Preface
This report, published by Pearson and written by the Economist Intelligence Unit, is part of a wide-ranging programme of quantitative and qualitative analysis, entitled The Learning Curve. It seeks to further our understanding of what leads to successful educational outcomes – both economic and social. The design and execution of the programme has benefited from the ongoing advice of some of the world’s leading educational scholars.
This report itself outlines the main findings from analysis of a large body of internationally comparable education data – The Learning Curve Data Bank. It also draws on extensive desk research, as well as in-depth interviews conducted with 16 experts in education. The research was conducted entirely by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and the views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect those of Pearson. The report was written by Dr Paul Kielstra, and edited by Denis McCauley of the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Sincere thanks go to the interviewees for sharing their insights on this topic. These include the following individuals:
Nahas Angula, Prime Minister of Namibia
Paul Cappon, former President of the Canadian Council on Learning
Claudia Costin, Municipal Secretary of Education, Rio de Janeiro
Chester Finn, President, Thomas Fordham Institute
Eric Hanushek, Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Stanford University
Lee Sing Kong, Director, National Institute of Education Singapore
Anthony Mackay, Chair Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
Mamadou Ndoye, former Minister of Basic Education, Senegal
Vibha Parthasarati, educationalist and former Chair, National Commission for Women, India
William Ratteree, former education sector specialist, International Labour Organisation
Andreas Schleicher, Deputy Director for Education, OECD
Robert Schwartz, Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Brian Stecher, Associate Director, RAND Education
James Tooley, Professor of Education Policy, Newcastle University
Ludger Woessmann, Professor of Economics, University of Munich
Yong Zhao, Associate Dean for Global Education, University of Oregon
The Learning Curve programme has additionally benefited from counsel provided at various stages by an Advisory Panel consisting of prominent education experts. These include:
Sir Michael Barber, Chief Education Advisor, Pearson
Paul Cappon, former President of the Canadian Council on Learning
Eric Hanushek, Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Stanford University
Helen Joyce, Sao Paulo Bureau Chief and former International Education Editor, The Economist
Vibha Parthasarati, educationalist and former Chair, National Commission for Women, India
Pamela Sammons, Professor of Education, University of Oxford
Andreas Schleicher, Deputy Director for Education, OECD
November 2012
