Skills, Not Just Diplomas Managing Education for Results in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

by Sondergaard, Lars; Murthi, Mamta; Abu-Ghaida, Dina; Bodewig, Christian; Rutkowski, Jan

• ISBN13: 9780821380963
• ISBN10: 0821380966
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-11
• Publisher: World Bank Publications

Summary

Future growth in the countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) will increasingly depend on innovation. And innovation requires skills. This makes it important, as countries plan for recovery, to undertake reforms to reduce the skills shortages that the previous growth episode exposed.Education systems have a very important role to play in creating the right skills. But education systems in the region fall short of the demands of their economies in two major ways. The first is that despite high levels of enrollment they do not produce enough graduates with the right skills. Students graduate with diplomas, not with skills, because the quality of the education for many students is poor. In large part this is because education systems remain focused on providing an excellent education to a few at the expense of improving the quality of learning for the majority. Moreover, the systems are still making the transition from teaching the basics to inculcating higher order skills such as critical-thinking and problem solving. The second way in which education systems fall short is that outside of a few countries in the EU there are few opportunities for adults to retrain, or acquire new skills.This book argues that generating more of the right skills requires a fundamental change of approach in the education systems in the region so that they aim for, and deliver, higher quality education for the vast majority of students ('¬Snot just diplomas but skills'¬). To start with, education systems need to '¬Sturn the lights on'¬ and take seriously the measurement of what students actually learn as opposed to measurement of the inputs into the education process on the implicit assumption that learning follows. Policy makers also need to move away from the focus on inputs and processes and increase the emphasis on incentives.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Abbreviations	p. xxi
Overview	p. 1
The Skills Challenge	p. 2
Why Are Skills an Emerging Problem if Education Systems Are Delivering?	p. 4
Priority Areas for Action	p. 7
Managing Education Systems for Results	p. 9
Build the Foundations of Adult Learning Systems	p. 14
Conclusion	p. 14
Notes	p. 15
The Demand for Skills in ECA	p. 17
Background: The Demand for Highly Skilled Labor in the Global Knowledge Economy	p. 18
Demand for Skilled Labor Has Risen in the ECA Region	p. 20
Unemployment Patterns in ECA Countries Confirm the Demand for Skilled Labor	p. 25
Wages Have Risen for Skilled Labor	p. 31
Lack of Needed Skills Is Impeding Enterprise Growth	p. 36
Skills Mismatch in the ECA Region	p. 39
Summary	p. 41
Notes	p. 43
Education and the Supply of Skills to the ECA Market	p. 47
Background: The Global Knowledge Economy Requires Lifelong Learning	p. 48
Formal Education in ECA Countries: High Attainment and Good Quality Relative to Current Income Levels	p. 50
Why Are Skills Emerging as a Problem if Education Systems Are Delivering?	p. 52
Students May Not Be Acquiring the Right Skills	p. 63
Adult Learning Is Limited in the Region	p. 65
Summary	p. 77
Annex 2A: Education Systems in ECA Today	p. 80
Notes	p. 87
Resolving the Skills Shortage in the ECA Region: A Policy Framework	p. 89
Operating in the Dark: Ministries Know Too Little to Effectively Manage the Education Sector	p. 90
Legacy of Central Planning	p. 96
Inefficient Use of Funds	p. 103
Addressing the Skills Challenge	p. 108
Summary	p. 111
Notes	p. 112
Managing for Results at the Pre-University Level of Education	p. 115
Track Student Learning and Employment Outcomes	p. 116
Expand Autonomy in Exchange for Accountability for Results	p. 120
Improve the Efficiency of Resource Use	p. 126
Summary	p. 136
Notes	p. 138
Managing for Results in the Tertiary Education Sector	p. 139
Introduce Learning Assessments and Track Employment Outcomes	p. 140
Strengthen Accountability	p. 152
Introduce Performance-Based Financing and Encourage Private Funding Resources	p. 159
Summary	p. 162
Notes	p. 163
Advancing Adult Learning in ECA	p. 165
Building the Foundations for Adult Learning Systems	p. 166
Promote Autonomy and Accountability of both Public and Private Providers	p. 172
Ensure the Efficiency of Sector Financing	p. 175
Continued Government Role in Retraining and Education for the Unemployed	p. 183
Priorities for Adult Education and Training Systems in ECA Countries	p. 187
Summary	p. 191
Notes	p. 191
Extended Summary: The Path for Education Reforms in the ECA Region	p. 193
The Skills Challenge in the ECA Region	p. 194
Why Are Skills an Emerging Problem if Education Systems Are Delivering?	p. 197
Priority Areas for Action	p. 203
Managing Education Systems for Results	p. 207
Build the Foundations of Adult Learning Systems	p. 219
Summary	p. 220
Notes	p. 222
References	p. 225
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