Investing in Human Capital (Education News and Research 136)

Proud to present Human Capital Index at high level forum in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where HCI = 0.53, meaning child born today will achieve only half of their potential by time they turn 18

Learning for all: the essential role of teachers in inclusive education |  Hanna Alasuutari | Inclusive education has been a universally acknowledged goal for over two decades, since Salamanca Statement (1994). This goal has been further strengthened by the Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities (2006) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2015), the former making inclusive education a fundamental human right and the latter tying it to a broader global development agenda. The central role of the teacher cannot be underestimated if we aim to provide universal and inclusive education for all…

Returns to Investment in Education: The Case of Turkey With George Psacharopoulos and Aysit Tansel – This paper estimates private and social returns to investment in education in Turkey, using the 2017 Household Labor Force Survey and alternative methodologies. The analysis uses the 1997 education reform of increasing compulsory education by three years as an instrument. This results in a private rate of return on the order of 16 percent for higher education and a social return of 10 percent. Using the number of children younger than age 15 in the household as an exclusion restriction, the analysis finds that returns to education for females are higher than those for males. Contrary to many findings in other countries, private returns to those working in the public sector are higher than those in the private sector, and private returns to those who followed the vocational track in secondary education are higher than those in the general academic track. The paper discusses the policy implications of the findings.

My interview on Uzbekistan TV in Russian and for Uzbekistan24

Schooling and skills reduce gender wage gaps—but not completely | Alexandria Valerio | Increasingly globalized economies and profound technological shifts are placing enormous pressure on the skills that people must bring to the workplace. In the case of girls and women, these stresses are compounded by constraints that stem from social norms and labor market structures that shape labor force participation, livelihood, and earnings. Despite convergence in schooling levels between men and women in many countries, gaps in earnings and labor force participation between men and women persist. Are differences in cognitive and noncognitive skills the missing piece of the puzzle?

Investing in Children Means Investing in Uzbekistan’s Future | Over the past 20 years, the number of preschools in Uzbekistan has decreased by almost half (45%) and today, only 818,000 out of 2,450,000 children have access to preschool education. In order to increase enrollment, the Government of Uzbekistan is actively investing in the preschool sector. The World Bank is supporting this effort through a project that aims to enroll over 100,000 boys and girls aged 3-6 years in over 2,400 rural preschools nationwide by July 2019.

Computer science skills across China, India, Russia, and the United States | The rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies in economic, political, and social life has led to an increasing demand for computing professionals worldwide. It has also seen a corresponding expansion in undergraduate computer science (CS) programs. However, despite rapid increases in the quantity of CS graduates, little is known about their quality. In particular, little is known about the major-specific competencies, knowledge, and skills of CS graduates from different countries, types of programs, and backgrounds. Such evidence can ultimately inform employers seeking to hire qualified computing professionals within a globally competitive labor market, as well as policymakers and administrators seeking to improve the quality and diversity of CS programs in an international context.

Finland Again is the Happiest Country in the World

Where women predominate in universities but few lead

Obama Economic Adviser Alan Krueger Dead at 58

Is Elite College Worth It? Maybe Not

My Data Day Lightning Talk on global education quality data, or harmonized learning outcomes (HLO) part of the Human Capital Index