Publications

	Table of Contents
p. 11 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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VII. Role of the Asian Development Bank

32. ADB defined itself initially as a project-financing institution whose principal objective was to promote economic development. Its role during its first quarter century reflected that definition. However, as the social, economic, and political situation of the region evolved, so did ADB’s role in serving its region. ADB reoriented its focus during the 1980s away from projects as such, to policies and institutions within the context of country strategies and sector policy papers. A 1989 external panel report¹⁷ recommended expanding ADB’s role to include support for social development, thus recognizing that development does not simply mean the economic growth that was ADB’s earlier primary focus. During the 1990s, ADB increasingly focused on crosscutting issues such as good governance, environmental protection, private sector development, and social development. In 1999, ADB strongly reaffirmed that its overarching priority is poverty reduction.

33. To facilitate its support for regional development, ADB has declared its intention to become a broad-based development institution that plays a number of roles and is not merely a provider of funds. ADB’s focus on poverty reduction confirms a change in attitude to development. While ADB’s comparative advantage lies in its knowledge of the region, it has the ability to offer finance and act as a catalyst for cofinancing, maintain long-term commitment, facilitate exchange of regional experience, provide technical expertise, be a source of policy advice, support sector and policy studies, and provide training for capacity building in such key areas as finance and governance.

34. As applied to the education sector, ADB’s evolving role suggests that greater attention will be given to providing advice on education policies and finance, especially as these relate to achieving poverty reduction, through enhanced policy dialogue. It also suggests that ADB will more actively facilitate exchange of regional experience in key aspects of educational development, for example, policy reform, good practices in promoting quality and equity, and effective strategies for strengthening the use of information technology in education. ADB’s changing role implies as well that more attention should be given in the education sector to defining the overall policy environment, building capacity in the sector, and introducing innovative approaches to address enduring issues. At a time when rapid technological change and a more competitive economic environment demand innovative responses, ADB should play the role of helping introduce, explain, plan, monitor, and institutionalize key innovations. Perhaps the most important role, however, is for ADB to use its vision and experience to help its DMCs develop policies and implement programs designed to ensure equitable access of the poor to quality education at all levels.

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