Using Agent-Based Models for Education Planning: Is the UK Education System Agent Based?

Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) is a relatively new spatial modelling technique. The ability of ABM to simulate a real world system, the UK education market, is explored in this chapter. It is shown how a simple ABM incorporating common sense rules can provide acceptable results with over 60% of pupils being allocated to the correct schools and 75% of schools containing at least 50% of correct pupils when compared to observed data. The exploration outlined here highlights that the education has a good deal to offer researchers in the ABM field. Possibly more importantly, the real potential of ABM as a technique for simulating real world systems and delivering appreciable benefits to the general population is demonstrated.

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