Publications

	Table of Contents
p. 10 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 IX. Education Policy Principles X. After the Policy Paper XI. Recommendation Appendixes

Policy on Education

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VI. Assistance Policies and Support for Education

26. ADB’s emphasis on poverty reduction, and on basic education as an investment priority, is consistent with that of the international assistance community. The International Working Group on Education¹³ reports¹⁴ that EFA in the context of poverty reduction remains a major focus of funding agencies in the education sector. According to the report, between 1991 and 1997, the absolute amount of overall bilateral assistance fell from $56.7 billion to $47.6 billion, but the proportion allocated to the social sectors increased to 30.5%, of which nearly a third was for education.

27. The World Bank, in its most recent education strategy paper,¹⁵ identified two global priorities: (i) reaching for international goals, especially basic education for girls and for the poorest; and (ii) improving the quality of teaching and learning. The strategy commits staff to focus on the client, build upon sector analysis and country plans, focus on development impact, and work in partnership with other agencies. The report points out that early interventions (e.g., early childhood development), innovative technologies, and systemic reform are key elements of the strategy to improve the quality of education.

28. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the lead agency for EFA, devotes much time and effort to EFA planning and information exchange. The 2000 global EFA conference in Dakar, coordinated by UNESCO, recognized education as a “fundamental human right.” The Dakar Declaration called for greater effort to reach minorities and to improve the quality of education. The declaration calls on the international community to (i) increase external finance for education, in particular basic education; (ii) strengthen sectorwide approaches; and (iii) provide debt relief or cancellation for poverty reduction. Recognizing that the “heart of EFA lies at the country level,” the declaration calls for more support for developing national EFA plans, reinforced by regional activities to exchange information and experience. The declaration estimates that achieving EFA will cost $8.0 billion per year, and proposes new and concrete commitments by governments and bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, including the regional development banks.

29. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in its 1999 strategy paper focused on four EFA areas: (i) early childhood development, (ii) access to primary school, (iii) use of innovative technology, and (iv) girls’ education. UNICEF calls for more systematic sector planning in collaboration with other funding agencies. It also promotes decentralization of education as an essential strategy for empowering families and communities. UNICEF also recognizes the need to support education for children in situations of conflict and in emergencies.

30. The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) has prepared a major statement on primary education,¹⁶ which declares its commitment to achieving universal primary education and demonstrating progress in gender equality, as priorities for development. DFID identifies a threefold strategy: (i) contributing to the development and coordination of policies and programs for EFA, (ii) ensuring well-targeted country programs for EFA, and (iii) developing knowledge and research strategies to strengthen sharing of lessons learned and to monitor progress. DFID proposes to work to influence international institutions to support EFA, strengthen partnerships for policy dialogue, encourage a sectorwide approach, and link EFA to other DFID concerns such as elimination of the worse forms of child labor. Finally, DFID identifies 10 main priorities for achieving universal primary education, including making primary education free and ensuring access for excluded children.

31. ADB’s own education sector policy clearly reflects the consensus of the international community through its emphasis on poverty reduction, achieving the MDGs and the related EFA, improving access for girls, emphasizing sector analysis as the basis for systemic reform, and collaborating with other funding agencies within a framework of common goals and approaches. Strengthened collaboration with the larger funding community must therefore become in itself an important element of ADB’s education sector policy.

Back B. Lessons Learned	Next VII. Role of the Asian Development Bank