If a country has a smaller child population and a larger working-age population, how may education policy shift?

Correct answer: Greater focus on skills and higher education rather than only primary expansion

The age structure of a population affects the kind of education system that is needed. When the number and share of children decline, the pressure to build many new primary schools may become lower. At the same time, a large working-age population needs relevant skills, vocational preparation, higher education, retraining, and links between learning and employment. Education policy can therefore shift from only expanding basic capacity to improving advanced and job-related learning.

This does not mean primary education should be abandoned. Existing children still need good schools, but the strongest additional priority may move toward skills and higher education. Closing all education or providing education only for older people would be unreasonable. Thus option A is correct because it connects the smaller child population and larger working-age population with a broader, skill-focused education strategy.