Alison Wolf
Encyclopedia
Alison Wolf is a British economist
. She is Director of Public Services Policy and Management at King's College, London where she holds the Sir Roy Griffiths
chair.
Wolf studied at the Universities of Neuchatel
and Oxford
. Her early career was spent in the United States as a policy analyst for the government. She then worked many years at the Institute of Education of the University of London where she was guest professor. She is a member of the Advisory Committee for Education for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and a member of the council of the United Nations University
. She writes frequent articles in the British press and moderated a programme on BBC Radio 4
. She is a member of the International Accounting Education Standards Board and has worked as a consultant for the European Commission
, Bar Council
, OECD, Royal College of Surgeons and the Ministries of Education of New Zealand
, France and South Africa
.
Wolf studies the interface between educational institutions and labour markets. She also has a research interest in performance studies, maths education, training, tertiary education and employment in the health sector.
In her book, Does Education Matter? Myths about Education and Economic Growth, she questioned the widespread view that higher public expenditure on education would increase economic growth. Instead, the causality ran in the opposite direction. For the individual, the crucial skills in the labour market are primarily the mathematical and linguistic skills that are taught in school. She therefore recommends investment in primary and secondary education rather than the tertiary level.
Alison is married to the economics journalist Martin Wolf
.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. She is Director of Public Services Policy and Management at King's College, London where she holds the Sir Roy Griffiths
Roy Griffiths
Sir Ernest Roy Griffiths was a British businessman. He was a director of Monsanto Europe , and a director and deputy chairman of J...
chair.
Wolf studied at the Universities of Neuchatel
University of Neuchâtel
The University of Neuchâtel is a French-speaking university in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The University has five faculties and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law, economics and theology. The Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences is the largest...
and Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. Her early career was spent in the United States as a policy analyst for the government. She then worked many years at the Institute of Education of the University of London where she was guest professor. She is a member of the Advisory Committee for Education for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and a member of the council of the United Nations University
United Nations University
The United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
. She writes frequent articles in the British press and moderated a programme on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. She is a member of the International Accounting Education Standards Board and has worked as a consultant for the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, Bar Council
Bar council
A bar council , in a Commonwealth country and in the Republic of Ireland, the Bar Council of Ireland is a professional body that regulates the profession of barristers together with the King's Inns. Solicitors are generally regulated by the Law society....
, OECD, Royal College of Surgeons and the Ministries of Education of New Zealand
Ministry of Education (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Education , is the primary state sector organisation of New Zealand responsible for New Zealand's education system...
, France and South Africa
South African Ministry of Education
The Department of Education was one of the departments of the South African government until 2009, when it was divided into the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training. It oversaw the education and training system of South Africa, including schools and...
.
Wolf studies the interface between educational institutions and labour markets. She also has a research interest in performance studies, maths education, training, tertiary education and employment in the health sector.
In her book, Does Education Matter? Myths about Education and Economic Growth, she questioned the widespread view that higher public expenditure on education would increase economic growth. Instead, the causality ran in the opposite direction. For the individual, the crucial skills in the labour market are primarily the mathematical and linguistic skills that are taught in school. She therefore recommends investment in primary and secondary education rather than the tertiary level.
Alison is married to the economics journalist Martin Wolf
Martin Wolf
Martin Wolf, CBE is a British journalist, widely considered to be one of the world's most influential writers on economics. He is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times.-Early life:...
.
Publications
- Convergence and Divergence in European Education and Training Systems (with Green, A. and Leney, T.), Institute of Education (1999).
- Does Education Matter?: Myths About Education and Economic Growth, Penguin (2002).
- An Adult Approach to Further Education: How to Reverse the Destruction of Adult and Vocational Education, Institute of Economic Affairs (2009).
- Improving skills at work (with Evans, K.), Routledge (2010).
- The Wolf report - Review of Vocational Education, UK Department for Education (2011).