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A Millennium Learning Goal: Measuring Real Progress in Education

Author

Listed:
  • Deon Filmer
  • Amer Hasan
  • Lant Pritchett
Abstract
The Millennium Development Goal for primary schooling completion has focused attention on a measurable output indicator to monitor increases in schooling in poor countries. We argue the next step, which moves towards the even more important Millennium Learning Goal, is to monitor outcomes of learning achievement. We demonstrate that even in countries meeting the MDG of primary completion, the majority of youth are not reaching even minimal competency levels, let alone the competencies demanded in a globalized environment. Even though Brazil is on track to the meet the MDG, our estimates are that 78 percent of Brazilian youth lack even minimally adequate competencies in mathematics and 96 percent do not reach what we posit as a reasonable global standard of adequacy. Mexico has reached the MDG—but 50 percent of youth are not minimally competent in math and 91 percent do not reach a global standard. While nearly all countries’ education systems are expanding quantitatively nearly all are failing in their fundamental purpose. Policymakers, educators and citizens need to focus on the real target of schooling: adequately equipping their nation’s youth for full participation as adults in economic, political and social roles. A goal of school completion alone is an increasingly inadequate guide for action. With a Millennium Learning Goal, progress of the education system will be judged on the outcomes of the system: the assessed mastery of the desired competencies of an entire age cohort—both those in school and out of school. By focusing on the learning achievement of all children in a cohort an MLG eliminates the false dichotomy between “access/enrollment” and “quality of those in school”: reaching an MLG depends on both.

Suggested Citation

  • Deon Filmer & Amer Hasan & Lant Pritchett, 2006. "A Millennium Learning Goal: Measuring Real Progress in Education," Working Papers 97, Center for Global Development.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgd:wpaper:97
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    File URL: http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/9815
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alberto Alesina & Johann Harnoss & Hillel Rapoport, 2016. "Birthplace diversity and economic prosperity," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 101-138, June.
    2. Jones, Sam, 2016. "How does classroom composition affect learning outcomes in Ugandan primary schools?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 66-78.
    3. Adaiah Lilenstein, 2018. "Integrating Indicators of Education Quantity and Quality in Six Francophone African Countries," Working Papers 09/2018, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    4. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Wößmann, 2015. "Das zentrale Entwicklungsziel sollten Grundkompetenzen für alle Kinder sein," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 68(10), pages 27-31, May.
    5. Rose, Pauline, 2015. "Three lessons for educational quality in post-2015 goals and targets: Clarity, measurability and equity," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 289-296.
    6. Filmer, Deon & Rogers, Halsey & Angrist, Noam & Sabarwal, Shwetlena, 2020. "Learning-adjusted years of schooling (LAYS): Defining a new macro measure of education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Humphreys, Sara & Moses, Dauda & Kaibo, Jiddere & Dunne, Máiréad, 2015. "Counted in and being out: Fluctuations in primary school and classroom attendance in northern Nigeria," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 134-143.
    8. Mohammad Niaz Asadullah, Nazmul Chaudhury, 2013. "Primary Schooling, Student Learning, and School Quality in Rural Bangladesh-Working Paper 349," Working Papers 349, Center for Global Development.
    9. Stephan Klasen & Simon Lange, 2011. "Getting Progress Right: Measuring Progress Towards the MDGs Against Historical Trends," Courant Research Centre: Poverty, Equity and Growth - Discussion Papers 87, Courant Research Centre PEG, revised 20 Feb 2012.
    10. Bau, Natalie & Das, Jishnu & Yi Chang, Andres, 2021. "New evidence on learning trajectories in a low-income setting," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Gust, Sarah & Hanushek, Eric A. & Woessmann, Ludger, 2024. "Global universal basic skills: Current deficits and implications for world development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    12. Das, Jishnu & Zajonc, Tristan, 2010. "India shining and Bharat drowning: Comparing two Indian states to the worldwide distribution in mathematics achievement," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 175-187, July.
    13. Lamaute-Brisson, Nathalie, 2013. "Social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Haiti," Documentos de Proyectos 4075, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    14. Gruber, Lloyd & Kosack, Stephen, 2014. "The tertiary tilt: education and inequality in the developing world," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 54202, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Gertler, Paul J. & Patrinos, Harry Anthony & Rubio-Codina, Marta, 2012. "Empowering parents to improve education: Evidence from rural Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 68-79.
    16. Berry, Christopher & Barnett, Edward & Hinton, Rachel, 2015. "What does learning for all mean for DFID's global education work?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 323-329.
    17. Kaffenberger, Michelle & Pritchett, Lant, 2020. "Aiming higher: Learning profiles and gender equality in 10 low- and middle-income countries," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    18. Gruber, Lloyd & Kosack, Stephen, 2014. "The Tertiary Tilt: Education and Inequality in the Developing World," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 253-272.
    19. Peter Glick & Jean Claude Randrianarisoa & David E. Sahn, 2011. "Family background, school characteristics, and children's cognitive achievement in Madagascar," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 363-396, February.
    20. Debra Shepherd, 2013. "A question of efficiency: decomposing South African reading test scores using PIRLS 2006," Working Papers 20/2013, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    21. Sotiria Grek, 2022. "The education Sustainable Development Goal and the generative power of failing metrics [The Learning Metrics Task Force 2.0: Taking the Global Dialogues on Measuring Learning to the Country Level]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(4), pages 445-457.
    22. Charles Kenny, Jonathan Karver, and Andy Sumner, 2012. "MDGs 2.0: What Goals, Targets, and Timeframe? - Working Paper 297," Working Papers 297, Center for Global Development.
    23. Nancy Birdsall, 2012. "A Note on the Middle Class in Latin America," Working Papers 303, Center for Global Development.
    24. Jerrard, Jane, 2016. "What does “quality” look like for post-2015 education provision in low-income countries? An exploration of stakeholders’ perspectives of school benefits in village LEAP schools, rural Sindh, Pakistan," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 82-93.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    primary school; poverty; millenium development goals; school completion; school enrollment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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