Investing in our future. Quality investment in education and training

Education and training are the foundation for personal development and well-being, and their benefits go well beyond the individuals, affecting the whole of society. They also support economic development by improving productivity, stimulating innovation, and strengthening employability. Investing in high quality education and training for all is a key priority for the European Union but the evidence shows that there is no guarantee that increasing public spending automatically yields better results. The relationship between expenditure and educational outcomes or equity largely depends on the context or the policy choices. Although it is evident that below a minimum level of spending, no education and training system can achieve high quality educational outcomes and equity, it is also true that at a comparable level of spending, some EU Member States achieve better results than others. This evidence points to the critical importance of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of education spending by designing the right policies, programmes or reforms, and putting in place proper implementation strategies. The final report of the expert group on quality investment in education and training identifies those education policies that have the potential to boost education outcomes and equity while improving the efficiency of spending.