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Efficiency of investment in compulsory education: empirical analyses in Europe

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The current economic crisis has put ever more to the forefront the need to achieve educational goals in the most efficient way. Therefore, this report provides an empirical analysis of the efficiency in education in the EU. Efficiency is measured first by using two different but related traditional frontier approaches (Data Envelopment Analysis and Free Disposal Hull) and then the robustness of our findings is checked by means of multi-criteria evaluation. The analysis is based on a number of standard variables from the literature. The results show, among others, that not the amount, but the specific use of resources is what matters; and that the efficiency of an educational system could also contribute to long-term benefits in terms of adults’ skills and competences.

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  • Tommaso Agasisti & Ralph Hippe & Giuseppe Munda, 2017. "Efficiency of investment in compulsory education: empirical analyses in Europe," JRC Research Reports JRC106678, Joint Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc106678
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    Cited by:

    1. Tommaso Agasisti & Giuseppe Munda & Ralph Hippe, 2019. "Measuring the efficiency of European education systems by combining Data Envelopment Analysis and Multiple-Criteria Evaluation," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 105-124, June.
    2. Stumbrienė, Dovilė & Želvys, Rimantas & Žilinskas, Julius & Dukynaitė, Rita & Jakaitienė, Audronė, 2022. "Efficiency and effectiveness analysis based on educational inclusion and fairness of European countries," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PB).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Compulsory Education; Human Capital; Efficiency Analysis; Data Envelopment Analysis; Multiple-Criteria Evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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