EDUCATION AND INEQUALITY
GAVIN KEETON: Even the best get early schooling wrong
‘Costa Rica has much to teach SA. Much more needs to be spent here to develop adequate preschool education’
A recent report on education in Costa Rica released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provides some important lessons for SA. It highlights the critical role education must play in reducing inequality and provides important policy direction for achieving this. Costa Rica is a richer and less unequal society than SA and is recognised as a leader in education in Latin America. Yet the report identifies key weaknesses in its education system. Too many pupils drop out of secondary school, the quality of education for poor children is much worse than those from richer homes and there is insufficient focus on vocational training. There is also a large and growing wage divide between high-skilled workers and those with lower skills. Improved education, the OECD argues, can "spur progress towards inclusive growth". It suggests several steps to achieve this outcome. First, Costa Rica should spend more on early childhood education and care. The OECD sees thi...
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