impact respondents’ support for how education should be financed. Respondents that received information about the current amount of funding devoted to different levels of education (including tuition amounts for private tertiary programs), became more partial to prioritizing public funding for primary and secondary education over tertiary education but also became more supportive of tuition introduction in public universities.

Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties

Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties

Colonial Origins of Comparative Development in Ghana

A striking feature of Ghana’s development landscape is the stark development disparity between a relatively developed South and a trailing North. Explanations for the disparity have often been hinged on differences in geography and past colonial experience. In this study, I provide an empirical justification for the historical hypothesis that the dynamics of colonial rule contributed significantly to the development divergence between the North and the South. I exploit the asymmetric regional distribution of past colonial public investments in education, health and infrastructure to show that the dynamics of colonial rule explain a significant portion of the development disparity between the two regions. I also survey compelling historical anecdotes to show that prior to the colonial project the North was a relatively prosperous region.

Fostering Inclusive Growth in Indonesia: Evidence from Panel Regression Analysis

An inclusive development does not only rely on economic growth but also on the creation of equitable access to growth outcomes. Government spending has an important role in promoting efficiency and economic growth as well as equity. Meanwhile, financial inclusion is believed to be able to expand opportunities to contribute to growth. Previous studies have proven the influence of both on inclusive growth with varying results. This study aims to analyze the impact of government spending in the fields of health, education, economy, and social protection, as well as financial inclusion on inclusive growth. Using panel data from 34 provinces in Indonesia in 2015-2019, this study applies a random effects model. The results show that education spending and the level of financial inclusion can foster inclusive growth. This finding confirms that public investment in education will expand access to education to increase human capital and labor productivity, as well as competitiveness and wages, while the inclusiveness of financial services increases access to more affordable credit. On the other hand, economic spending has a negative impact on inclusive growth due to the development gap. Meanwhile, health and social protection spending have no impact on inclusive growth. The implication is that health and economic spending policies must be directed at ensuring people's access to more equitable economic opportunities. Monitoring and provision of a more active social assistance also needs to be improved.

Regional favouritism and education development

ABSTRACT Regional studies have found significant agglomeration effects of education development on economic growth. Regional favouritism is potentially closely related to public investment in education, further impacting regional growth. This paper provides significant empirical evidence on the potential impact of favouritism on education development in the Chinese context. Using data for 282 Chinese cities from 1996 to 2016 with treatment for endogeneity (Lewbel two-stage least squares estimator), the results provide evidence that Chinese provincial political leaders favour their birthplaces’ education resource development, and that the effect is larger for within-provincial impact and higher tier cities ranked by income.

Water stored in cisterns of vulnerable communities in the region of Mato Grande/Rio Grande do Norte: Quality analysis and proposals for viable social technologies.

This article aims to assess the quality of water stored in cisterns, particularly in houses in the Mato Grande Region, an area in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, which has benefited from social government programs. Firstly, a survey was applied to the local population to collect information about the stored water (origin, uses, and treatment methods performed). Subsequently, water samples were collected to perform microbiological analyses. The results show that water is primarily used for many purposes, including drinking. Also, all samples were contaminated by Escherichia coli, a fecal coliform bacterium responsible for many diseases and health problems. These findings suggest the urgent need for public policies and investment in technologies, education, and social development to prevent the proliferation of pathogens in the reservoirs. In addition, the article discusses the most viable alternatives to ensure potable water consumption in disadvantaged populations: the development and large-scale implementation of low-cost intervention methodologies, for example, Social Technologies (TS), that are currently discussed in Brazil by different sectors. Through these actions, a plausible solution is being demonstrated to assist with social needs and, as a result, allow the effective reduction of the social exclusion of individuals in complete alignment with the different pillars of sustainable development established by the United Nations Organization (UN).

ANÁLISE DO INVESTIMENTO PÚBLICO NA EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA E O DESEMPENHO DOS ALUNOS EM AVALIAÇÕES NACIONAIS NO ESTADO DE GOIÁS DURANTE O PERÍODO DE 2012 A 2019.

The article aimed to evaluate the public investments in basic education and the students' scores in national assessments in the state of Goiás from 2012 to 2019 and analyze the similarity between these factors in order to determine whether greater financial resources are associated with better school performance. The research methodology, characterized as exploratory, quantitative and bibliographic, was developed through correlation analysis, the data used to measure both the investment per state, per student, and the result of the scores in the evaluations were obtained from the National Treasury page, Siope and INEP. The results indicated that over the years the investment per student increased as well as their performance in the SAEB test, except in the years 2017 and 2019 that presented a drop in the investment per student, but the resource distributed to the State and the expenses in the area of education were disproportionate, because, a higher total amount was distributed to the State, but 70% of it was not spent, however, the performance of students in national assessments had progressively increased. Thus, we note that it is not a general rule to make a larger investment and obtain better results, the correlation was significant, but may be affected by other situations not analyzed in this study.

Social value of bird conservation on private forest lands in Pennsylvania, USA

Global biodiversity is in decline due to factors such as land-use change, pollution, and climate change. Birds contribute to biodiversity in several ways; one way, in particular, is by cultivating public support for habitat conservation by being a socially desirable category of wildlife. To understand the social value of bird conservation on private forest lands in Pennsylvania, a statewide web survey was used containing psychometric scales and choice experiment questions (n = 690). The data collected was used to identify important attitudinal positions and estimate statewide demand for bird conservation programs on private lands under different policy options. Mean household WTP was estimated to be $11.83 annually, and statewide demand was estimated to exceed $47 million annually. Nonuse and cultural values underpinned much of the utility associated with the proposed habitat conservation programs. Findings suggest investment in both public education and bird conservation on private lands is a legitimate strategy for mitigating biodiversity loss and enhancing social welfare.