Dialogue in Pursuit of Development - Are you looking for one of ...

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The donors’ meeting concluded with pledges and expressions of intent
on the part of the donors to support the implementation of the educational
development plan.
Each of the donors specified its own criteria for recognizing the merits of
the plan. While the World Bank was appreciative of the constructive policies
and of the fact that the plan was based on a true national consensus on
the policies themselves, UNDP pointed out that “the programme for the
development of education is of necessity ambitious with an innovative policy
of a nine year education for all and major improvements in quality, relevance
and equality at all levels of education” (World Charter on Education
for All, 1990).
The African Development Bank was satisfied that the objectives of the
plan were in conformity with the guiding principles of the organisation for
lending in education in Africa. It stated that the “five major areas of concern
– quality, equity, relevance, efficiency and financing are well among the major
problem areas which the AfDB has set out to tackle in Africa” (Mauritius
Master Plan for Education, 1991).
The Swiss Investment Development Agency supported the initiative on
the grounds that “the approach adopted involving national staff at all levels,
including intersectoral co-operation is a promising example of how education
plans could become effective implementation of the World Charter on
Education for All”.
For UNESCO, the plan contained modern policy and strategies for a new
decade of progress for the country in the social, cultural, intellectual and
economic spheres.
As regards the World Bank, it stated that the plan was discussed by its
executive directors and it endorsed the growth strategy of the country, improving
labour force quality, and that it was also central to the bank’s strategy
to support the country’s transition to a higher – skill and higher technology
economy with NIC status by the start of the twenty-first century. It
summarized its partnership with Mauritius in the following terms. The Bank
considered that the “on-going policy dialogue and long-standing support
for education and training has placed it in a partnership position vis-à-vis
the country’s education sector. Its principal role, therefore is to participate
as a partner in the development of Mauritius education and, as an external
agency, to help stimulate the institutional and policy changes and reforms
needed”.
Lessons learnt
The partnership with external agencies was a new experience, the first of its
kind for the country – it was rewarding both for the government which
could mobilize resources and international co-operation for the develop-