Many developing countries suffer from poorly performing educational systems that fail to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate productively in the modern economy. How can educational outcomes be improved? To address this question, Esther Duflo draws on path-breaking recent research on school learning techniques in rural India that bridges economics with disciplines such as psychology and cognitive science. Panellists Sir Richard Peto, one of the world’s most influential health statisticians and an expert on large RCTs, and Rachel Glennester, chief economist of DFID, analyse and comment on the research drawing on their own knowledge and experience of a variety of related policy interventions.