Understanding the Politics of the Learning Crisis

Abstract

This chapter reflects on the key contribution of this volume to debates around global education, and offers critical comments as to how this analysis can be further developed. Conventional analyses of education systems in developing countries typically identify what can be termed ‘proximate causes’ to poor quality education, often located within the sector itself, and on the basis of this, offer solutions that are either technocratic, or rest hope in electoral democracy. This volume offers a useful corrective to such understandings. Using the concepts of policy domains and political settlements, the framework developed here helps move beyond simplistic discourse of ‘democracy’ to examine the complexities in how government types influence outcomes in education. More work however remains to be done. The cases can only draw on limited data on education quality, we need to be cautious of claims that particular settlement ‘types’ lead to certain outcomes, and further linkages to policy and practice would be beneficial.