Inadequate education results in considerable follow-on costs for society over the long term. The Social Costs of Inadequate Education project is dedicated to calculating how much society ultimately pays for substandard educational outcomes.

High numbers of students dropping out of school, 15-year-olds who cannot read or write properly -- those are just some of the horror stories that fill the papers every day. It's all too easy to dismiss them as the fault of those directly involved: the student, the teacher, the parents. Ultimately, however, we as a society pay the follow-on costs that result from inadequate education.

The Social Costs of Inadequate Education project is committed to calculating exactly these follow-on costs. Together with academic specialists, the project team will spend the next two years assessing how inadequate education impacts society at both the national and regional levels. Its activities will detail the resulting costs in a number of areas, since each individual's level of education not only determines his or her future income and, as a result, the tax revenues and funding for social insurance programs that society has at its disposal; it also plays a large role in determining which individuals are at risk of becoming dependent on social welfare programs. In addition, education is a key factor influencing society's potential for economic development. Similarly, it can encourage people to lead healthy lives and increase their willingness to get involved in their communities. What's more, education has been shown to prevent criminal activity.  

Calculating the follow-on costs is meant to make clear education's long-term significance for society. These costs can only be avoided if approaches are found that make it possible to invest effectively in education and at earlier stages of learning.