This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Baker, D. P. Articles by Holsinger, D. B. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Human Capital Formation and School Expansion in Asia

Does a Unique Regional Model Exist?

Department of Sociology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20815, U.S.A.

Donald B. Holsinger

Education and Social Policy Development, The World Bank, 1818 H. Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433, U.S.A.

Human capital formation through the expansion of formal schooling has long been cited as a fundamental part of the "Asia-Pacific Rim economic miracle." Development scholars often assume that there is a distinctly Asian model of state-sponsored school expansion because of both the cultural and institutional uniqueness of the region. This assumption is questioned here and tested with panel data (1960 to 1990) for secondary school enrollments and other indicators. A cross-regional comparison of the expansion of secondary school enrollments finds little evidence for a sustained unique Asian approach to education expansion, in that: 1) Asia is not leading the developing world in educational expansion, and 2) there is extensive variation in educational development within the region. This is followed by a short case study that compares contrast ing national educational policies and expansion outcomes in two developing Asian countries. We conclude that human capital formation through school expansion is best thought of as an unevenly applied world-wide process, with little importance attached to regional cultural uniqueness.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. K. LeTendre, D. P. Baker, M. Akiba, B. Goesling, and A. Wiseman Teachers' Work: Institutional Isomorphism and Cultural Variation in the U.S., Germany, and Japan Educational Researcher, August 1, 2001; 30(6): 3 - 15. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. P. Baker, Motoko Akiba, G. K. LeTendre, and A. W. Wiseman Worldwide Shadow Education: Outside-School Learning, Institutional Quality of Schooling, and Cross-National Mathematics Achievement Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, January 1, 2001; 23(1): 1 - 17. [Abstract] [PDF]