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The fading productivity of schooling in East Asia

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  • Gundlach, Erich
  • Wößmann, Ludger

Abstract

We estimate changes in the productivity of schooling for six East Asian countries. Our productivity measure is based on changes in the relative price of schooling. A rising price of schooling relative to other labor-intensive service sectors should indicate declining relative schooling productivity. We find that the price of schooling increased by more than the price of other labor-intensive services in 1980-1994. We also find that the cognitive achievement of pupils did not change substantially, which suggests a constant quality of schooling output. Hence we conclude that schooling productivity has declined. The main reason for the fading productivity of schooling in East Asian countries appears to be a strong decline in the pupil-teacher ratio.

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  • Gundlach, Erich & Wößmann, Ludger, 2001. "The fading productivity of schooling in East Asia," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 2725, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:2725
    DOI: 10.1016/S1049-0078(01)00094-X
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    Cited by:

    1. Risti Permani, 2009. "The Role of Education in Economic Growth in East Asia: a survey," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 23(1), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Ludger Wößmann, 2005. "Educational Production in East Asia: The Impact of Family Background and Schooling Policies on Student Performance," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 6(3), pages 331-353, August.
    3. Ludger Wößmann, 2003. "Schooling Resources, Educational Institutions and Student Performance: the International Evidence," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 65(2), pages 117-170, May.
    4. Luiz Felipe Leite Estanislau do Amaral & Naércio Menezes-Filho, 2008. "A Relação entre Gastos Educacionais e Desempenho Escolar," Anais do XXXVI Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 36th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 200807201800160, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    5. Gundlach, Erich & Wößmann, Ludger, 2004. "Family background, schooling resources, and institutional features: What determines student performance in East Asian countries?," Munich Reprints in Economics 20450, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    6. Samuel Jebaraj Benjamin & M. Srikamaladevi Marathamuthu & Saravanan Muthaiyah & Murali Raman, 2011. "Affordability of private tertiary education: a Malaysian study," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(4), pages 382-406, March.
    7. Perera, Liyanage Devangi H. & Asadullah, M. Niaz, 2019. "Mind the gap: What explains Malaysia’s underperformance in Pisa?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 254-263.
    8. Gundlach, Erich & Navarro de Pablo, José & Weisert, Natascha, 2004. "Education is good for the poor: a note on Dollar and Kraay," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3199, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    9. Wößmann, Ludger, 2001. "New Evidence on the Missing Resource-Performance Link in Education," Kiel Working Papers 1051, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    10. Erich Gundlach, 2001. "Education and Economic Development: An Empirical Perspective," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 26(1), pages 37-60, June.
    11. Gundlach, Erich, 2003. "Die Bedeutung des Humankapitals für das Wirtschaftswachstum," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3029, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
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    13. Limor Hatsor, 2014. "Allocation of Resources in Educational Production: The Budget Puzzle," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 16(6), pages 854-883, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Asian Countries; Schooling; Productivity Growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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