Rethinking the Caribbean Education System

Andreas Blom, Education Economist, World Bank, December 6, 2006

Overview

• Why bother rethinking?

• Education for all, in particular for the poor

• Education for quality and productive jobs

• Are these the right key actions?

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

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

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,

Overview

• Why bother rethinking?

• Education for all, especially for the poor

• Education for quality and productive jobs

• Are these the right key challenges?

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

Challenges to increase coverage

• Challenges (supply-constraint):– Increase financing (and system changes?)

• Public funds• Private funds (tertiary education)

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

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

Overview

• Why bother rethinking?

• Education for all, especially for the poor

• Education for quality and productive

jobs

• Are these the right key challenges?

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

Overview

• Why bother rethinking?

• Education for all, especially for the poor

• Education for quality and productive jobs

• Are these the right key actions?

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

Thank you so much for the attentionAndreas Blom, ablom@worldbank.org

www.worldbank.org/laceducationwww.bancomundial.org/educacionalc