"The OECD consistently fails to call for greater public investment in education, but this year's report clearly calls for increasing privatisation of funding for tertiary education," van Leeuwen said. He criticized income-contingent student loans brought in by the Australian government, which the OECD presents as a successful example of private financing. "These income-contingent loans entrench regressive tuition fees and place a disproportionate burden on students from lower-income households," he said.
Once again the OECD indicators show both economic and social benefits for individuals and countries that invest in education. Countries with well-funded education systems tend to have the most successful economies and the highest levels of student performance.
According to UNESCO, 18 million more teachers are needed worldwide to achieve Education for All by 2015. Facing this dramatic shortage, EI is concerned the OECD doesn't address the improvements needed to recruit and retain millions more teachers.
"The teaching profession is becoming less competitive worldwide," said van Leeuwen. "Salaries are often inadequate, and with teachers expected to address huge social problems as well as classroom duties, working conditions have become extremely demanding."
The OECD says although countries are spending more than ever on education, "the results from that investment are far from maximized." It suggests governments should introduce "innovative" reforms, such as performance-related pay and less secure forms of employment for teachers. However these measures are more likely to discourage young people from becoming teachers.
"Teachers will be forced to compete in ever-more stressful working conditions. There is no evidence that such policies improve education quality or produce better student outcomes," said van Leeuwen. "Countries that have introduced such reforms (such as Mexico and Turkey) are among the lowest performers on the OECD's own academic quality measurements."
