Public Investment In Education Research Articles

The Labor of Division: Returns to Compulsory High School Math Coursework

Despite great focus on and public investment in STEM education, little causal evidence connects quantitative coursework to students’ economic outcomes. I show that state changes in minimum high school math requirements substantially increase black students’ completed math coursework and their later earnings. The marginal student’s return to an additional math course is 10 percent, roughly half the return to a year of high school, and is partly explained by a shift toward more cognitively skilled occupations. Whites’ coursework and earnings are unaffected. Rigorous standards for quantitative coursework can close meaningful portions of racial gaps in economic outcomes.Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.

A Leitura do Literário no Brasil

It is critically consider issues related to Brazilians’ literary education,analyzing how their reader’s history was built (and the myth of the nonreader),in a reading practice sociology approach. We seek to understandwho the readership of colonial Brazil was until the early twentieth century,and how the transition of a European culture consumer’s country to acountry that produces its own culture was. Four major events thatcontributed to promote the reading culture in Brazil are discussed: a) thecensorship abolition in 1820; b) the end of the government monopoly overthe press in 1821; c) the establishment of higher education in Brazil in 1827;d) investments in public education, particularly for women, around 1834; e)the professionalization of writers. The story of the book and readers’education were constituted between the habit of servitude and the desire forfreedom.

Changing Trends in Financing of Higher Education: A Critical Review

<p align="LEFT"> </p><p><em><span style="font-size: medium;">Education in general and higher education in particular has significant favourable influence on economic development, which calls forth investment in the sector by individuals, households and nation as a whole. However, over the years, many developing countries have showed apathy towards development of higher education. They have reduced public investments in higher education, allowed laissez-faireism, and even adopted policies towards marketisation of higher education. To the extent that the markets in developing countries are ‘incomplete’ and ‘imperfect’, the outcomes are also far from perfect. However, to compete in a global knowledge economy and to traverse along the growth path achieved by the developed countries, the developing countries like India have to accord top priority to higher education. To achieve the 12</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">th </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Plan targets of 25.2 percent of GER by 2017 and / or to reach the global target of investing 6 percent of GDP in education, India needs to explore the innovative methods of financing of the sector. In this context, this review paper traces the changing trends of financing higher education across the globe over the years and the entry of private sector into the arena. </span></em></p>

Cultural and Material Resources of Parents and Grandparents and the Educational Outcome of Grandchildren in Europe

Educational attainment depends on parent's material and cultural resources. In many families, the grandparents may also provide resources that directly or indirectly support their children's educational careers. That is why we applied a multigenerational view and tested under what conditions the resources of the grandparents are relevant for the educational careers of the grandchildren.Using life-history data from the third wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE) in Europe, we linked the educational outcomes of children with the cultural and material resources of their parents and grandparents. The results show that the impact of grandparental resources is not negligible. Especially when parents lack resources, the resources of the grandparents can be used as insurance and as a substitute for a lack of parental resources. Grandparents also act as an insurance against economic deficits in the country, specifically grandparental resources can compensate for missing public investments in education.

Desempenho dos gastos públicos em educação e a Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal das capitais brasileiras

The use of public expenditures for education is essential for the development of the national economy; and the Brazilian law of fiscal responsibility determines that municipalities must apply 25% of their tax collections and transfers to public investment in education. In view of this, our study seeks to identify how efficiently the requirements on public spending for education and the Law of Fiscal Responsibility are being met in Brazilian state capital cities. This research is descriptive in nature, using document analysis procedures and quantitative data to study a sample of 26 Brazilian state capitals. It was found that the smaller capital cities have better Basic Education Development Indicators (BEDI) and are meeting the goal of 25% established by the Law of Fiscal Responsibility for investment in education. However, in the state capitals with higher GDP, this does not occur. Results show that greater investments in education are associated with better BEDI, better GDP performance and more schools. Capital cities identified as efficient in this regard were Curitiba, Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Sao Paulo, Teresina and Vitoria.

The fiscal cost of weak governance: Evidence from teacher absence in India

The relative return to strategies that augment inputs versus those that reduce inefficiencies remains a key open question for education policy in low-income countries. Using a new nationally-representative panel dataset of schools across 1297 villages in India, we show that the large public investments in education over the past decade have led to substantial improvements in input-based measures of school quality, but only a modest reduction in inefficiency as measured by teacher absence. In our data, 23.6% of teachers were absent during unannounced school visits, and we estimate that the salary cost of unauthorized teacher absence is $1.5billion/year. We find two robust correlations in the nationally-representative panel data that corroborate findings from smaller-scale experiments. First, reductions in student-teacher ratios are correlated with increased teacher absence. Second, increases in the frequency of school monitoring are strongly correlated with lower teacher absence. Using these results, we show that reducing inefficiencies by increasing the frequency of monitoring could be over ten times more cost effective at increasing the effective student-teacher ratio than hiring more teachers. Thus, policies that decrease the inefficiency of public education spending are likely to yield substantially higher marginal returns than those that augment inputs.

Evaluación de la percepción de un grupo universitario de docentes frente a la educación como fenómeno social en Colombia

Objective: This paper aims to evaluate the perception of a university group of teachers about education as a social phenomenon. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with a group of university teachers in Bogota, Colombia, in October 2014. A survey was applied in order to evaluate the perception about education as a social phenomenon; the data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 19. The population studied consisted of 60 university professors with an average age of 42.2 ± 14.4 years, and with 6.15 years of teaching practice. Male gender was predominant with 53% (n = 32). There were statistically significant differences in the results related to the concept of education (p = 0.05 to 0.00) and to the following items: “Do you consider that investment in public education is enough?” (p = 0.02), “Is education a political model?” (P = 0.03); in aggregate age, “Is access to higher education conceived by the Colombian government with social concern?”, “Does the environment influence the Colombian student’s education development?” (p = 0.02 to 0.00); it was the same case for the interpretive sociology for the item “Are patterns of educational assessment adequate in the country?” (p = 0.04). In conclusion, it was found that there are differences in teachers’ conceptions about the construction of education as a social phenomenon.f education as a social phenomenon by finding differences between the conceptions of it in teaching.

Tax Policy and Human Capital Accumulation in a Resource Constrained Growing Dual Economy

This paper examines the role tax policy can play in fostering human capital accumulation in a resource constrained dual economy whose population is growing. The study shows how human capital accumulation, in turn, affects intersectoral terms of trade and the economic growth process of a dual economy. The dual economy is assumed to consist of two basic sectors, agriculture and manufacturing. Production in agriculture requires unskilled labor and capital whereas production in the manufacturing sector requires skilled and unskilled labor and capital. Schooling facilities are limited and access is rationed by the government. Moreover, schooling requires an investment of time. The paper demonstrates the existence of a unique short run equilibrium. It also demonstrates that the steady state equilibrium is unique and locally stable. Comparative steady state analysis suggests that a balanced budget increase in public investment in education (financed by a tax increase on capital income and/or incomes of skilled workers), alters the terms trade between agriculture and manufacturing sectors and favorably affects the economic growth process.

Public expenditures and the production of education

The relationship between public education expenditures and student outcomes remains an important concern for policy analysts, educational administrators, and the public at large. While previous studies have failed to identify a consistent relationship between public investments in education and positive student outcomes, most analyses have not accounted for the different educational goals associated with various instructional expenditure categories. This study builds on prior research by using Pennsylvania’s public school districts to test proposed improvements in model specification for the traditional education production function. Using longitudinal, fixed-effects models, a detailed disaggregation of instructional expenditures is undertaken in order to account for the likelihood that different instructional subcategories (i.e. regular programming, special education, and vocational instruction) influence student outcomes in varying ways. The results suggest that the impact of expenditures may be understated in previous studies based on a failure to account for these distinctions, particularly in the case of Mathematics education.

From a virtuous cycle of rural-urban education to urban-oriented rural basic education in China: An explanation of the failure of China’s Rural School Mapping Adjustment policy

This paper explores the historical transformation of the rural education system and the mapping of rural schools in ancient, modern and contemporary China to explain the problems of the Rural School Mapping Adjustment (RSMA) policy. The value and purpose of the rural basic education system and school mapping adjustment are “urban priority and urban oriented”, which is the fundamental reason for the failure of the RSMA. A diachronic study of the history of China’s urban-rural relationship indicates that the relationship of traditional China’s urban-rural education was a virtuous cycle in which the city and the countryside were completely equal and reinforced each other. The promotion of modern education in the late Qing Dynasty severely undermined that virtuous cycle, leading to an urban-oriented rural education and the destruction of traditional values and a loss of the traditional ways of teaching. Although China has attempted to reduce the disparity between cities and the countryside by increasing the public financial investment in rural basic education after achieving a universal basic education, our case study in a village in North China demonstrates that the urban-oriented school mapping adjustment takes a toll on the rural area and exacerbates the problem of educational inequality, which actually increases the gap between urban and rural areas and between the rich and the poor. The conclusion is reached that the Chinese government should strive to develop a rural-oriented and rights-based rural basic education system and school mapping adjustment.

Political Rivalry Effects on Human Capital Accumulation and Inequality: A New Political Economy Approach

AbstractWe propose an endogenous growth model with new political economy elements in order to (1) examine how political incentives affect economic allocations and (2) study the effects of political rivalry on human capital accumulation and income inequality. Focusing on two important policies affecting economic performance—fiscal policy and public investments in human capital accumulation—we find that different political incentives have distinct effects on policies and economic allocations. We also find that political rivalry increases income inequality and reduces economic growth and human capital accumulation through its negative impact on public investments in education, wages and individual learning choice.

Assessment of employment potential for fisheries professionals in India

This paper reports the results of an assessment of human capital requirement in fisheries sector in India using a mixed methodology. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a nationwide survey covering employers and various stakeholders as well as focus group discussions. The results indicated that the estimated number of 5,140 fisheries science graduates in 2010, at current levels of output, would reach 6,700 by 2020, against the estimated demand of 28,400 in that year. Aquaculture, fish farming and processing are the major employment subsectors for fisheries professionals. Experts pointed to the need for more public investment in fisheries research and education to increase quality of human resources. The study indicates emerging demand for technicians and skilled workers to cater to the needs at lower levels in almost all subsectors of fisheries.

Assessment of employment potential for fisheries professionals in India

This paper reports the results of an assessment of human capital requirement in fisheries sector in India using a mixed methodology. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a nationwide survey covering employers and various stakeholders as well as focus group discussions. The results indicated that the estimated number of 5,140 fisheries science graduates in 2010, at current levels of output, would reach 6,700 by 2020, against the estimated demand of 28,400 in that year. Aquaculture, fish farming and processing are the major employment subsectors for fisheries professionals. Experts pointed to the need for more public investment in fisheries research and education to increase quality of human resources. The study indicates emerging demand for technicians and skilled workers to cater to the needs at lower levels in almost all subsectors of fisheries.

Educational Debt in the Context of Career Planning: A Qualitative Exploration of Medical Student Perceptions

ABSTRACTPhenomenon: Medical students in the United States face increasing educational debt because medical education costs have risen while public investment in higher education has declined. Contemporary students borrow more money and accumulate debt far surpassing that of previous generations of physicians, and both interest rates and terms of loan repayment have changed significantly in the last decade. As a result, the experiences of medical students differ from the experiences of physician educators. Little is known about how contemporary medical students view their debt in the context of career planning. Understanding contemporary U.S. medical students’ lived experiences of educational debt is important, because high debt levels may affect medical students’ well-being and professional development. Approach: The study's purpose was to explore contemporary students’ views of their debt in the context of career planning. In 2012, 2nd-year medical students enrolled in a health policy course at one medical school were invited to write an essay about how debt influences their career choices. The authors analyzed 132 essays using immersion and crystallization and iterative, team-based coding. Code-recode strategies, member checking, and reflexivity ensured validity and rigor. Findings: Three themes emerged about the meaning of debt: debt symbolizes lack of social investment, debt reinforces a sense of entitlement, and debt is a collective experience. Four approaches to debt management emerged: anticipation, avoidance, acceptance, and disempowerment. Insights: Medical students’ views of debt are more complex than previously reported. Medical educators should recognize that many students experience debt as a stressor, acknowledge students’ emotions about debt, and invite discussion about the culture of entitlement in medical education and how this culture affects students’ professionalism. At the same time, educators should emphasize that students have many repayment options and that regardless of specialty choice, most physicians repay their debts without significant difficulty. Further exploration is needed of the relationships between the amount of debt owed, students’ attitudes toward their debt, and other student characteristics. Because students experience debt in a range of ways, more nuanced approaches to understanding and reframing student perceptions of debt are necessary.

Equity and the “B” Word: Budgeting and Professional Capacity in Student Affairs

The dual pressures of the national college completion agenda and diminished public investment in higher education have led to a growing reliance on performance-based policies. Using a policy implementation framework, this qualitative study examines the implementation of a performance-based budgeting model at a broad-access urban research university and its implications for student affairs practice. The findings revealed a need for increased capacity within student affairs to better align resources with student success and equity objectives.

The Effects of Improved Roads on Wages and Employment: Evidence from Rural Labour Markets in Indonesia

This paper examines the impact of road quality on labour supply and wages using household panel data from rural Indonesia. The analysis uses fixed-effect instrumental variable estimation by first differencing two-round panel data. First, road projects are found to increase the transportation speed. Second, the empirical results from intra-village variations of household endowments and labour-market behaviour show that an increase in transportation speed raised wages in both non-agricultural and agricultural employment, and was associated with a decline in working time in agricultural employment, for the households whose members are relatively educated. The findings support potential complementarity between road quality and education, implying that the government’s public investments in roads and education should be coordinated to capture cross-augmenting positive impacts in the long run.

Effects of political rivalry on public investments in education and income inequality

In this paper we intend to empirically examine the impact of political rivalry on four selected macroeconomic variables: public investments in education, school enrollment, GDP per capita and income inequality. We first construct a political rivalry indicator and examine how it varies across different groups of countries. We then perform a series of regressions and find that in lower income countries there is a significant negative impact of political rivalry on the selected variables, while in higher income countries the impact is weaker. This suggests that the channels linking political rivalry to macroeconomic variables differ with the development level.

Technical Efficiency of Cocoa Production in Southwest Nigeria

In this study, we investigate the profitability of cocoa enterprise, the technical efficiency, and drivers of efficiency among cocoa farmers, in southwest Nigeria. Data were collected through the use of well structured questionnaires administered to farmers in selected cocoa producing states. For enterprise profitability, the gross margin analysis was used while the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric approach, was used to analyse technical efficiency and the OLS regression to profile socio-economic variables that affect technical efficiency. A majority of farmers were male with a mean age of 55.01±16.74 years, mean household size of about 7.28±3.79 members and about thirty-five percent without any formal education. Over eighty percent had more than 10 years of cocoa farming experience with the average age of cocoa trees being 30.38 ±17.92 years. Cocoa was found to be a profitable enterprise, although returns in Ekiti state were higher. The majority of cocoa farmers were relatively technically efficient in their use of resources, with a mean technical efficiency of 0.8126. Farmers in Ekiti state are most technically efficient with a mean of 0.8922 followed by Ondo state with a mean of 0.8132 while Osun state has the least mean of 0.7323. Education was positively and significantly associated with efficiency, while area of land and age of cocoa trees negatively affects technical efficiency. This indicates that public investments in education have complementary and synergistic effects on improved cocoa technical efficiency, and younger cocoa trees should be planted by farmers in southwest Nigeria. Key words: Cocoa production, Profitability, technical efficiency, DEA, Southwest

Policing, Schooling and Human Capital Accumulation

A substantial body of empirical and policy literature argues that greater investment in schools can be a powerful tool against criminality and violence. On the other hand, recent work has demonstrated that low levels of public safety can have serious detrimental effects on educational outcomes. This paper develops a model to analyze the roles that investments in education and public safety have for student's educational attainment, and focuses on exploring the optimal balance between the two public programs. The model analyzes individual decisions to acquire violence related skills (street capital) at the expense of human capital accumulation in a setting where the former can serve to protect one’s property or expropriate that of others. Therefore, if the level of public safety, which helps prevent violent confrontations, is low, the incentives to study will also be lower. Moreover, the agents who accumulate more human capital and hence are more productive suffer a comparative disadvantage in exerting violence because their opportunity cost of doing so is higher. The paper finds, therefore, that if investments in public education increase the productivity spread between adult agents of different ability, the incentives to study might further decrease and lead to a lower output, showing that the benefits of schooling can only be seized if they are complemented with enough public safety.

Explaining Catch-Up in Human Development: A Political Economy Comparisons on the Philippines and Viet Nam Since 1986

The Philippines and Viet Nam are the two most populous countries in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. This paper examines the underlying reasons for their contrasting human development and growth experiences since 1986 from a political economy perspective. By a sequenced combination of market liberalization, land reform, and public investments in health and education, plus large aid and foreign direct investment inflows, Viet Nam generated broad-based, sustained, and rapid economic growth. Viet Nam’s authoritarian but socially inclusive governments then used progressive taxation and inter-provincial transfers to translate this growth into human development outcomes. In contrast, in the Philippines, traditional elites were able to dominate the democratic process, capture rents and divert resources away from investment in human development and infrastructure, thereby stifling a short-lived growth acceleration. The Philippines has also been caught in a low-revenue, low-expenditure trap due to its porous and regressive tax system and self-reinforcing internal revenue allotment mechanism. While not without their drawbacks, economic growth and human development in Viet Nam have therefore been more inclusive, as well as faster, than in the Philippines.