Stuck in the Middle? Human Capital Development and Economic Growth

The challenge of sustaining economic growth over the long term is one that only a few countries have been able to surmount. Slowing momentum in countries like Malaysia and Thailand has led analysts and policy makers to consider what it would take to lift them out of middle-income status, where other countries have arguably become stuck. The paper examines the role of human capital formation in the quest to sustain economic growth in these two countries. It argues that a good education system is fundamental to equip workers with marketable skills. Malaysia and Thailand have successfully expanded access to schooling, but the quality of education remains an issue. Modern education systems should aim to provide universally-available quality education using the following policies: prioritize budgets to deliver quality and universally-available basic education before expanding higher levels of schooling; provide appropriate incentives and rewards to teachers; permit school autonomy and ensure accountability for results; invest in early childhood development; and consider implementing income-contingent loan financing schemes to expand higher education.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Jimenez, Emmanuel, Nguyen, Vy, Patrinos, Harry Anthony
Language:	en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, D.C. 2012-11
Subjects:	academic achievement, academic performance, access to children, Access to education, access to higher education, access to schooling, access to university, adults, average score, basic education, basic skills, career, civil service, cognitive skills, Comparative Education, curriculum, disadvantaged children, early childhood, early childhood development, early childhood education, Early childhood interventions, early education, Economics of Education, educated mothers, educated people, educated population, Education Agenda, Education Economics, education expenditures, Education Experience, Education Finance, education for all, education policies, education quality, education reforms, education services, education system, education systems, Educational Achievement, Educational Attainment, educational development, Educational investments, educational performance, educational quality, effective teaching, enrollment rates, equal access, exams, functional literacy, generic skills, Global Competitiveness, Global Competitiveness Report, gross enrollment, Gross Enrollment Rate, gross enrollment rates, high quality education, high school, high school graduates, higher education, higher education enrollment, Higher Education Finance, Higher Education Funding, higher education systems, Human Capital, human capital formation, Human Development, human resources, Inclusion in Education, Income Contingent Loans, income-contingent, Income-contingent loans, instructors, investment in education, labor force, labor market demand, learning, learning outcomes, let, life expectancy, life skills, literacy, literature, Math Education, mathematics, Ministry of Education, Modern education, National Education, National Education Plan, National Education Standards, numeracy, occupations, open access, Papers, Parent participation, parental education, Parental participation, participation rates, performance of students, primary enrollments, primary level, primary levels, primary school, Primary school enrollment, primary schooling, primary systems, private schools, public expenditure, public funds, public schooling, qualified teachers, Quality Assessment, quality education, quality of education, quality standards, rates of return, reading, Researchers, return to education, returns to education, rural areas, scholars, scholastic achievement, school autonomy, school boards, school council, school enrollment, school finance, school graduates, school participation, School principals, school quality, school students, schooling access, Schooling Quality, schools, science education, Science Study, Secondary Education, secondary school, secondary school students, secondary students, skilled labor, skilled people, skilled workers, social benefits, social cohesion, standardized tests, Student Achievement, student aid, Student Assessment, student interest, student loans, students in mathematics, teacher, teacher education, teacher education institutes, Teacher management, Teacher Quality, teacher shortage, teachers, teaching, technical skills, tertiary education, tertiary enrollment, tertiary enrollment rate, tertiary level, tertiary levels, tertiary systems, test scores, training centers, universities, university education, university programs, vocational education, vocational training, young people,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16334
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