Skills, not just Diplomas

Lars Sondergaard, Mamta Murthi

Description

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 ("not just diplomas but skills"). To start with, education systems need to "turn 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.

Sujets

• Éducation
• Eastern Europe
• Post-Soviet states
• Skill
• Autonomy
• Accountability

Informations

• Publié par: world-bank-publications
• Publié le: 11 octobre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• EAN13: 9780821380970
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

DIRECTIONS IN DEVELOPMENT
Human Development
Skills, Not Just Diplomas
Managing Education for Results
in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Lars Sondergaard and Mamta Murthi
with Dina Abu-Ghaida, Christian Bodewig, and Jan RutkowskiSkills, Not Just DiplomasSkills, Not Just Diplomas
Managing Education for Results
in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Lars Sondergaard and Mamta Murthi
with Dina Abu-Ghaida, Christian Bodewig, and Jan Rutkowski© 2012 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank
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Washington DC 20433
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Internet: www.worldbank.org
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This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and
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ISBN: 978-0-8213-8096-3
eISBN: 978-0-8213-8097-0
DOI: 10.1596/978-0-8213-8096-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been requested.
Cover photo: The graduating class of 2007, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Ias ¸i, Romania,
march to their commencement ceremony. © Mediafax Foto/Liviu Chirica.Contents
Foreword xv
Acknowledgments xix
Abbreviations xxi
Overview 1
The Skills Challenge 2
Why Are Skills an Emerging Problem if
Education Systems Are Delivering? 4
Priority Areas for Action 7
Managing Education Systems for Results 9
Build the Foundations of Adult Learning Systems 14
Conclusion 14
Notes 15
Chapter 1 The Demand for Skills in ECA 17
Background: The Demand for Highly Skilled
Labor in the Global Knowledge Economy 18
Demand for Skilled Labor Has Risen in the
ECA Region 20
Unemployment Patterns in ECA Countries
Confirm the Demand for Skilled Labor 25
v vi Contents
Wages Have Risen for Skilled Labor 31
Lack of Needed Skills Is Impeding
Enterprise Growth 36
Skills Mismatch in the ECA Region 39
Summary 41
Notes 43
Chapter 2 Education and the Supply of Skills to the
ECA Market 47
Background: The Global Knowledge Economy
Requires Lifelong Learning 48
Formal Education in ECA Countries: High
Attainment and Good Quality Relative
to Current Income Levels 50
Why Are Skills Emerging as a Problem if
Education Systems Are Delivering? 52
Students May Not Be Acquiring the Right Skills 63
Adult Learning Is Limited in the Region 65
Summary 77
Annex 2A: Education Systems in ECA Today 80
Notes 87
Chapter 3 Resolving the Skills Shortage in the
ECA Region: A Policy Framework 89
Operating in the Dark: Ministries Know
Too Little to Effectively Manage the
Education Sector 90
Legacy of Central Planning 96
Inefficient Use of Funds 103
Addressing the Skills Challenge 108
Summary 111
Notes 112
Chapter 4 Managing for Results at the Pre-University
Level of Education 115
Track Student Learning and Employment
Outcomes 116
Expand Autonomy in Exchange for
Accountability for Results 120Contents vii
Improve the Efficiency of Resource Use 126
Summary 136
Notes 138
Chapter 5 Managing for Results in the Tertiary
Education Sector 139
Introduce Learning Assessments and Track
Employment Outcomes 140
Strengthen Accountability 152
Introduce Performance-Based Financing and
Encourage Private Funding Resources 159
Summary 162
Notes 163
Chapter 6 Advancing Adult Learning in ECA 165
Building the Foundations for Adult
Learning Systems 166
Promote Autonomy and Accountability
of both Public and Private Providers 172
Ensure the Efficiency of Sector Financing 175
Continued Government Role in Retraining
and Education for the Unemployed 183
Priorities for Adult Education and Training
Systems in ECA Countries 187
Summary 191
Notes 191
Chapter 7 Extended Summary: The Path for Education
Reforms in the ECA Region 193
The Skills Challenge in the ECA Region 194
Why Are Skills an Emerging Problem if
Education Systems Are Delivering? 197
Priority Areas for Action 203
Managing Education Systems for Results 207
Build the Foundations of Adult Learning Systems 219
Summary 220
Notes 222
References 225viii Contents
Boxes
2.1 Defining “Skills,” “Competencies,” and Other Terms 49
2.2 Testing for Reading Competency in the Programme
for International Student Assessment (PISA) 55
2.3 Turkey: Many Students Fail to Acquire Even the
Most Basic Proficiencies 57
2.4 Russia: Building Higher-Order Skills Is Proving Difficult 59
2.5 The History of Vocational Education in the ECA Region 64
2.6 Two Forms of Adult Learning 69
3.1 The Value of Standardized External Student
Assessments in ECA Countries 94
3.2 Detailed Regulations Set Norms Even for
Education Facilities in the ECA Region 99
4.1 Using Data to Measure Gaps and Design Better
Policies: Three Examples 118
4.2 Eliminating Class Size Norms in Denmark 124
4.3 Rethinking Secondary Education 125
4.4 Per Student Funding Formula: Recognizing the
Varied Costs of Providing Education 128
4.5 Rationalizing Class Sizes in Bulgaria 133
4.6 Developing New Teacher Policies 135
5.1 The Difficulty of Measuring Competencies at
the Tertiary Level 142
5.2 Decentralization of the University Sector in Romania 146
5.3 Introducing Businesslike Leadership and
Management in Lithuanian Universities 149
5.4 Using External Watchdogs to Shed Light
on Integrity Problems 155
5.5 Two Approaches to Strengthening Accountability 157
6.1 Lifelong Learning Strategy of the Czech Republic 167
6.2 Policy Tools for Advancing Adult Learning in the
United Kingdom 169
6.3 Market Failures that Impede Adult Learning 176
6.4 Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises to
Participate in Training 181
6.5 Second-Chance and Remedial Education 184
7.1 Higher-Order Skills for the World of Work in
the 21st Century 199
7.2 A Large Proportion of Students Are Failing 201