Policy Lab: Improving Education Outcomes in the Global South

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

Enrolling in school does not guarantee that children acquire the human capital that their schooling should provide. Also, in some countries a large fraction of children still are not finishing primary school, and there are still millions of children who never attend school at all. In this lab we will review the impact of various types of educational interventions on schooling in the Global South. We explore the rationale behind specific policies and the evidence (or lack of) in support of their effectiveness in improving education outcomes. The aim is to engage the broader debates on the challenges facing effective education policy. Students will critically evaluate real-life policy options in different contexts, as well as propose potential innovations. By the lab's end, students will possess an analytical framework that allows them to think clearly about the impacts of alternative education policies, as well as be able to judge the quality of existing evidence.