Education International
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SABER Systems Approach for Better Results (SABER) is a World Bank Initiative that aims to strengthen education systems through measuring and comparing education systems against a series of standards. Countries are measured in 13 aspects related to their education systems, such as education financing, student assessment, teachers and engaging the private sector. Countries are found to be ‘latent’, ‘emerging’, established’ or ‘mature’ according to indicators of a good education system. This is a highly problematic initiative for multiple reasons. Firstly, the initiative measures countries according to a rubric which is defined by the Bank, and reflect the Bank’s own policy priorities. For example, systems are considered to be doing well if ‘there are multiple mechanisms to evaluate teacher performance’ and they are ‘promoting a diversity of supply’ of private schools. Education is characterised as a consumer good rather than a public good and human right. Secondly, the initiative compares diverse county’s education systems, against a ‘one-size fits all’ blueprint of ‘what works’ for quality education systems. Aside from the difficulty of gaining data on systems so that can be meaningfully compared with one another, this approach neglects to take into account contextual and cultural differences, and the fact that ‘what works’ in one place, may not be the best policy in another. Thirdly, the measurement of countries’ progress towards these World Bank ‘policy goals’ is highly likely to portray a simplistic and limited view of the policy reality. The reality on the ground (and the implementation of the policy may be very different to the portrait of the education system painted by this reporting tool. Find out more: •
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The World Bank. 2013. What Matters Most for Teacher Policies: a Framework Paper. SABER Working paper series. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/2782001290520949227/7575842-1365797649219/Framework_SABERTeachers_Apr.13.pdf SABER: http://saber.worldbank.org/index.cfm
The WDR is a research think-piece written by a team of World Bank staff (mainly economists). It uses external research sources as well as background papers written by the Bank’s in-house staff. However, critics suggest that the Bank is prone to using a limited selection of research in terms of disciplines, methodologies and authorship. Research from the global North is favoured, as is economic research and studies in education that uses quantitative methodologies, particularly large scale RCTs (randomised controlled trials). To inform the preparation of the WDR, the Bank engages in consultations with organisations, experts and civil society groups in different parts of the world. The consultations include both face-face sessions and an on-line forum. However, the Bank has no obligation to actually take