Does learning begin at home? The use of ‘home international’ comparisons in UK policy making

Overseas comparisons have been increasingly influential in UK policy making for education and training, but they have limitations as a source of policy lessons. ‘Home international’ comparisons of the four home countries of the UK have been advocated as a more fruitful source of practical policy lessons. This paper examines the extent to which policy‐making processes in the four UK territories facilitate policy learning from such comparisons, drawing on interviews with senior policy makers. The policy makers agreed that home international comparisons were potentially valuable, but their actual use in policy making was occasional and unsystematic. The paper discusses the features of the policy‐making process which account for this conclusion.