International organizations play an important role in the development of education around the world. Some have a direct impact on the rights of children and parents in education, while others have an indirect impact by addressing such issues as health, welfare or finance. Prominent among the most influential international organizations are the members of the United Nations family of agencies, although regional development banks and trade union organisations also play important roles. And no mention of international organizations would be complete without reference to the PISA programme of the OECD, although the OECD does much more in the field of education.

The Role of International Organizations in Education provides an introductory background to the operation of organisations that have had a direct and lasting impact on the implementation of educational policy in an international context. The accounts provided give researchers and practitioners to the field an initial account of the organizations, their development over the last seven decades, and their changing influence on the practice of education. By including voices from countries on the receiving end of international policies, the volume also introduces some of the debates that pervade in the field of international education.