Cambridge 17 | Test 4 | Passage 2

Does education fuel economic growth?

Early findings suggest that the potential benefits of education for the economy can be held back by other barriers, and this has implications for today. Huge amounts are spent improving education in developing countries, but this spending can fail to deliver economic growth if restrictions block people—especially women and the poor—from using their education in economically productive ways. If economic institutions are poorly set up, for instance, education can’t lead to growth.

hold someone/something back (phrasal verb)

/hoʊld/

to stop someone or something developing or doing as well as they should

She felt that having children would hold her back.

barrier (noun) [countable]

/ˈberiər/

anything used or acting to block someone from going somewhere or from doing something, or to block something from happening

Cultural barriers have made it hard for women to enter many professions.

restriction (noun) [countable]

/rɪˈstrɪk.ʃən/

something that limits someone's actions or movement, or limits the amount, size, etc., of something

They placed restrictions on smoking indoors.