Why the public discourse on education is wrong

• Main Author: Felipe, Jesus
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: poverty; productivity; education; Philippines; Behavioral Economics; Education Economics; Growth and Development; Labor Economics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/res_aki/172; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/res_aki/article/1172/viewcontent/DLSU_AKI_Policy_Brief__2023_09_009.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

ONCE upon a time, the Philippines was praised for its relatively well-educated labor force. Not anymore. The situation seems to have reversed: policymakers and commentators single out education as one of the primary causes for the country’s poor performance (lack of competitiveness) and the unemployability of many of its workers. To put the discussion in the correct context, I will start by arguing that the relevant measure of progress for a developing nation like the Philippines is productivity. Without productivity increases, there cannot be increases in income. Productivity in the Philippines is low in general. Is education the key to increasing productivity? I will argue that it is not. The public debate on education is oversimplified, and probably many assumptions about its relevance have no basis. Education, understood as the process of receiving (for a student) systematic instruction, especially at a school or university, matters more for political reasons than for its contribution to productivity and growth. Education is the means through which societies acquire political philosophies based on individual rights. These rights are necessary for political and social developments that overcome the privileges of special interests and satisfy individual and consumer desires better. Education is necessary to understand the complex political systems necessary for advanced economic performance. It’s possible that poor countries today will not get out of poverty traps without political changes. Those political changes may only be possible with broader education. While this is an important issue, it differs from the emphasis on education in the public debate.