World Bank

Mark Bray

This collaborative report focuses on nine countries in East Asia: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. While acknowledging that these countries share some common features, the report also highlights each country's particular characteristics and the implications of certain policies within specific cultural contexts. The discussion is chiefly concerned with formal education at the primary and secondary levels, but also includes out-of-school supplementary tutoring, which in some societies is a major expenditure. While cash financing of education gains much of the attention, the study also recognizes demands for materials and labor and that the full costs of education include the opportunity costs of foregone earnings. The work is based on existing literature on the countries, questions sent to UNICEF officers responsible for education projects in the nine countries, information available in the World Bank on the countries, and the author's personal experience in the region. Chapters include: (1) "Issues"; (2) "Profiles of Nine East Asian Countries"; (3) "Policy Implications"; and (4) "Conclusion." The volume concludes with 27 tables of country data, notes, and contains 135 references. (EH)

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