Person:
Riboud, Michelle
Author Name Variants
Fields of Specialization
Human development,
Labor economics
Degrees
Externally Hosted Work
Contact Information
Last updated
January 31, 2023
Biography
Michelle Riboud is an economist who started her professional career working in academia, serving at the University of Abidjan, a Spanish research institute, the University of Orleans, and the Institute d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, along with a visiting role at the University of Chicago. In late 1988, she joined the World Bank, working on education, labor market, and social protection issues, first in Latin America and then the former Soviet Union and South Asia. In her last assignment, she was responsible for analytical work and lending portfolio in education in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. She holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Paris I and a Masters degree and a Ph. D in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Publication Search Results
1 - 5 of 5
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Publication
Does Eurosclerosis Matter? Institutional Reform and Labor Market Performance in Central and Eastern Europe
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002)This paper examines the labor market dynamics of six CEE countries over the last 10 years, paying special attention to the nature of labor market institutions these countries have adopted and their impact on labor market performance. This paper finds that, compared to EU countries, CEE countries fall in the "middle" of the flexibility scale regarding their employment protection legislation. While the effect of labor market institutions is hard to uncover, it should not be disregarded and they are likely to play an important role in the coming years. -
Publication
Student Learning in South Asia : Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Priorities
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014-05-21)For the past decade, South Asian governments have been investing heavily to achieve the education millennium development goals (MDGs). The region has also made great progress in enrolling girls in both primary and secondary school. The rapid gains in enrollment have not been accompanied by commensurate improvements in learning levels, with the average level of skill acquisition in South Asia being low by both national and international standards. A major reason for this is that throughout the 2000s, most South Asian countries focused on: (a) achieving universal access to primary education, and (b) sustained investment in better-quality school inputs to improve the quality of primary and secondary education. This report covers education from primary through upper secondary school. Given its importance for school readiness, this report also reviews early childhood development even though that is outside formal education systems in the region. To examine what types of policies hold promise for improving student learning, it reviews data from large-scale national learning assessments and the findings of a small but increasing number of impact evaluations being conducted in the region. Finally, based on evidence from South Asia and other regions, it identifies strategic options and priorities to improve learning outcomes in South Asia. The findings make it clear that to be successful, policies to ensure lasting improvements in student learning outcomes need to be integrated into a larger agenda of inclusive economic growth and governance reform. This report makes an important contribution to ones understanding of the performance of education systems in South Asia and the causes and correlates of student learning outcomes. Further, drawing on successful initiatives both in the region and elsewhere in the world, it offers an insightful approach to setting priorities for enhancing the quality of school education despite growing competition for public resources. -
Publication
The Knowledge Economy and Education and Training in South Asia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-01)How education and training systems respond to the sweeping changes brought about by globalization and the knowledge economy can have far-reaching implications for developing countries in terms of sustainability of growth, competitiveness, job creation, and poverty reduction. This issue is especially pertinent to the countries of South Asia, which are currently growing at a rapid pace and are gradually becoming more integrated into the world economy. This regional study is a first attempt to address these questions. Its main objective is to document and compare trends in education and training in the countries of South Asia, as well as the associated changes in earnings and employment. It draws upon household, labor force, and firm-level surveys from 1990 to the most recent year available. The analysis focuses on Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (countries with well-developed surveys), with some references to Bhutan, the Maldives, and Nepal, along with comparisons with countries in East Asia and with other regions. -
Publication
Sri Lanka Education Sector Assessment: Achievements, Challenges, and Policy Options
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-06-08)A country’s education system plays a pivotal role in promoting economic growth and shared prosperity. Sri Lanka has enjoyed high school-attainment and enrollment rates for several decades. However, it still faces major challenges in the education sector, and these challenges undermine the country’s inclusivegrowth goal and its ambition to become a competitive upper-middle-income country. The authors of Sri Lanka Education Sector Assessment: Achievements, Challenges, and Policy Options offer a thorough review of Sri Lanka’s education sector—from early childhood education through higher education. With this book, they attempt to answer three questions: • How is Sri Lanka’s education system performing, especially with respect to participation rates, learning outcomes, and labor market outcomes? • How can the country address the challenges at each stage of the education process, taking into account both country and international experience and also best practices? • Which policy actions should Sri Lanka make a priority for the short and medium term? The authors identify the most critical constraints on performance and present strategic priorities and policy options to address them. To attain inclusive growth and become globally competitive, Sri Lanka needs to embark on integrated reforms across all levels of education. These reforms must address both short-term skill shortages and long-term productivity. As Sri Lanka moves up the development ladder, the priorities of primary, secondary, and postsecondary education must be aligned to meet the increasingly complex education and skill requirements. -
Publication
Ready to Learn: Before School, In School, and Beyond School in South Asia
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2020-02-19)Countries that have sustained rapid growth over decades have typically had a strong public commitment to expanding education as well as to improving learning outcomes. South Asian countries have made considerable progress in expanding access to primary and secondary schooling, with countries having achieved near-universal enrollment of the primary-school-age cohort (ages 6–11), except for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Secondary enrollment shows an upward trend as well. Beyond school, many more people have access to skill-improving opportunities and higher education today. Although governments have consistently pursued policies to expand access, a prominent feature of the region has been the role played by non-state actors—private nonprofit and for-profit entities—in expanding access at every level of education. Though learning levels remain low, countries in the region have shown a strong commitment to improving learning. All countries in South Asia have taken the first step, which is to assess learning outcomes regularly. Since 2010, there has been a rapid increase in the number of large-scale student learning assessments conducted in the region. But to use the findings of these assessments to improve schooling, countries must build their capacity to design assessments and analyze and use findings to inform policy.