however there is increasing recognition that many important features of the development functioning and impact of education systems can only be assessed through an understanding of learning outcomes and their relationships to inputs and processes at the level of individuals and institutions these can be either children or young adults undergoing initial schooling and training or adults pursuing lifelong learning programmes outcome indicators examine the direct effect of the output of education systems such as the employment and earning benefits of pursuing higher education impact indicators analyse the longterm indirect effect of the outcomes such as knowledge and skills acquired contributions to economic growth and societal wellbeing and social cohesion and equity such policy levers relate to the resources invested in education including financial human such as teachers and other school staff or physical resources such as buildings and infrastructure