International Education Policies, Issues, and Challenges

This short chapter discusses the rights and capabilities of, and development approaches to, education in developing countries, the recent evolution of developing countries' education systems in the present century, the 'leaderless globalisation' of the international institutions currently responsible for education, and the initial effects of the data and evaluation revolution on education. It concludes with five recommendations: evidence should be used more in education strategies, policies and practices; innovation needs to be encouraged; international funding should target more the neediest countries; assessment, benchmarking, and evaluation should be further encouraged; and a new international governance mechanism is needed for education, possibly led from outside the education sector itself.