Two of the largest World Bank investment projects in Bangladesh are the general education project and the female secondary scholarship and assistance project. This paper evaluates the expected results of these educational projects using the household and school survey data recently collected in rural Bangladesh. Bangladesh spends only 2 percent of its GNP on education, compared to 3.2 percent in an average low-income country and 6 percent in an average high-income country. Low investment in education results in low literacy (only 35 percent), which in turn results in low productivity, low incomes, poor health, and, above all, high population growth. To counter these trends, Bangladesh has invested substantially in the education sector in recent years, with the help of the World Bank and other donor agencies. The objective of this investment has been to improve both the quality and quantity of education, especially among the female population. The general education and female secondary school assistance projects are, in particular, geared to promote better access to primary and secondary education, as well as higher school participation and educational attainment. Based on the rural household and school survey data on both supply and demand factors, this report concludes that school interventions such as more and better schools, better trained and educated teachers, more female teachers, and better water and sanitation facilities in schools promote literacy and improve school participation and school attainment rates. Independent of school-level interventions, complementary investments in village infrastructure (roads and electricity) also have beneficial effects on educational outcomes. The effects of all these interventions are more pronounced for girls than for boys. Contains 28 data tables and figures. (Author/TD)

World Bank Discussion Paper No. 374. China's far-ranging program of macroeconomic reform affects monetary, financial, fiscal, and exchange rate policies as well as institution building. This book contains papers produced from 1992 to 1994 by China's Department of Macroeconomic Regulation Studies (DMRS), under the direction of the System Restructuring Commission. These include reports and essays on Chinese macroeconomic policy and reforms carried out or led by the DMRS, reflecting the key issues and debates of this period. The papers provide a history of the departments work, corrects some misunderstandings, and constitutes a record of experiences that may be useful for future studies on economic reform and policy initiatives.

"What Works in Girls Education" summarizes the extensive body of research on the state of girls education in the developing world today; the impact of educating girls on families, economies, and nations; and the most promising approaches to increasing girls enrollment and educational quality.

World Bank Discussion Paper No. 350. This paper uses an econometric analysis model to examine the distribution across different socioeconomic groups of Malawi's public spending on education. The analysis shows the changes in distribution before and after the country adopted a series of education reforms in 1994.

World Bank Technical Paper No. 383. This paper summarizes the findings of a multisector study designed to examine the efficacy and importance of various technology policies, technology-support institutions, incentive measures, and other sources of technological know-how. It examines how various firms in different sectors and countries improve their technology to increase productivity and product quality and develop new products and processes. Economies studied in this report included Canada, China, Hungary, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico and Taiwan (China).

This study summarizes the first five years (1991-96) of agrarian reforms in Ukraine, presenting the results of a farm-level survey conducted in 11 provinces between January and March 1996. The findings show that the growth of private farming has slowed do

Since the advent of reform in 1992, the Russian authorities have made substantial strides toward creating a market economy through privatization. Recently, Russian authorities have established an institutional framework for a 'case-by-case' approach that ensures transparency and competition through the use of independent financial and other advisers. This paper contains the principal presentations made at a World Bank workshop on the lessons of international experience in case-by-case privatization.