For Immediate Release
The World Bank
Middle East North Africa Region
Media Contact:
In Washington: Sereen Juma 1 (202) 473-7199e-mail: sjuma@worldbank.orgIn
Sana’a: Samra Shaibani (967-1) 413 710 e-mail: sshaibani@worldbank.org
WASHINGTON, September 24, 2004 – The World Bank yesterday approved a US$ 65 million loan to the Government of Yemen to help increase access to basic education for all, especially girls and disadvantaged groups, enhance the quality of education and improve management and efficiency of the education sector.
Yemen has made great strides in improving access to education but it still continues to face the challenges of achieving the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education and gender equality. Enrolment in primary education has increased from 25,000 students in 1970 to more than 4 million in 2003. However, significant lack in access, quality and efficiency exist; enrolment is approximately 65 percent, and the adult literacy rate is only 48 percent. Gender equality is an especially severe problem, with only 55 percent of primary school-aged girls in schools country-wide and less than 30 percent in rural areas.
In response to these challenges, the Government of Yemen is working in partnership with donors in implementing the Basic Education Development Strategy which focuses on increasing access to schools particularly for girls, improving and developing education curriculum and improving management in the Ministry of Education.
In its first year, the Basic Education Development project will be launched in 10 governorates where new schools will be built and existing schools rehabilitated. The implementation of the Project will expand gradually to the entire country. The project will also emphasize on curriculum review and development and enhance the quality and provision of educational materials. It will support better teacher management and strengthen the education system supervision. The project will also help the Ministry of Education improve policy development, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and implementation in curriculum review and development. By the time the project is completed, it is expected that enrolment in primary education will have increased by more than 20 percent country-wide.
“ The project will have a far-reaching beneficial impact in Yemen. The reforms it supports are
designed to create an education system in which the less well-off social groups – including girls, children with special needs and children in rural areas – will benefit increasingly from the nation's investments in education. These reforms will help to gradually change Yemen’s education system from one that is relatively costly and poorly managed to a system that is more efficient and relevant” said Ousmane Diagana, Task Team Leader and Senior Operations Office.
The Basic Education Development Project has a maturity of 40 years, including a 10-year grace period. The World Bank began its development cooperation and assistance to Yemen in 1971. Since then, commitments to the country total approximately US$ 2.3 billion for 135 operations.
For more information about the World Bank’s work in Yemen, visit:
www.worldbank.org/ye
For more information about this project, visit:
http://www.worldbank.org/projects
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