ADB’s Assistance in the

Education Sector

Presentation by
Jouko Sarvi
Practice Leader
 ADB’s Comparative Advantages
in the Education Sector
1. Funding + technical advice

2. Good and consistent track record (according

to evaluation studies, education sector is
among the best performing sectors of ADB)

3. Potential to apply cross regional experiences

ADB’s Core Competencies in the Education
Sector (based on operation experience)
• Comprehensive sector reform and development:
- Policy, strategy, planning, management, financing

• Subsector focus:
- Basic and Secondary Education
- Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); Skills
Development
- Tertiary/Higher education

• Technical and crosscutting focus:

- Teacher education, curriculum, education materials
- Targeted support to disadvantaged/marginalized groups
- ICT for education
- Public & private partnerships in education

www.adb.org/education
 Highlights of Assistance Priorities
in Basic and Secondary Education
• Priority in low-income DMCs where funding gaps exist
for implementation of national Education for All (EFA
plans)

• Increased focus on improving quality and completion

• Increased targeted support to disadvantaged groups,

including in middle-income DMCs where enrollments
are high but equitable access still an issue

• Support to the expansion of basic education to include

secondary education (“universal secondary
education”)

• Retooling & upgrading teachers

 Highlights of Assistance Priorities
in TVET/Skills Development

• Policy, organization, and governance/management reforms: the

role of Governments’ in providing adequate training policy and
regulatory frameworks vs. the role of private sector as training
provider - evolving roles and responsibilities of various
stakeholders

• Focus on standards/outputs, and flexible competency-based

training (instead of rigid time-based training)

• Partnerships with employer organizations/ industry, for enterprise

based training, to improve the flexibility of training provision and
relevance of graduates’ skills

• Skills for formal and informal labor markets

• Skills development needs in the context of labor migration within

and between countries
 Highlights of Assistance Priorities
in Higher Education
• Low-income and low-middle-income DMCs: Demand is primarily
for the expansion of higher education systems to increase
enrollment, however, important concurrent priorities are equity
and quality improvement in higher education;

• middle-income DMCs with well-established higher education

systems: priorities include further quality improvement and
diversification of higher education to support development
toward knowledge based economy

• Rationalization of higher education financing is a high priority in

all DMCs, as it has implications for sustainable financing of the
education sector as a whole.
 Education Sector Loans and Grants
by Subsector

Trends 2000-2008 Projections 2010-2012

($2.71 Billion) ($1.5 Billion)
Broad Education
Sector
Technical
Development
Tertiary and Higher Education and
16.9%
Education Vocational Skills
31.8% 16.2%
Technical
Education, Basic Non-Formal
Vocational Training Education Education
and Skills Devt 49.7% 0.0%
17.2%
Broad Education
Sector
Non-Formal
Development
Education
5.7% 18.4%
Upper
Tertiary/Higher Secondary Pre-Primary and
Education Secondary
Education Basic Education
1.9% Education
25.6% 8.0%
8.6%
 Education Sector Loans and Grants
by Region

Trends 2000-2008 Projections 2010-2012

($2.71 Billion) ($1.5 Billion)

Pacific
South Asia
2.0% Southeast Asia
East Asia 44.7% Central and
55.7% West Asia
1.4%
8.7%

East Asia
2.8%
Central and
West Asia Pacific
20.1% 3.3%

South Asia
Southeast Asia
29.5%
31.8%
 Education Sector Technical Assistance
by Subsector

Trends 2000-2008 Projections 2010-2012

($109.4 Million) ($15.6 Million)
Technical Technical
Education, Broad Education Education and
Vocational Sector Vocational Skills
Training, and Skills Development 37.2%
Devt 35.7% Tertiary and Higher
12.8% Education Non-Formal
12.2% Education
Nonformal
0.0%
Education
7.9% Broad Education
Tertiary/Higher Sector
Education Development
4.5% 11.5%
Basic
Education Upper Secondary
Pre-Primary and
Secondary 17.2% Education
Basic Education
Education 29.5%
21.9%
9.6%
 Education Sector Technical Assistance
by Region

Trends 2000-2008 Projections 2010-2012

($109.4 Million) ($15.6 Million)

Central and
South Asia West Asia
16.0% 0.0%

East Asia
Pacific
5.1%
6.2%
Southeast Pacific
East Asia Southeast 0.0%
Asia
Asia
6.8% 53.3% 73.1%

Central and South Asia

21.8%
West Asia
13.6%

Regional
4.1%
Recent ADB Publications in the Education Sector:
Education and Skills: Strategies for Accelerated Development in Asia and the Pacific (2008):
• Comprehensive study of education in the Asia and Pacific region, covering basic education, TVET,
and higher education – current status, significant developments, emerging trends and issues, and a
strategic framework for ADB’s support to accelerated development of human resources
Good Practice Guides on
- Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Education (2009),
- Investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Forthcoming, November 2009),
- Cost-sharing and Financing in Higher Education (Forthcoming, December 2009)
- Inclusive Education (Forthcoming, March 2010)
- Public Private Partnerships in Education (Forthcoming, April 2010)
• The guides draw on a range of sources, including the findings of ADB’s studies and the experience
ADB has gained with stakeholders and partners in providing assistance in these areas of education
in developing member countries
ADB Education In Focus
• Snapshot of latest challenge and strategic issues in the education sector, and ADB’s response.
Updated regularly (latest update May 2009)

ALL PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT : www.adb.org/education

Thank you