Topics to be Covered
This module speaks to issues connected to education and economic development. The first presentation entitled “Education and Economic Growth” deals with the contributions of education to economic growth. It presents the findings from a number of studies that attempt to trace the connections between education and economic development around the world. As the presentation indicates there is often an association between higher levels of education and higher levels of economic development, but it remains unclear exactly how the two phenomena are linked. Some analysts have found evidence for the claim that a well-functioning system of education and higher levels of education are necessary for sustained economic growth, but hardly sufficient for it. The next presentation zeroes in on a narrower topic, namely the extent to which parents in the developing world fully appreciate how much education improves the earning prospects of their children. In this video, entitled “Parental Expectations from School,” findings from field experiments in developing countries are discussed to explain why it is that many parents underestimate the economic returns to education. The following presentation connects the assimilationist goals of Indian boarding schools with the continuing economic problems in tribal communities. This lecture, entitled “Education: Solutions for Native American Tribes,” retraces the history of the federally-run Indian boarding school system and foster care system. In the past these system undermined Native American tribal communities by severing the ties of younger Native Americans to their communities, families, and cultures. Consequently, they had a destructive effect on the morale and economic development of tribal communities.
Learning Outcomes
After exposure to this module, students will find the linkages between economic development and education more transparent and accessible. They will also have a better grasp of the ways in which the assimilationist educational policies of the US government have weakened the social and cultural fabric of Native American communities, making it harder for them to pursue economic development.
