A relationship stuck in the past: contributions of demography to educational planning

Bilal Barakat, Vienna Institute of Demography

Educational planning was once characterised as `an exercise in applied demography', but how true is this today? This study provides a comprehensive review of demography in educational planning, in pursuit of three interrelated goals: to analyse substantive and methodological overlaps, to document the varying extent to which exchange actually has taken place, and to argue in favour of increasing the application of demographic insights and techniques to the public education sector. The study is based on an analysis of educational planning and policy documents and manuals between the 1960s and the present and a supplementary review of current education simulation models. The results indicate a divergence over time of the methods, techniques and topical concerns of the two disciplines has led to a state of unproductive disconnect, even though many areas of overlapping interest and potential for cross-fertilisation are evident. It is argued that we should reinvigorate the link.