Randomised control trials and natural experiments examining different educational interventions worldwide now allow us to compare the efficacy of different programs aimed at improving the education of those in poor countries. The differences in effectiveness between interventions is stark. The interventions which seem to be the most effective at increasing school participation amongst children in extreme poverty are: •preventing iodine and iron deficiency; •informing parents about the benefits of schooling; •deworming children; and, •prevention of malaria and measles.
