Measuring relative efficiency of secondary education in selected EU and OECD countries: the case of Slovenia and Croatia

Aristovnik, Aleksander and Obadić, Alka (2014): Measuring relative efficiency of secondary education in selected EU and OECD countries: the case of Slovenia and Croatia. Published in: Technological and economic development of economy , Vol. 20, No. 3 (2014): pp. 419-433.

Abstract

This article continues on a number of previous studies by other scientists in investigating secondary education efficiency by applying a non-parametric methodology. In this respect, the purpose of the article is to review some previous studies on measuring the efficiency of public (secondary) education sector as well as some conceptual and methodological issues of a non-parametric approach. Most importantly, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique is presented and then applied to a wide range of EU and OECD countries, including Slovenia and Croatia, to evaluate the technical efficiency of secondary education. The empirical results show that technical efficiency in secondary education varies significantly across the great majority of EU and OECD countries. Both Slovenia and Croatia show a relatively high level of technical inefficiency in their secondary education as they respectively only rank in the third and fourth quartiles among selected countries. Therefore, rationalising public secondary education spending is strongly recommended with possible redirecting of some excessive resources to the tertiary education sector.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: secondary education, technical efficiency, DEA, Slovenia, Croatia, EU, OECD
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C1 - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General > C14 - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C6 - Mathematical Methods ; Programming Models ; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling > C61 - Optimization Techniques ; Programming Models ; Dynamic Analysis; H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H52 - Government Expenditures and Education; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I21 - Analysis of Education

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