1 A truly world-beating industry: the growth of formal education 2 Elixir or snake oil? Can education really deliver growth? 3 A great idea for other people’s children: the decline and fall of vocational education 4 Does business know best? 5 Why worry about training? 6 The tyranny of numbers and the growth of the modern university 7 Pyramids and payments: the higher-education market 8 Conclusion