Growing Smarter WORLD BANK EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC REGIONAL REPORTS Known for their economic success and dynamism, countries in the East Asia and Pacifi c region must tackle an increasingly complex set of challenges to continue on a path of sustainable devel- opment. Learning from others within the region and beyond can help identify what works, what doesn’t, and why, in the search for practical solutions to these challenges. This regional fl agship series presents analyses of issues relevant to the region, drawing on the global knowledge and experience of the World Bank and its partners. The series aims to inform public discussion, policy formulation, and development practitioners’ actions to turn challenges into opportunities. TITLES IN THE SERIES Growing Smarter: Learning and Equitable Development in East Asia and Pacifi c Riding the Wave: An East Asian Miracle for the 21st Century Live Long and Prosper: Aging in East Asia and Pacifi c East Asia Pacifi c at Work: Employment, Enterprise, and Well-Being Toward Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacifi c: A Companion to the World Development Report Putting Higher Education to Work: Skills and Research for Growth in East Asia All books in this series are available for free at https://openknowledge.worldbank.org / handle/10986/2147. World Bank East Asia and Pacifi c Regional Report Growing Smarter Learning and Equitable Development in East Asia and Pacifi c © 2018 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 21 20 19 18 This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. 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ISBN (paper): 978-1-4648-1261-3 ISBN (electronic): 978-1-4648-1269-9 DOI: 10.1596/978-1-4648-1261-3 Cover photo: Students in class at the Banteay Dek Primary School, Cambodia. © Global Partnership for Education / Livia Barton. Used with the permission of Global Partnership for Education / Livia Barton. Further permission required for reuse. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been requested. Contents Foreword . xv Acknowledgments . xvii Abbreviations . xix Overview . 1 Introduction . 1 Policies that promote learning: analytical framework for this report . 1 The state of education in East Asia and Pacifi c . 5 Align institutions to ensure basic conditions for learning . 13 Concentrate effective, equity-minded public spending on basic education . 14 Select and support teachers throughout their careers to allow them to focus on the classroom . 16 Ensure that children are ready to learn in school . 20 Assess students to diagnose issues and inform instruction . 23 Charting the course ahead . 26 Notes . 30 References . 30 1 High-Quality Schooling and Economic Growth in East Asia and Pacifi c . 33 The region generated unprecedented and transformative economic growth . 33 How has sustained high growth changed the region? . 33 A sound macroeconomic environment allowed human capital to drive growth . 36 Successful economies systematically decreased the distance to the technological frontier . 41 Successful economies prepared early for the next phase in becoming a knowledge economy . 43 Human capital protects people from falling back into poverty . 44 The region’s legacy of equitable growth is under threat . 46 v vi CONTENTS More remains to be done if countries are to avoid the “middle-income trap” . 47 Conclusions . 48 Note . 49 References . 49 2 The State of Education in East Asia and Pacifi c . 51 East Asia and Pacifi c is home to a quarter of the world’s school-age children, most of whom are enrolled in school . 51 Education systems fall into four groups . 56 Parts of the region are facing a learning crisis . 61 The region has more than its share of top performers . 64 The equity of learning outcomes is greater in East Asia than in the OECD . 65 Educational systems in the region’s low- and middle-income countries serve learners from the bottom 40 percent . 69 An emerging literature on the roots of high performance highlights elements that promote learning . 71 Conclusions . 72 Notes . 72 References . 73 SPOTLIGHT 1 Education in the Pacifi c Island Countries: Achievements and Challenges . 75 Role of the church . 75 Attainment . 75 Achievement . 77 Results from Early Grade Reading Assessments . 78 Public expenditure on education . 79 References . 79 3 Institutional Alignment for Policy Implementation . 81 Institutional alignment is critical to ensure that students learn . 81 Systemic reform of education for improved learning . 83 Aligning political support for investment in education with jobs and social mobility . 84 Sound administrative systems start by ensuring that basic conditions for learning are in place . 85 Providing clear guidance to teachers through national curricula and textbooks . 87 Sequenced reforms allowed more complex and ambitious learning goals to be achieved . .89 Institutional alignment and sequenced reforms helped high-performing economies to reach critical milestones in expanding access and improving quality . 92 Note . 93 References . 93 SPOTLIGHT 2 What Lessons Can Be Drawn from Top Performing Systems’ Experience with Technical and Vocational Education and Training? . 97 TVET was central to national education policy and national economic development strategy . 97 TVET 2.0 . 99 References . ..