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	Table of Contents
p. 14 of 22 BACK | NEXT Preface Executive Summary I. Introduction II. Development of the Policy Paper III. Education and Poverty Reduction IV. The Changing Context V. Experience of the Asian Development Bank VI. Assistance Policies and Support for Education VII. Role of the Asian Development Bank VIII. Dimensions of the Education Policy A. ADB’s Vision for Education B. A Policy-Oriented Approach C. Elements of a Policy-Oriented Approach D. Consequences of a Policy-Oriented Approach IX. Education Policy Principles X. After the Policy Paper XI. Recommendation Appendixes

Policy on Education : VIII. Dimensions of the Education Policy

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B. A Policy-Oriented Approach

37. The fundamental purpose of policy is to articulate and clarify goals, and provide a conceptual framework to guide progress to achieve the goals. Policy is therefore to some extent a statement of vision, a declaration of what is to be achieved. Experience globally and regionally demonstrates that most of the basic issues of education development cannot be resolved in isolation from each other, and cannot therefore be resolved in the absence of a coordinated framework that establishes clear goals and priorities for reform, in other words, in the absence of sector policy. The focus of ADB’s education investment should be on education sector development and reform, thus maximizing ADB’s leverage and impact. Lending must be based on a sound sector analysis, and a clearly articulated sector policy framework that aims to facilitate progress to achieving stated goals, and resolving identified issues, with particular reference to improving access to quality education for the poor.

38. Resources should be invested in a set of activities linked to a comprehensive policy reform framework, a sectorwide approach, that facilitates coordination of investments within a longer term perspective. Funding classrooms and desks for girls, for example, should continue, but such investment will be far more effective if resources are also provided to develop policy incentives for increasing girls’ enrollment, addressing policy constraints to training and recruiting female teachers, and ensuring equitable allocation of budgetary resources for schools enrolling large proportions of poor girls. Building new schools in poor regions will increase the number of places available, but will not necessarily increase enrollment and retention of the poor unless policies and incentives designed to decrease the cost of schooling to the poor and increase the equity of resource allocation to poor schools are put in place. The point is this: the impact of ADB investment in the education sector will be maximized if it is more carefully linked to sector policy development and reform, and targets investment funds at activities designed specifically to support implementation of policy reform.

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