Education is fundamental in improving life chances, playing a pivotal role in alleviating poverty, and enhancing access to other fundamental rights. However, despite its profound potential, access to quality education remains a persistent challenge, with stark disparities across countries and demographic groups. These disparities are often linked to diminished wages, entry into unskilled labor markets, increased rates of criminality, substance abuse, and mental health challenges in early adulthood.¹ Given the profound impact of educational disparities on individuals and societies, it is important to design education systems that effectively pinpoint the underlying factors to devise targeted interventions. These inequalities typically arise from a confluence of socioeconomic factors, underscoring the need for comprehensive and proactive measures to address them effectively.

In light of its significance, it is imperative for people with diverse background to come together to address this challenge. Various disciplines possess unique expertise that can contribute to the solution. In recent times, there has been a growing interconnection between social policy and education. Social policy endeavors to mitigate the pervasive issues of poverty and inequality, which frequently underlie limited access to quality education. Relatedly, education serves as a potent tool in combating poverty and disrupting the cycles that social protection initiatives seek to address.

To enhance educational equity, the Development Analytics team fosters forward-thinking strategies and provides a holistic understanding of i) designing targeted interventions to address barriers in access to education, ii) providing anticipatory strategies for addressing school dropout, iii) analyzing education landscape and trends and iv) assessing learning outcomes and disparities. When applied to the realm of education, our unique expertise in understanding the distribıtional impact of social policies proves highly relevant.  Utilizing household surveys and administrative data with a specific focus on education enables us to extract valuable insights and inform targeted interventions.

The Development Analytics team has forged strategic partnerships with numerous organizations dedicated to assessing and addressing inequalities in educational access. Our collaborations have encompassed a diverse range of projects, collaborating with institutions such as the World Bank, UNICEF and COMCEC. These initiatives span several countries, including Jordan, Pakistan, Senegal, Türkiye, and Egypt.