Slowly, the right lessons are beginning to be applied in more and more countries. And slowly, countries are beginning to see the results. This debate is far from over. But it strikes me that the Bank's approach to education, in Latin America and elsewhere has the potential to be something of a flagship for the knowledge bank and an example for other development institutions around the world. It has been said that the Bank should not try to be all things to all clients.
Education is too important to do poorly.
Second, and perhaps even more critical, the Bank and the IDB must be collectors and sharers of knowledge. The two banks are uniquely well situated to ensure best practice and best results are disseminated effectively to others and put to work. The Bank has made great strides toward these objectives since granting the first loan for education in 1963. Education is largely and rightly a task for individual nations to finance. But as the Bank as shown, international institutions can make a big difference.