Basic Capabilities, Basic Learning Outcomes and Thresholds of Learning

Learning is assumed to be a fundamental means through which an individual can improve her life, particularly in the context of moving out of poverty. There is no prescribed methodology for evaluation of improvement to or deterioration of quality of life related to learning, beyond aggregated proxy indicators of economic benefit (e.g. lifetime earnings) and social benefit (e.g. mother and child health). Evaluation of basic capability and basic learning outcomes valued by the individual enables analysis of positive learning outcomes as capability enhancement, unrealized outcomes as potential capability, and negative outcomes as capability deprivation. A research study of 14-year-old children and their parents living in rural and urban poverty applies an assumption that valued learning equates with functional learning that is locally perceived as important in achieving improvement in the life of the individual.