Education and the Economic Crisis
Developing countries have made significant gains in improving education outcomes. The current global economic downturn threatens this progress by reducing the ability of both households and governments to invest in education. Allowing enrollments and learning levels to deteriorate during this crisis will deprive developing countries of the ability to get a head start on competitiveness as the global economy recovers. School enrollments and learning levels are at risk in countries affected by the crisis; the greatest impact is likely to be felt by poorer countries and households because they will suffer the effects of diminished fiscal resources and increasingly fewer jobs. To sustain educational progress despite the crisis, developing countries and donor countries will need to prioritize efforts and investments. Donor countries will need to maintain aid effort and improve aid effectiveness. Identifying the nature and magnitude of the impact of the crisis in the education sector is an important first step to developing an appropriate crisis response. Evidence from past crises and more recent evaluations point to programs that can blunt the worst effects of the crisis in education. . Despite the risks it poses to educational progress, the crisis may offer some longer-term opportunities for improving the efficiency of education systems and for attracting and keeping better-qualified teachers.
