January 2000 - Wealth gaps in educational outcomes are large in many developing countries. And gender gaps, though absent in many societies, are large in some, particularly in South Asia and North, Western, and Central Africa. In some countries with a female disadvantage, household wealth...

We discuss existing shortfalls and inequalities in the accumulation of human capital—knowledge, skills, and health. We analyze their immediate and systemic causes, and assess the scope for public intervention. The broad policy goals should be to improve: the quality, and not just the quantity,...

Wealth gaps in educational outcomes are large in many developing countries. And gender gaps, though absent in many societies, are large in some, particularly in South Asia and North, Western, and Central Africa. In some countries with a female disadvantage, household wealth interacts with gender...

In many low-income countries, teachers do not master the subject they are teaching, and children learn little while attending school. Using unique data from nationally representative surveys of schools in seven Sub-Saharan African countries, this paper proposes a methodology to assess the effect...