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What I really want: Policy maker views on education in Southeast Asia

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Listed:
  • Yarrow, Noah
  • Cahu, Paul
  • Breeding, Mary E.
  • Afkar, Rythia

Abstract

This paper reports the views and perceptions of randomly selected education policy makers in Southeast Asia, based on surveys of 651 senior public officials in 14 middle-income countries globally. The findings show that officials tend to prioritize increasing secondary school completion over improving learning quality, despite global evidence suggesting that improving learning quality is more crucial for economic growth. Additionally, the surveyed Southeast Asian officials severely underestimate learning poverty and do so at twice the rate of officials from other countries. Officials were most likely to cite system capacity as the primary constraint to improving learning. The findings show that officials’ support for gender equality and disability inclusion is high. Interviewed officials prefer to invest in in-service teacher training or early-grade reading compared to other options such as EdTech or inclusion for students with disabilities. This mix of alignment and misalignment between policy makers’ goals and the stated goals of development partners can inform future engagement in policy dialogue, analysis, and information campaigns.

Suggested Citation

  • Yarrow, Noah & Cahu, Paul & Breeding, Mary E. & Afkar, Rythia, 2024. "What I really want: Policy maker views on education in Southeast Asia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:108:y:2024:i:c:s0738059324000762
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103054
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Bureaucracy; Policy preferences; Discrete choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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