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Rethinking the Caribbean Education System
Andreas Blom, Education Economist, World Bank, December 6, 2006
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Overview
• Why bother rethinking?
• Education for all, in particular for the poor
• Education for quality and productive jobs
• Are these the right key actions?
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Key points
Issue Need Key challenges
Wide spread poverty(still)
Higher access for the poor (second chance programs for youth)
More investment(public and private)
Learning and skills are so critical(new knowledge economy)
(i) Improve learning
(ii) New “knowledge economy” skills
(i) Better linkages with firms
(ii) Lifelong learning
Accountability and testingTeacher training and focus on competences, not academics
Increased specialization(new knowledge economy)
More collaboration: between edu levels and within the CaribbeanQualification frameworks
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Why bother? WIDE SPREAD POVERTY
Poverty rate(< US$ 2 / day) Population N# of poor
Cuba 11,300,000Dominican Republic 11.8% 8,900,000 1,050,200Haiti 77.2% 8,500,000 6,562,000Jamaica 16.4% 2,700,000 442,800St. Lucia 59.1% 142,000 83,922Trinidad & T. 19.6% 1,300,000 254,800
Caribbean 32,842,000 8,393,722
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Why bother? Education is the most important asset and can be the exit to poverty
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
15 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59Age
Wag
e E
C $
per
yea
r
University (16-18)Post-secondary(13-15)Secondary (8-12)
Primary (4-7)
Primary (1-3)
OECS (St. Vincent and the G.): Salary by education level
Source: Population and Household Census 2001, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
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Overview
• Why bother rethinking?
• Education for all, especially for the poor
• Education for quality and productive jobs
• Are these the right key challenges?
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Access for the poor
•Different priorities by country:– Haiti: Primary– DR: more secondary education– English speaking Caribbean: tertiary education
0.1
-10.0
14
High-Income Resources Abundant countries
Latin America and Caribbean
Latin America
Caribbean
East Asia
-12.6
5.1
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
Def
icit
/ Sur
plus
in n
et e
nrol
men
t rat
e (r
etal
ive
to th
e co
untri
eG
DP/
capi
ta)
Secondary Education
Tertiary Education
3.7
- 18.7
17.8
6.0
Source: World Bank 2003 "Closing the Gaps in Education and Technology, based on data from UNESCO
Dominican Republic
- 3.6
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Challenges to increase coverage
• Challenges (supply-constraint):– Increase financing (and system changes?)
• Public funds• Private funds (tertiary education)
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What to do with the poor unskilled youth?
•Failed transition from school to life•High youth unemployment• Global competition => increased pressure on inequality •Lost human capital• Social loss, deviant behaviour and inequality
13%
56%
24%
11%
39% 39%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Ant
igua
&B
arbu
da
Dom
inic
a
Gre
nada
St.
Kitt
s an
dN
evis
St.
Luci
a
St.
Vin
cent
& th
e
% u
nem
ploy
men
t
AdultYouth
Source: National Labor surveys different years 1991-2004
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What to do with the poor unskilled youth?
• Expand and strengthen Second chance programs:– Objective: Assist those with difficulties
finding jobs • Challenges:
– Difficult group: family environment and drop outs
– Training, private sector driven to lead to jobs
– Traineeship successful in the OECS: 50% stay with employer
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Overview
• Why bother rethinking?
• Education for all, especially for the poor
• Education for quality and productive
jobs
• Are these the right key challenges?
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Quality and productive jobs: Learning• Access does not imply Learning
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Finl
and
Kor
ea
Hon
g K
ong-
Chi
na
Can
ada
Japa
n
Irela
nd
New
Zea
land
Aus
tralia
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
Sw
eden
Bel
gium
Aust
ria
Icel
and
Nor
way
Fran
ce
Uni
ted
Sta
tes
OE
CD
ave
rage
Den
mar
k
Sw
itzer
land
Spa
in
Cze
ch R
epub
lic
Italy
Ger
man
y
Liec
hten
stei
n
Pola
nd
Hun
gary
Gre
ece
Por
tuga
l
Rus
sian
Fed
erat
ion
Latv
ia
Isra
el
Luxe
mbo
urg
Bulg
aria
Arg
entin
a
Thai
land
Mex
ico
Chi
le
Bra
zil
FYR
Mac
edon
ia
Alba
nia
Indo
nesi
a
Per
u
Level 2 or below Level 3 and above
60% of OECD students reach Level 3 or above
Percentage of Students Level 2 or Below vs. Level 3 or Above in Percentage of Students Level 2 or Below vs. Level 3 or Above in Reading Proficiency in PISA 2000Reading Proficiency in PISA 2000
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Increase learning:
• Challenges: – Enhance Accountability, involve parents, – Build local capacity to manage teaching,– Work with teachers’ union and schools– Increase testing (national and
international), analysis and information
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Quality and Learning: New skills
•New “Knowledge economy” skills•The Definition and Selection of Competencies (DeSeCo) reviewed 12 countries on competencies for a knowledge society•Wide variations, but some common competencies
High Medium LowSocial competencies/
cooperationSelf-competence/self-
managementHealth/sports/physical
competencies
Literacy/intelligent and applicable knowledge
Political competence/ democracy
Cultural competencies (athletic, creative,
intercultural, media)
Learning competencies/lifelong learning
Ecological competence/relation to nature
Communication competencies
Value orientation
Source: OECS Definition and Selection of Competencies
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Knowledge economy skills in the Caribbean
45%
47%
68%
77%
79%
82%
86%
86%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Computer skills
Dependability
Taking individual responsibility
The ability to work well on teams
Communication skills
Problem solving / efficiency
Work ethic
Honesty/integrity
Caribbean: Employers’ assessment of most desired skill set
Source: Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network: Labor Market Survey, 2006
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Imparting these knowledge economy skills?
• Challenges: – Exam-driven: education to obtain a
credential (not competences), – Team and project oriented teaching– In-service training of teachers
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Enhance relevance of skills and careers– Specialization of the global economy– Niche products in manufacturing and agriculture– Services (Tourism, banking, call centers)? – Skills and knowledge as a critical factor for competitiveness
0 20 40 60 80 100
Retail/wholesa le Services
E nergy
Construction
T ransport
Professional Services
Medic al services
ICT-enabled services
Financial services
Tourism
Other Manufac turing
Electric & electronics
Textile & garments
Food processing
Agriculture
Professionals
Skilled Workers
Unskil led Workers
Workers by education level per economic sector in the Caribbean
Source: Investment Climate Assessments (DR Belize T&T Haiti Grenada) World Bank (2005)
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Enhancing Relevance
• Challenges: – Specialize through collaboration across
countries / internationalization, – Build linkages with employers, – What does it take to make education and
science more linked to a country’s development? Governance reform?
– Increase student guidance
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Lifelong learning
• Aging population, scope for adoption of more technology and productivity• Low training of work force
Source: Caribbean Investment Climate Assessment, World Bank (2005)
% of firms training workers85%
75%65%
54% 50%41%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
DominicanRepublic
LatinAmerica
Belize Haiti Grenada T&T
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Stimulating lifelong learning
• Reasons – Lack of emphasis and systemic approach:
• Improve firms’ HR policy• Increase labor unions’ focus on training• Government: many small ad-hoc efforts
– Low recognition and value of training• Challenges:
– Link levels (qualification framework)– Collaboration to reach economies of scale– Work on the portability within the CSME– Monitoring and evaluation
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Overview
• Why bother rethinking?
• Education for all, especially for the poor
• Education for quality and productive jobs
• Are these the right key actions?
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Key points
Issue Need Key challenges
Wide spread poverty(still)
Higher access for the poor (second chance programs for youth)
More investment (public and private)
Learning and skills are so critical(new knowledge economy)
(i) Improve learning
(ii) New “knowledge economy” skills
(i) Better linkages with firms
(ii) Lifelong learning
Accountability and testingTeacher training and focus on competences, not academics
Increased specialization(new knowledge economy)
More collaboration: between edu levels and within the CaribbeanQualification frameworks
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Thank you so much for the attentionAndreas Blom, [email protected]
www.worldbank.org/laceducationwww.bancomundial.org/educacionalc