Education and structural adjustment in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa

The paper analyzes the performance of adjusting and non-adjusting countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America between 1980 and 1988. The analysis documents that the 1980s were a decade of growing austerity in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, which reduced the potential contributions of households to education. Adjusting countries also reduced public education expenditures. Facing reductions in funds, education Ministries cut disproportionately the share for teaching materials. Eventually teacher salaries deteriorated in real terms too. There were also declines in the relative number of children enrolled in primary school. In sub-Saharan Africa, adjustment decreased the opportunity to complete primary school disproportionately for girls. There were no effects of adjustment in the opportunity to access secondary or higher education. The main conclusion of the paper is that in reframing the study of the educational consequences of adjustment the main failure of adjustment is one of lost opportunities to include education and human resource development at the center of the restructuring process.