World Bank Document

A typical finding showed the mean or defer spending on learning resources to improve health. Byscore for students in a developing materials. But this is a costly the end of the 1960s it was increascountryto be in the bottom 5 to alternative if costs are considered ingly plain that health care systems10 percent of students from a in terms of the education provided modeled on those in the developeddeveloped country. Some of the rather than simply per student world were not the quickest,handicaps of children in develop- in school. cheapest or most effective way toing countries may be due to lower * Properly designed and sup- improve the health of the majoritylevels ol: parental education (which ported radio projects have poten- of people in developing countries.has a substantial impact, particu- tial for improving learning (and in The 1970s have thus witnessedlarly in the preschool years) or certain cases reducing costs). To the evolution of a much broaderin some cases to prolonged mal- take a well-documented example, approach to health policy, incLudingnutrition. But the evidence suggests in Nicaragua regular radio broad- an emphasis on universal low-costthat they are mainly a reflection of casts achieved dramatic improve- basic health care. But despite somelow-quality schooling. ments in mathematics for primary successful experiments, "primaryThere are a number of promising students. Although new tech- health care" is still more of aapproaches to improving education- nologies and growing experience slogan than a nationwide realityal quality in developing countries. are increasing the educational in most developing countries. To* The curriculum should take potential of television, lack of rural change this is the greatest healthinto account the linguistic and electricity and the high costs of challenge of the 1980s.home backgrounds of students. capital, maintenance and operationFrequently curricula are too de- put it out of reach for most countries. Life expectancy and mortalitymanding, which only exacerbates Research into these approaches There is considerable variationtendencies to repeat classes or has indicated important potential, among developing countries. Indrop out, particularly for those but it remains to be seen how 11 of the richer ones, life expectancyfrom poor homes. Whenever much they can improve quality is 70 years or more-close to thepossible, subjects should be within the constraints of politically average level (74 years) in indusillustratedwith examples that feasible budgets. This underlines trialized countries. But in lowdrawon the child's experience. the importance of finding cheap income countries, life expectancy* The selection and training of ways to improve quality if the averages only 50 years, and severalteachers should be improved educational gaps between devel- countries are under 45. Thusthrough more training facilities, oping and developed countries, and despite the health improvementsgreater use of in-service training, between rich and poor in develop- that have occurred throughout theand more resources-teachers' ing countries, are to be narrowed. developing world over the pastguides, advisory services, mass-three decades, the gap betweenmedia programs and bulletins. This Health developed and developing countakestime, however; for manytries remains wide.countries, better teaching will be In general terms, the determinants Babies born in a developingas much a consequence as a source of health have long been well known. country will on average live 20of improved quality in schools. One is people's purchasing power years less than those born in the* The design, production and (which depends on their incomes industrialized world. About halfdistribution of learning materials and on prices) over certain goods of this difference can be explainedshoulcd be upgraded. This applies and services, including food, by what happens in the first fiveparticularly to textbooks, because housing, fuel, soap, water and years of life. Some 17 percent ofresearch indicates that increasing medical services. Another is children in developing countriestheir availability is the most con- the health environment-climate, (and more than 30 percent insistently effective way of raising standards of public sanitation and several of the poorest) die beforeeducational standards. A nation- the prevalence of communicable their fifth birthday; in industrializedwide textbook project supported diseases. A third is people's countries, only about 2 percentby the World Bank in the Philip- understanding of nutrition, health do. Mortality rates among childrenpines significantly increased stu- and hygiene. aged one to four in low-incomedent learning while increasing Knowledge is still evolving, countries are frequently 20-30costs per student by only 1 per- however, on the relative importance times those in industrialized councent.When school budgets are of these different factors, and on tries, and sometimes even more.squeezed, it is all too easy to cut the best ways to deploy govemment Although the gap tends to narrow53