The World Bank

United States of America1962Multilateral Agency
Since 1962, the World Bank has invested nearly $70 billion in education. The World Bank’s new Education Strategy 2020 proposes the objective “learning for all” which addresses not merely access to education for children in developing countries, but the quality of that education. Children in some countries who complete primary school often cannot read a sentence. As the world works toward universal primary education and better access to secondary and post-secondary education, the World Bank aims to ensure that children receive the knowledge and skills in the classroom necessary to succeed after they leave school. The foundation of this strategy centers around three ideas: invest early, invest smartly, and invest for all.
At the national level, the World Bank supports reforms of education systems in both the public and private sectors. Through financial and technical assistance, the strategy encourages reforms that highlight greater accountability and learning outcomes. At the regional and global level, the World Bank will analyze and assess the strengths and weaknesses of education systems, programs, and reforms to create a knowledge base. Policy analysis and suggestions will be made according to a country’s designation as middle-income, low-income, or fragile rather than more traditional regional categorizations.
Areas of engagement in non-state education
Educational TechnologyGirls' EducationLow-Cost Private SchoolsSkills for WorkEarly Childhood DevelopmentCurriculum reform/designEducation FinancingFragile and Conflict-Affected StatesOut-of-School ChildrenPublic-Private PartnershipsSecondary EducationStudent AssessmentTeacher Training and EvaluationDeliveryFinancingPolicy & AnalysisStudent supportSchool supportEarly childhoodPre-primaryPrimaryLower secondaryUpper secondaryPost-secondary non-tertiaryConducting/commissioning evaluationConducting/commissioning researchEngaging in direct program implementationProviding funding for non-state programsProviding general sector support (e.g., sharing of best practices, networking)Providing organizational support (e.g., capacity building, M&E support)For profitNGOGovernmentPPPImplemented by international/multilateral organizationEarly Stage ProgramsPrograms ready to replicate to new settingsPrograms ready to scale upPrograms that have already scaled