The economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) grew several folds over the past decades, making impressive improvements in key development indicators, supported by massive investments in extractive industries. Real gross domestic product (GDP) annual growth reached 5.1 percent during the...

Colombia is very exposed to natural and climatic disasters and especially to large-scale hydro meteorological drought and excess rain or flood events related to the ENSO El Nino or La Nina phenomena which impact very severely on the agricultural sector. In Colombia a high proportion of the rural...

The purpose of this policy note is to assess the current status of school-based management in elementary and high schools in the Philippines. The findings reported in the note are based on a comprehensive survey of the public education system that tracked public education expenditure and...

Evidence from around the world has shown that improving school infrastructure leads to better learning outcomes. For example, a 2011 review of the economics literature over the last 20 years showed that the availability of basic school infrastructure (such as classrooms, desks, and chairs) and...

Over the last decade, the Government of the Philippines has embarked on an ambitious education reform program to ensure that all Filipinos have the opportunity to obtain the skills that they need to play a full and productive role in society. The government has backed up these reforms,...

Over the last decade, research from many different countries has demonstrated the important role played by teachers in increasing students' learning and improving their academic performance. Studies from countries as different as the US and Indonesia have shown the enormous benefits that follow...

Many developing countries have devolved the responsibility for education services to local governments in an effort to improve educational quality and make public spending more efficient. Advocates of decentralization have argued that bringing decision-making closer to schools makes public...

This note attempts to identify the factors associated with differences in overall school performance and efficiency. It draws on data from the Philippines Public Education Expenditure Tracking and Quantitative Service Delivery Study (PETS-QSDS), which tracked public education spending and...

Providing schools with direct funding to meet their operational needs is the cornerstone of the government's efforts to strengthen school-based management in the Philippines. Over the past five years, funds that the government has provided directly to schools to support their maintenance and...

Over the last decade, research from many different countries has demonstrated the important role played by teachers in improving students' learning and increasing their competencies. Studies from countries as different as the US and Indonesia have shown the enormous benefits that follow from...