Publication: Education Finance : It's How, Not Simply How Much, That Counts
Date
2012-02
ISSN
Published
2012-02
Author(s)
Vegas, Emiliana
Coffin, Chelsea
Abstract
The precise relationship between
spending and learning outcomes in education is unknown,
which leads some researchers and policy makers to question
whether the amount of spending in education matters at all
(Hanushek 1986). Among countries with similar levels of
income, those that spend more on education do not
necessarily score higher on international assessments such
as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Even within an education system, student achievement varies
among localities that spend comparable amounts (Wag staff
and Wang 2011). The observation that learning outcomes are
seemingly unrelated to spending levels supports the argument
that how money is spent, not simply how much, matters in
education finance. Education spending represents the point
at which monetary resources begin to promote learning
outcomes. National, subnational, and local governments; the
private sector; and sometimes even international actors may
spend money on public education. Fiscal control mechanisms
are crucial for understanding education finance systems;
they are used to plan, monitor, and execute a country's
education budget. If resources are not used for their
intended purpose, it is unlikely that education services
will be of adequate quality.
Citation
“Vegas, Emiliana; Coffin, Chelsea. 2012. Education Finance : It's How, Not Simply How Much, That Counts. Education Notes. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/bb2797a1-7e14-5ed6-9c8b-09d9a3d05df4 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”