Both individuals and countries benefit from education. For individuals, the potential benefits lie in general quality of life and in the economic returns of sustained, satisfying employment. For countries, the potential benefits lie in economic growth and the development of shared values that underpin social cohesion.

Countries make substantial investments from both public and private sources in education, both formal provisions and informal provisions in the community and the workplace. It is important to ensure that the education programmes they support are effective and efficient and that the benefits are distributed equitably.

Work on education at OECD seeks to develop and review policies to enhance the efficiency and the effectiveness of education provisions and the equity with which their benefits are shared. Strategies include thematic reviews in specific policy areas, and collecting detailed statistical information on education systems, including measures of the competence levels of individuals.

The policies addressed include those implemented within countries for national benefit and those involved in the provision by OECD countries of development aid to build capacity and to spread the benefits of education and training in other countries.