ABSTRACT
Much of the World Bank’s prominence in multilateral education stems from the scale of its lending for educational development. Its support – repayable loans together with freely given technical assistance – eclipses all other UN agencies by a wide margin. However, the influence of the bank on education futures has more to do with the bank as a purveyor of ideas. Far from being a neutral lender, the bank is the keenest of participants in the struggle over education policy content. In particular, the bank has consistently promoted firm views of how education policy should relate to the fiscal, economic and social dimensions of public policy. This combination of the bank as lender and persuader is a potent one.
