Public Policy Summer Training Courses 2008
 
Education Policy and Development (2008)
(July 28 - August 8, 2008)

Course Summary
Education Policy and Development provides a detailed overview of the theoretical and practical tools for policy formulation, and strategic planning and management of the education sector, with a focus on developing and transitional countries.

There is ample consensus that basic education plays an increasingly important role in assuring economic development and growth. Primary and secondary education provides individuals the skills and knowledge to become more productive, it helps them to improve their income-earning potential, it enables people to participate in government and enhances their quality of life, and it can help to improve health outcomes. As a result, a sound education policy reform has the potential to improve the quality of education, and consequently enhance the level of economic development and reduce poverty.

Education policy reforms are being pursued in countries around the world in order to enhance the efficiency and equity with which education services are provided to communities. Among others, such reforms should assure that a sound education sector strategy is in place; that the national curriculum is appropriately tailored to national development goals; that there is an appropriate human resource plan for the sector itself; and that adequate financial resources are allocated for the delivery of basic education. Further, the administrative mechanisms for implementing and delivering of basic education should be considered. In many countries, the decentralized provision of education has shown improve education outcomes by addressing regional and local variations in educational needs and environments.

The course aims to provide participants practical policy-oriented skills, including case studies of education policy reform in a variety of developing and transition economies. A number of lectures and site-visits further focus on related education policy issues. Participants need no previous experience in economics, although the program is designed to be most useful for central, regional and local government officials from different line ministries, policy makers and program managers from developing and transitional countries. Participants do not need any previous experience with computers. This course is taught in English.

Further Information and Applications
Application materials for this course can be downloaded in MS Word or in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) from the main page for the Public Policy Summer Training Courses 2008.

If you have any questions regarding the content of this course, please do not hesitate to contact the Course Coordinator for this course, Dr. Eunice Heredia-Ortiz ( mailto:eheredia@gsu.edu).

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Public Policy Summer Training Courses 2008