From Africa Recovery, Vol.11#4 (March 1998), page 9 (part of Special Feature on the 2-year review of UNSIA)

World Bank sees benefits from partnership on education

The UN System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, says Mr. Jean-Louis Sarbib, one of the World Bank's two Vice-Presidents for Africa, is "one of the new breed of partnerships that are essential for getting more out of the resources we all have to help Africa." Mr. Sarbib told Africa Recovery that after some initial questions about resource mobilization, the agencies on the ground and the Bretton Woods institutions got together and decided "who could bring what to the table." There is now "nice agreement" in this regard and "real synergy" emerging between UNESCO, UNICEF and the Bank on education. "We see this as a very important component of how we need to work," he said.

Mr. Sarbib notes that with regard to education, the Initiative provides "a forum where we can talk to UNICEF, UNESCO and other UN agencies" so that as countries move toward sector investment programmes, they are "much more in the driver's seat." The Initiative also builds on comparative advantages, he says, allowing each agency or institution to bring its particular expertise to the table.

The Bank has suffered from a misperception that it is focusing only on basic education and is "de-skilling" Africa by not investing in secondary or tertiary education, Mr. Sarbib argues. This is not the case: the Bank is taking a "holistic" approach to improving education, encompassing primary, secondary and tertiary education as well as adult literacy and education for girls and women. Given Africa's literacy rates, basic education is a priority for the Bank, says Mr. Sarbib, but "you will not have teachers unless you have ways of producing teachers."

What is important is how resources are distributed among the varying demands. He says analysis of education spending in Africa shows that a very small number of people who go to university receive an inordinate share, leaving millions of children with little or no educational opportunities. Tertiary education should be cost-efficient and produce a work force that can help Africa compete in the world economy. Otherwise it can become "a huge hole" into which governments pour resources to the detriment of other education levels.

According to Mr. Sarbib, donors need jointly to help countries use their resources efficiently. The Bank is helping countries to draw up investment programmes which span the entire education sector from primary to tertiary and to decide on how best to allocate their resources within that framework.

Financing problems faced by African countries can be resolved, he says, by looking at the spectrum of potential resources -- the ability and willingness of parents to contribute, the ability of the government to mobilize and liberate funds for education, and the willingness of donors to give. The private sector is also getting increasingly involved in secondary and tertiary education in Africa.

The Bank will always remain the lender of "last resort," Mr. Sarbib says. It has already invested some $400-600 mn in education in Africa and plans to invest another $300-400 mn in 27 to 30 projects over the next three years.

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