Reforms to education around the globe, though well-intentioned, are unable to be properly assessed because of ineffective evaluation methodology, a new report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found.

According to the paper, entitled Education Policy Outlook 2015: Making Reform Happen, although spending on education has gone up among OECD countries, there is "considerable variation in how that money is spent and the outcomes it produces".

The authors of the study revealed that only one in ten education reforms launched since 2006 have been appropriately assessed for their impact, suggesting that very little scrutiny is happening beyond the implementation of new policy.

"Too many education reforms are failing to measure success or failure in the classroom," said Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's director for education and skills, as he unveiled the report at the Education World Forum in London.

"While it is encouraging to see a greater focus on outcomes, rather than simply increasing spending, it's crucial that reforms are given the time to work and their impact is analysed."

There is a lot of money being pumped into education, with little or no real understanding about whether it is being used in the best way possible. Investment in education in OECD countries, he continued, equates to more than 12 per cent of public spending, "with total expenditure across the OECD exceeding $2.5 trillion a year".

To give an impression of the size of this, it is equivalent to the GDP of the UK. As such, Mr Schleicher continued, it is vital the cash is "deployed in the most effective way. Reforms on paper need to translate into better education in our schools and classrooms".

The report stated that it is more than possible for nations around the world to realise "equity and equality" in their respective education systems. What is required is better, more effective reforms, which can be tested with proper assessments.