Academy for Educational Development

Impact of Education on Economic Growth Topic of Conference at AED

Stephen Moseley, AED President Craig Barrett, Intel Corp. Chairman of the Board “The Untapped Opportunity: How Public-Private Partnerships Can Advance Education for All”

Leaders from major global organizations, businesses and the education sector met in September at AED’s headquarters in Washington for a conference on “Global Public-Private Partnerships in Education.” AED collaborated with The Conference Board to present the 2006 Business and Education Conference.

Globalization has prompted more corporations to consider investing in the emerging markets of developing countries. At the same time, those countries are concerned about their competitiveness in the global economy. Though an educated citizenry is considered critical to ensuring economic success, many countries still lack the resources to achieve this goal.

“Closing the gaps in education financing, management, and teaching in developing countries’ education systems is essential to their economic futures,” said Stephen F. Moseley, president of AED. “This is where public-private partnerships can have the greatest impact.”

While tremendous advancements have been made in the field of information technology over the last half-decade, the “education industry has been somewhat stagnant during that same period,” said Craig Barrett, the chairman of the board of Intel Corporation, in his opening remarks. “Knowledge is the most valuable resource” a country can have to stay competitive, he said.

Participants included the Jordan’s Minister of Education, and senior education officials from Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey, as well as representatives from Fortune 500 companies. The meeting was sponsored by Intel Education and Merrill Lynch, with assistance from Hewlett-Packard. 

AED’s new report "The Untapped Opportunity: How Public-Private Partnerships Can Advance Education for All," was released at the conference. This 57-page report analyzes the education advancements that were made in the 20th century in enrolling students in primary school, as well as the obstacles to high-quality education for all students, particularly at the secondary level.

The report also details the specific ways in which businesses can spur improvements in the education systems of developing countries such as: building schools; training teachers; garnering community support for schools; and providing educational materials.

“The challenges of the 21st century are clear,” said Moseley. “We must: expand primary school completion, while at the same time increasing enrollment and completion of secondary school.”