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Big Questions and ??Poor Economics??: Banerjee and Duflo on Schooling in Developing Countries

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  • James Tooley

Abstract

In Poor Economics, MIT professors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo set out their solutions for global poverty. Their key premise is that development experts have been sidetracked by the “big questions” of development, such as the role of government and the role of aid. This approach, they say, should be eschewed in favour of adopting carefully tested “small steps” to improvement. The book ranges widely, covering topics such as food, health, family planning and microfinance. Here I treat only their arguments on education in developing countries. Poor Economics points to evidence that shows that governments have not been successful in bringing quality education to the poor. Nevertheless, the authors bring their own big-think judgments to suggest why, despite the evidence, governmentally owned and operated schooling should remain central. Part of their own evidence concerns how private schooling, including for the poor, is burgeoning and outperforming government schooling. But private education cannot be the solution, they argue, because private schooling is not as efficient as it could be. The problems identified by Banerjee and Duflo are, however, clearly caused by bad public policy. I suggest that development economists are quite justified in forming and exercising judgment on the big questions, and that when they do exercise such judgment they should be aware that they are doing so.

Suggested Citation

  • James Tooley, 2012. "Big Questions and ??Poor Economics??: Banerjee and Duflo on Schooling in Developing Countries," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 9(3), pages 170-185, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:ejw:journl:v:9:y:2012:i:3:p:170-185
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James Tooley, 2007. "Educating Amaretch: Private Schools For The Poor And The New Frontier For Investors," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 37-43, June.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; private schools; private education; development; developing countries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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