In this episode, I sit down with general education economist, Professor Panu Pelkonen, to explore the evolution of Peru's education system, focusing on the challenges and reforms from 2010 to 2016. The discussion highlights urban-rural disparities, the impact of increased public spending, and the shift in educational outcomes. Key topics include the role of political stability, privatization in education, and the link between educational improvements and economic growth.

Professor Panu Pelkonen: https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p258681-panu-pelkonen

‘Public Gains, Private Strains: Public Investment and Private Schooling in Peru’: https://users.sussex.ac.uk/~saef20/BA_Privatisation.pdf

Timestamps:

00:00: Intro

00:38: Background on Peru's Education Sector

03:27: Regional Education Disparities

06:59: Peru Ramps Up Public School Investment

12:53: Comparisons to Other Countries

15:36: Outcomes of Public School Investment

22:55: What Happened to the Private Schools?

29:30: Education Spending & Economics

35:24: Did The Investment Reduce Regional Inequality (Internally & Externally)?

40:08: What Needs Improving?

45:04: What Future Research Could Capitalize on the Findings of Panu's Research

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