Mark Johnson 章迈

Led by a Marxist, battered by a storm, Sri Lanka is doing better -- my latest piece after a week in Colombo, on Sri Lanka's fragile recovery, growing Indian influence, and a puzzle of a President w/ @nimilamalee @TheEconomist economist.com/asia/2026/02/1…

Fascinating piece here on the divergence between educational outcomes in England and Scotland, which @TheEconomist attributes to the former sticking to basics while the latter fell for faddish reforms. economist.com/special-report…

"Adding bodies may hold down teachers’ salaries. The oecd found that teachers’ wages tend to be lower in countries with smaller classes. They concluded that, across the rich world, increasing class size by one pupil is associated with a $1,300 bump in pay" economist.com/special-report…

Very excited to share the first episode of a podcast series I've been working on. It's about why the generation of Americans born in the 1940s have had such a stranglehold on the White House, and why they won't let go.

Few countries are better placed than Vietnam to get rich. Yet political paralysis could slow it down. My report from Hanoi. economist.com/asia/2024/01/2… from @TheEconomist

Great article highlighting the high-quality 'upstart' innovators in higher education such as @Dyson Institute, TEDI:London; @nmite_ac @weareLIS from @majohns @TheEconomist econ.st/489vUkX

The cost of college has not risen over the last couple of decades. I think that's worth repeating: The cost of college has NOT risen over the last couple of decades. New from @phil_wellesley brookings.edu/research/colle…

A story that has everything - political infighting, mixed martial arts, Bugatti Veyrons and a king who hates his job but loves the money and lifestyle that come with it. Very enjoyable read economist.com/1843/2023/04/1… economist.com/1843/2023/04/1…

"In LAC, where nursery closures were especially lengthy, researchers have lately found large declines in the share of children acquiring skills needed to make a good start in school." Thanks @majohns for the interview and highlighting our work. tinyurl.com/y9km73fx @the_IDB

Children have flocked to Sierra Leone’s classrooms. But can it make them learn? econ.st/3FcnMT5

"Concerted efforts to improve outcomes for boys are uncommon, even where their needs are dire. A recent UN report identified 19 countries where schoolboys are doing especially badly. Only 4 had come up with policies to turn things around." @TheEconomist economist.com/the-economist-…

During the pandemic, learning in America appears to have slowed more than in places such as England and Spain. Young pupils in Sweden made good progress throughout the tumult; in parts of Japan pupils have already made up losses econ.st/3SvJB4G

America has dug fairly deep for schools during this crisis. Lots of countries have not. But that will make it all the more disappointing if learning doesn't get back on track.

Big dollops of extra funding are going to US schools, but only one-fifth of it must be spent on catch-up. Hard to imagine more important priorities, given the once-in-a-century disruptions to lessons economist.com/united-states/…

Culture wars are raging around America’s classrooms. But the real crisis in schools is getting short shrift econ.st/3VVB1iz

.@UnionReport74: Alarming stories about a lack of teachers are nothing new. The current panic is unusual only in its intensity buff.ly/3AoMOgu

Cool graph. Not news, but really does change your perspective on the long-run evolution of female labor force participation.

This is a gigantic crisis From our joint report: @WBG_Education @UNICEF @unesco, @FCDOGovUK @USAID @gatesfoundation report👉 worldbank.org/en/topic/educa… TheEconomist economist.com/international/…

Excellent coverage in the Economist of @CGDev work by @Alenestour @lhmosco @JustinSandefur on long-run trends in education quality. There's been a boom in school enrolment globally - a remarkable achievement - but a flat lining or decline in literacy economist.com/graphic-detail…