The Global Education Challenge:
A View from the World Bank
Global Seminar Series
18 October 2006
Washington DC
1
Overview
 The
Education For All Challenge (EFA)
 The
Education for the Knowledge
Economy Challenge (EKE)
 The
World Bank’s New Education Strategy
(ESSU)
2
The Education Challenge
Evidence is overwhelming that education
– particularly for girls– can break the
cycle of poverty, halt the spread of
AIDS, and create more stable and
prosperous nations
 Around the world, over 100 million
children are out of school, of which 58
million girls (primary school fees a barrier in some
89 countries)

3
Many countries will not reach UPC by
2015 if past trends continue
4
The Global EFA Challenge
Quality –1/3 drop out before last grade,
poorly trained teachers, 800 million
illiterate, TIMSS –most did not reach the
lowest mark in math
 Economic growth undermined by
HIV/AIDs, armed conflict, weak
governance

5
The Global EFA Challenge

Resource needs for all countries to reach UPC
(between US$5.6 and 10 billion per year for all
developing countries)

UK has pledged 15 billion $ over next ten years
6
The global EKE challenge

education stimulates economic growth
through increased productivity (skilled labor,
technical and managerial innovations)

contributes to poverty reduction and
achievement of the MDGs

increases countries’ capacity to cope with
natural emergencies
7
economic development is
increasingly linked to a nation’s ability
to acquire and apply knowledge
8
knowledge is a key factor in
explaining the difference between
poverty and wealth
8
GDP Thousands of
1985 US dollars
Rep. of Korea
Difference
attributed to
knowledge
6
4
2
0
Ghana
1958 1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986 1990
Difference due
to physical and
human capital
9
To improve competitiveness
and welfare…
:

Strong human capital base (secondary
education, tertiary education, lifelong learning)

National innovation system (training of
graduates and contribution to knowledge
generation, adaptation and dissemination)
10
11
evolution of Nokia sales
12
knowledge for safety
13
changing education
and training needs
 higher
skill levels
 flexibility
 need
to adapt to change
for continuing education
 learning
to learn and unlearn continuously
14
changes in job task-skill demands in the USA
(1960 – 1998)
16
14
Expert Thinking
12
Percentile Change
10
8
Complex
Communication
6
4
2
Routine Manual
0
1969
1974
1979
1984
1989
1994
1998
-2
Routine Cognitive
-4
-6
Non-Routine Manual
-8
Source: Autor, Levy, and Murnane (2003) “The Skill Content of Recent Technological Change: An Empirical Exploration,” Quarterly Journal of Economics.
-10
15
Cumulative % of learners
PISA results for selected
developing countries
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Peru
Indonesia
Brazil
Mexico
Thailand
OECD total
OECD Average
<1
1
2
3
4
5
Pisa Proficiency Levels
16
Education Sector
Strategy Update
Broadening our Perspective
Maximizing our Effectiveness

Integrating education into a country-wide
perspective

Applying a sector-wide approach

Becoming more results-oriented
17
Integrating Education
into a Country Perspective

Macro-economic dimensions

Linkages with other sectors
(health, water, transport, etc.)

Focus on service delivery
18
Progress towards one MDG depends on
progress achieved on others







Some 200 million school years are lost each year as a result of ill
health
iron-replete children performed 100-400% better on standardized
tests than anemic children
Each year Zambia loses half as many teachers as it trains to
HIV/AIDS
In Morocco, existence of paved road more than doubles girls’
attendance at school
Mothers who have completed primary education are 50% more likely
to immunize their infants
In Africa, access to piped water increased school attendance by 216% by lowering collection time
In South America, bringing water and sanitation coverage to 100%
would decrease under five mortality due to diarrhea by 22%
19
Applying a Sector-Wide
Approach

From pre-school to tertiary education

Intra-sectoral dimensions



Supply and demand factors
Determinants of quality, equity, efficiency
Public-private partnerships
20
Korea and Senegal:
balanced expansion of education
attainment?
26%
2000
2000
55%
2%
8%
89%
18%
9%
1980
1980
49%
1%
6%
42%
93%
0.5%
3%
1960
1960
17%
80%
4%
95%
21
Education for
Innovation and Competitiveness
To improve growth and welfare:
22
Becoming more
Results-Oriented

Establishing key outcomes and indicators

Analyzing what drives outcomes

Carrying out learning assessments

Systematically engaging in impact evaluation

Developing sound education information systems (EMIS)
with attention to data quality

Using results effectively to reform policy and inform
project design
23
Education Sector Strategy Update
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
24
Education Sector
Strategy Update
THINKING GLOBALLY
ACTING LOCALLY
25
“The only person who is educated
is the one who has learned how to learn…and change”
Carl Rogers
26