Educational Change and Economic Development

This paper discusses some problems uwth current models of educational investment and economic growth, and suggests three propositions as a step toward a new model. The higher the level of economic development, (a) the greater the per capita rate of general secondary education, (b) the greater the per capita rate of vocational education and (c) the greater the ratio of vocational to general education (TE/GE). Data from UNESCO on the educational level and economic development of 69 nations shows that economic development is only slightly related to general secondary education but closely related to the level of vocational education. The relation between economic development and TE/GE is curvilinear, suggesting that vocational education increases up to a level of $500 per capita GNP and then declines as GNP increases.