Educational policy and its process

A policy is not a wish; it is a government's chosen course of action, backed by authority and resources. Educational policy links schooling to national development: a country that wants skilled workers, informed citizens and social cohesion must decide what schools teach, who gets access, and who pays. Worked example: when a government announces free textbooks for primary children, that is policy in action — a decision (free textbooks), an instrument (budget and distribution), and an intended effect (higher enrolment and retention).