We're helping to build effective monitoring and evaluation systems in education in six states in Nigeria
Why do parents choose to send their children to different types of school in Bangladesh? OPM’s research helps to explain
OPM was a core partner in the mid-term evaluation of the Education For All Fast Track Initiative
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Our solutions for the education sector are rooted in a combination of economic analysis, financial management, organisational development and statistical services.
Our team
Ian MacAuslan
Leader, Education Portfolio

Access to education may be enshrined in human rights conventions and the Millennium Development Goals, and billions of dollars of state and donor investment have been pumped into it. But the Global Monitoring Report projects that by 2015 up to 56 million children worldwide will still be out of primary education - a problem by no means restricted to conflict and fragile states. So what further steps can be taken to increase participation in education? And as it does increase, how can quality be maintained?  

Economic factors are a major reason for children missing out on education even where provision is available. Demand-side incentives have become increasingly popular as a means to drive attendance. But for such incentives to be successful, they must address the real barriers that families face.
The rapid expansion of education systems in many countries poses challenges in maintaining the quality of service provision. Leadership and teaching talent is spread more thinly and support systems are put under increasing pressure. The private education sector is burgeoning in many countries in response. For governments, the question is how to provide a framework that ensures quality and prevents disparities, while allowing communities and institutions the autonomy to shape education around their needs.
Achieving higher access and better quality simultaneously poses difficult choices about how domestic and aid resources should be allocated. It is essential that decisions are based on evidence regarding effectiveness and efficiency. Institutions need to be organised in ways that facilitate the use of results-based approaches and promote accountability.