A personal history of the political economy of education

The past sixty years have witnessed a stormy growth in the insights on the one hand concerning the importance of one's education for one's life, the importance of education and science for collective welfare and on the other hand on the delivery of education and science to strengthen individual and collective welfare. In that case –as one might imagine- we are ready for a golden age of education and science, as societies would organize themselves such as to deliver the best in human talents and in scientific advances. The insights in the political economy of education are less advanced. We understand little of the engineering for long run policies and for the social cohesion which generates the support for such policies. The notion of “institutions” has not yet reach a stage where it gives concrete support for political decision makers. Short term selfinterest of dominant political forces continues to rule the waves. The years ahead will require an essential role for education to share the insights in climate change and overall sustainability and to find democratic support for the transitions which have to be made to maintain a planet inhabitable for its eight plus billion inhabitants.