A report said that primary schools that failed to teach children to read were costing the country up to £2.1 billion per year - taking into account the costs of social problems linked to illiteracy, such as special educational provision, truancy, reduced employment opportunities, and crime.
Source: The Long-term Costs of Literacy Difficulties, KPMG Foundation (kpmgfoundation@kpmg.co.uk)
Date: 2006-Dec
A study found that the higher the proportion of graduates in an occupation, the lower the salary each individual received, even after controlling for education. This suggested a social rather than a material explanation of the expansion of higher education.
Source: Malcolm Brynin and Simonetta Longhi, The Wage Effects of Graduate Competition, Working Paper 2006-58, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Dec
A study estimated the causal effect of compulsory schooling on labour market outcomes. Individuals compelled to stay in school for as little as three months longer than their classmates tended to achieve significantly higher qualification levels, and to experience better labour market outcomes.
Source: Emilia Del Bono and Fernando Galindo-Rueda, The Long Term Impacts of Compulsory Schooling: Evidence from a natural experiment in school leaving dates, Working Paper 2006-44, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Nov
A briefing summarized findings from the first seven years of research at the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning. The importance of learning was wide-ranging, extending well beyond qualifications and economic success. Learning had the power to exert a causal influence on a range of factors, including well-being; health; and attitudes and behaviour.
Source: The Wider Benefits of Learning: A synthesis of findings from the Centre For Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning 1999-2006, Research Report RCB05-06, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2006-Oct
A report said that the returns to a university degree in Britain were still high by international standards, suggesting that there was, as yet, no oversupply of graduates. Basic skills also continued to have very high value in the labour market, indicating that the supply of skills continued to be lower than demand. But some of the new vocational qualifications had very low or minimal economic value.
Source: Romesh Vaitilingam, Human Resources, the Labour Market and Economic Performance, Manpower Human Resources Lab/Centre for Economic Performance/London School of Economics (020 7955 7285)
Links: Paper | LSE press release
Date: 2006-Sep
Researchers found substantial returns to education in term of improved mental health.
Source: Arnaud Chevalier and Leon Feinstein, Sheepskin or Prozac: The Causal Effect of Education on Mental Health, DP71, Centre for the Economics of Education/London School of Economics (020 7955 7285)
Date: 2006-Aug
A literature review examined how education could contribute to ending child poverty. It identified "powerful evidence" that education in childhood and youth improved chances in adulthood. Gains from adult learning were more mixed: but less-qualified adults could boost their incomes by participating in some kinds of programme. The returns from investment in education were especially high for vulnerable groups.
Source: Stephen Machin and Sandra McNally, Education and Child Poverty: A literature review, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
An article questioned whether the drive to expand access to higher education would necessarily benefit both individuals and their wider communities.
Source: Michael Watts and David Bridges, 'The value of non-participation in higher education', Journal of Education Policy, Volume 21 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Mar
Researchers found that adults who had flourished at secondary school enjoyed better health and well-being than those who had not.
Source: Cathie Hammond and Leon Feinstein, Are Those Who Flourished at School Healthier Adults? What Role for Adult Education?, Research Report RCB02, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2006-Feb
A report (based on research in Scotland) said that education policy by itself contributed little to the rate at which people moved between social classes.
Source: Cristina Iannelli and Lindsay Paterson, Education and Social Mobility in Scotland in the 20th Century, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Summary | ESRC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report provided a detailed examination of the labour market returns to qualifications at 'level 3' and above. The returns to academic qualifications were greater than those to vocational qualifications at almost every level.
Source: Andy Dickerson, A Study on Rates of Return to Investment in Level 3 and Higher Qualifications, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the relationship between adult literacy and numeracy skills, participation on basic skills courses, and subsequent labour market outcomes. Significant positive correlations were found between both literacy and numeracy and earnings; and basic skills were good predictors of labour market participation, particularly for women.
Source: John Grinyer, Literacy, Numeracy and the Labour Market: Further analysis of the Skills for Life survey, Research Report 712, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Jan
A paper estimated the return to education using two alternative methods: one exploited variation in schooling associated with early smoking behaviour, whereas the other used the raising of the minimum school leaving age.
Source: Matt Dickson, The Causal Effect of Education on Wages Revisited, Working Paper 09/220, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Jan
