Consultation with Critical Perspectives from Scholars on the World Bank’s New Education Strategy

On May 13, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings hosted an expert academic consultation on the development of the World Bank Group’s new Education Strategy (2010-2020). The consultative meeting brought together a small group of progressive critical thinkers from academia and the global education advocacy community. The purpose of the discussion was to gather input and suggestions aimed at strengthening the World Bank Group’s work in the education sector.

Elizabeth King, Director of Education at the World Bank, provided an overview of the changes the Bank has witnessed in the last decade that affect the future of education, such as increased concern about youth unemployment and increasing demand from governments to equip youth with the skills valued by the local and global labor markets; greater globalization; the rapid expansion of ICT in schools and the marketplace; and progress on the Millennium Development Goals. She noted that the Bank’s new education strategy would address the needs of the world’s poorest in this changing context in order to help move them out of poverty.

View the event summary »