New Zealand’s success story is often told in terms of its lamb, wool, kiwifruit and agricultural exports. But our country’s greatest asset has always been our people who have been equipped to do…

Annette Dixon |

The issue Data compiled over the past two decades has found that all four major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Tonga are on the rise – diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and…

Sutayut Osornprasop |

Among the 29 countries and economies of the East Asia and Pacific region, one finds some of the world’s most successful education systems. Seven out of the top 10 highest average scorers on…

Michael Crawford |

Principals have to deal with hundreds of students and their personal and academic challenges. (Photo: Sarah Farhat​ / World Bank) All schools are different. I’m not referring to the building, the…

Jaime Saavedra |

Students at Beijing Bayi High School in China. Photo: World Bank In 1950, the average working-age person in the world had  almost three years of education, but in East Asia and Pacific (EAP), the…

Michael Crawford |

Early investment in the lives of disadvantaged children will help reduce inequality, in both the short and the long run. —James Heckman Investments in the early years of children’s lives and in…

Harry A. Patrinos |

Also available in: Arabic | French | Spanish Rows of solar panel at a thermo-solar power plant in Morocco. (Photo: Dana Smillie / World Bank)Over the past several years much has been written about…

Sameh Mobarek |

PISA measures the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science. Photo: Simone D. McCourtie / World Bank  Investing in people starts by ensuring that graduates…

Christian Bodewig, Lucas Gortazar |

Also available in: Français | العربية   A boat trip from Port Elizabeth to Kingstown, in the Caribbean country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is a one-hour trip that locals take several…

Valerie Lorena |