## Learning vs. Schooling and the Promise of Education

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Learning vs. Schooling and the Promise of Education](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/03/picture)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/03/picture/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/03/picture/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/03/picture/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: March 1, 2018

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### Overview
- Thesis: To realize education’s promise, countries need to prioritize learning, not just schooling.
- Source basis: Text and charts are based on the World Bank’s World Development Report 2018.
- Framing: Monitoring school attendance is a poor measure of what, if anything, a child has learned.

### Extent of the learning crisis — key findings
- "At the current rate of improvement, it would take 75 years for teenagers in Brazil to reach the rich-country average score in math."
- "It would take them more than 260 years to do the same in reading."
- "In 14 sub-Saharan African countries, the average sixth-grade teacher could read no better than the highest-performing sixth-grade student."
- "In rural India, nearly 75 percent of third-grade students were unable to solve a basic math problem."
- The crisis widens inequality because poor students suffer the worst learning outcomes.

### Drivers of low learning
- Malnutrition.
- High fees.
- Gender barriers.
- Absent, ill-prepared, and poorly supported teachers.
- A political system that doesn’t prioritize learning.

### Benefits of education (as presented)
- For individuals: promotes employment, earnings, and health.
- For societies: drives long-term economic growth, reduces poverty, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion.
- Conclusion: An educated workforce is critical to a nation’s future prosperity.

### Policy recommendations from the World Bank’s World Development Report 2018 (summarized)
- Use learning assessments to shine a light on the problem of low learning.
- Leverage research on effective educational interventions.
- Prioritize learning, data collection, and reform at the national level.

*Source: Learning Curve, F&D Magazine, March 2018; text and charts based on the World Bank’s World Development Report 2018.*

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## Content in this bundle

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- **Learning Curve - Picture This - IMF FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT - March 2018 | Volume 55 | Number 1**
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  - [学习曲线 - 图表释义 - <金融与发展>, 2018年3月号·第55卷·第1期, 国际货币基金组织季刊 (PDF)](/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/march/zh/picture.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/03/picture_