The shortcomings in the provision of education to children and basic literacy skills to adults made the implementation of the Family Basic Education (FABE) programme imperative.

UNESCO: Family Basic Education (FABE)

And there was a sustained expansion of the higher-education system: the share of working-age adults with a university degree rose from 5% in 1980 to 14% in 1996 and 31% in 2011, a faster increase than in France, Germany or the US. The combination of these policies helped the UK to bridge the GDP-per-capita gap with other leading nations.

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The underlying assumption for taking such an approach was the idea that once adults understand the importance of education, they would automatically demand for and support education of their children.

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