Schooling without learning

Covers of the Pakistan, Canada, India and Bangladesh versions of the book

The Political Economy of Education in South Asia, a scholarly text by BHP Director John Richards and colleagues has just been re-issued in India, following initial publication by University of Toronto Press with later editions in Bangladesh and Pakistan. (John is currently drafting the second edition.)

The book has three main themes: (1) Diagnostics,  analyzes the chronic quality deficit in South Asia’s basic education. (2) Teachers: the pivot of educational change describes institutional actors such as political elites and senior officials, teachers’ unions and teacher training institutes. (3) The Political Economy of Education in South Asia explains how these powerful institutions pursue their own goals, resulting in the high “learning poverty” rate common in the region.

One of the book's reviewers, Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada writes, “I have known one of the authors, John Richards, for many years. We have both worked to improve education for Indigenous peoples in Canada. This book goes straight to the point. Its first contribution is an insistence that South Asian governments spend more on public primary education. The second is that success of primary education means, by the end of the primary school cycle, students are able to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. Schools have many goals beyond literacy and arithmetic, but mastering these core skills is necessary for escaping poverty. Those responsible for managing social programs, in Canada or South Asia, must never underestimate the value of good schools."