An Economist Looks at Education

Abstract

Jim Hough expressed the theme of his inaugural lecture at the University of Loughbarough in the form of a question: If an economist looks at education what will he see? His answer is that he will see a major sector of national life, so large that it has been termed an industry. An industry which may well play a crucial role in determining the performance of the national economy. Given this it is remarkable that there are so few economists in either departments of economics or departments of education with a serious interest in education within higher education. In the body of his paper Professor Hough sets out to demonstrate how an economist might look at six very different themes.