Education & National Development in Asia: Trends, Issues, Policies and Strategies

Abstract

The social and economic development of nations is fundamentally an education process in which people learn to create new institutions, use new technologies, cope with their environment, and alter their patterns of behavior. Education and schooling improve the capabilities of individuals and the capacity of institutions, and become a catalyst for all the closely interrelated economic, social, cultural, and demographic changes that are defined as national development. However, if opportunities for schooling are unevenly distributed across population segments through inequitable selection practices, the formal education system may perpetuate and legitimize divisions based on gender, status, wealth, or socioeconomic role. Nonetheless, as a whole, education (including nonformal education as well as formal schooling) is a process of providing enlightenment and skills, as demonstrated by the profound influences of education on individual aspirations and achievements. In short, while equity in access to schooling remains an important challenge in many developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), education is clearly a powerful instrument of social policy, which has substantially promoted society’s objectives. This study examines the trends and potential problems in education among DMCs. Of foremost importance are the changes taking place in education quality, equity and access, finance, and management, as well as their implications for policy, strategy, and external assistance.