Is education the cure for poverty? Partly, but schools are just one factor among many.(POVERTY AND EDUCATION)

ECONOMISTS MAY DISAGREE A LOT on policy, but we all agree on the "education premium"--the earnings boost associated with more education. But what role can education play in a realistic antipoverty policy agenda? And what are the limits of that role?

First, it depends on whether you're talking about children or adults, and schooling versus job training. And second, the extent to which education is rewarded depends on what else is going on in the economy.

As Greg J. Duncan's companion piece (page A20) suggests, investment in early childhood has immense benefits. ...

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