Talk about burying the lede. This open access book chapter (28 page PDF) characterizes "UNESCO as the "idealist", the OECD as the "master of persuasion", and the World Bank as the "master of coercion". The article describes the relations between the three organizations over the last 80 years and notes "UNESCO, which represents the most democratic among the three organizations, as it is the UN organization institutionally most directly responsive to the majority of its members, became unattractive for the United States as a foreign policy instrument." The other two saw programs such as literacy as a stepping stone to productivity, not as ends in themselves. But the most interesting point is reserved for the final few lines of the article: "There are indications that countries are getting tired of PISA and the high time of the PISA-era might be coming to an end, but the future of the OECD seems more uncertain, as the organization has a remarkable ability to re-invent itself."
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