Economics of Education Review.
The focus on human capital as a driver of economic growth for developing countries has
led to undue attention on school attainment. Developing countries have made
considerable progress in closing the gap with developed countries in terms of school
attainment, but recent research has underscored the importance of cognitive skills for
economic growth. This result shifts attention to issues of school quality and, in that area
developing countries have been much less successful in closing the gaps with developed
countries. Without improving school quality, developing countries will find it difficult to
improve their long run economic performance.