Europe and Central Asia (ECA) countriesare currently emerging from the deepest recession among alldeveloping regions. In the post economic-crisis world,financial resources are more limited and more expensive andexport growth is restrained by potentially slower growth inthe destination countries. Restoring and sustaining growthin this context require reforms to boost competitiveness andincrease labor productivity. ECA had a well-regardededucation system prior to the end of central planning. Whilethe intervening years have taken some of the shine off thisreputation, the countries continue to have some strongachievements in the field of education. Notably, enrollmentsare high at all levels of education. The socialist legacy isparticularly visible in the low income countries in theregion which show the highest secondary enrollments in theworld for their income level. Whatever measures countriestake, it would be important to continue to build learningassessment systems and monitor and evaluate the impact ofthe reforms on desired outcomes. This is the only way oftelling whether the adopted measures had the intended effectand whether course correction is needed. The educationreform agenda ahead of the countries in the region is anextremely important one as it lies at the heart of theircompetitiveness. The reform will take time, suggesting thatthere is no time to lose to make a start.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
