Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...

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children are out school and most of them are girls a big majority is in poor countries. Some
countries have still total literacy rate less than 50%, likewise tertiary education participation rate
is in single digit in the developing countries while it is more than 50% in high developed
countries.
In Asia, a majority of the countries are low and lower middle economies so many of them get
loans from the World Bank to support different project and programs in different sector
including education sector and its sub-sector, the higher education. The Bank in Asia is engaged
in multi dimensional and multilevel activities in education sector. It emphases on system-wide
reforms, quality, efficiency, decentralization, restructuring of the public services, supporting
private service providers, as well as cost recovery measures (Yang, 2010).
In the selected twenty five countries, which are part of this study the World Bank, for the last
five decades, has partially or fully supported 4078 projects in different sectors and 461(11.3%)
project of them were in education sector. Among the project on education 153 or 33% projects
were on higher education. Among all regions south East Asia launched maximum number of
projects in the field of education and as well as in higher education. (See table)
Summary of the projects in Asia
Region All fields Education Higher Education
East Asia 601 56 27
South East Asia 1200 167 53
South Asia 1547 153 50
South West 645 79 20
Central 85 6 3
Total 4078 461 153
Table 19 Summary of the WB projects in Asia
Whereas the selected twenty five Asian countries obtained 371.7 billion dollar as loans from the
World Bank to support different sectors and 47.4 billion dollar or 12.7 % of it went to projects
and programs that include education sector. In these countries 25% of the total lending for
education was spent on higher education sub-sector. Among all regions of Asia the World Bank
made highest investments in south Asia in all sectors combined and in education sector as well
including higher education sub-sector. It is followed by South East Asia. (Table 19)