Optimizing education outcomes: high-return investments in school health for increased participation and learning

Case Studies & Research
Washington, D.C
World Bank Group
2018
170 p.
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Optimiser les résultats de l’éducation : investissements à haut rendement dans la santé scolaire pour un niveau plus élevé de participation et d’apprentissage
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The Disease Control Priorities (DCP) series established in 1993 shares this philosophy and acts as a key resource for Ministers of Health and Finance, guiding them toward informed decisions about investing in health. The third edition of DCP rightly recognizes that good health is but one facet of human development and that health and education outcomes are forever intertwined. The Commission report makes clear that more education equates with better health outcomes. And approaching this reality from the other direction, this year’s volume of DCP shows that children who are in good health and appropriately nourished are more likely to participate in school and to learn while there. The Commission report raises the concept of progressive universalism or giving greatest priority to those children most at risk of being excluded from learning. Here, too, the alignment with DCP is clear as health strides are most apparent when directed to the poorest and sickest children, as well as girls. It is fitting that one of the Commission’s background papers appears as a chapter in this volume. A key message of this volume is that human development is a slow process and it takes two decades or 8,000 days for a human to develop physically and mentally. So the world needs to invest widely, deeply, and effectively across education, health, and all development sectors during childhood and adolescence. And while individuals may have 8,000 days to develop, there is a need to mobilize our resources today to secure their tomorrow. The current generation of young people will transition to adulthood in 2030, and it will be their contribution that will determine whether the world achieves the Sustainable Development Goals.

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