Contacts:
Washington: Miriam Van Dyck (202) 458-2931
mvandyck@worldbank.org Croatia: Mirjana Milic (385) 1 235 72 74
mmilic@worldbank.org
WASHINGTON, September 15, 2005 -- The World Bank today approved a US$85.0 million (EUR 67.8 million equivalent) loan to the Republic of Croatia for an Education Sector Development Project (ESDP). The Project will support the implementation of the priority areas in the Government’s Education Sector Development Plan 2005-2010 which was approved in June 2005. As Croatia’s integration with the EU continues to advance, there is strong consensus that the system requires significant changes in order to be able to respond to current and future needs of individuals and Croatian society as a whole. The Education Sector Development Project (ESDP) will help the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (MoSES) to meet this demand for change by developing and implementing a comprehensive education strategy. The project will improve student learning as well as the overall performance of the education system. It will help teachers and students to use a wider range of appropriate methods in teaching and learning. The project has four priorities: - Enriching the Classroom
- Improving Monitoring and Evaluation
- Strengthening Management and Leadership
- Supporting Regional Development and Innovations
“The social benefits of education, specifically the synergies between education and the promotion of a good investment climate, constitute a primary rationale for the public funding of education in Croatia,” said Anand Seth, Country Director for Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. “A good investment climate provides opportunities and incentives for firms – from micro-enterprises to multinationals – to invest productively, create jobs, and expand. It thus plays a central role in growth and poverty reduction that will lead to results on the ground, while helping the management and administration of the education system to monitor and implement the necessary changes.” The ESDP supports the transformation of curriculum in all schools by developing teachers’ professional knowledge and skills, and promoting school-level improvement and creation of professional learning communities for teachers in schools, among other things. The ESDP Annual Development Plans will include training of school curriculum specialists, in-service training for teachers, new teaching and learning facilities, upgrading regional teacher trainingcenters, and new curriculum materials for teachers.
The overall objective of the ESDP is to improve teaching and learning at all levels. Progress on the ESDP will be measured by a standardized international assessment test (PISA) formulated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The project will also set up a monitoring system to ensure that so that 15 year old students perform equally well or better compared to their counterparts in other EU countries after five years. The ESDP will also help to establish an externally administrated school leaving examination, called the Matura. Beginning in 2009, this examination will become compulsory for all general secondary school students at the end of their studies. The ESDP would support the design and establishment of this examination and related logistics as well as the development of educational evaluation practices within the education system. In addition, the ESDP would support the development of policies, activities and structures such as an Education Management Information System (EMIS) and a national student assessment system. The ESDP will support efforts to improve management, including policy development, planning and fiduciary capacities at the central level, administration and coordination capacities at the regional level, and educational leadership at the school level. Since Croatia joined the World Bank in 1993, the Bank has been active in providing financial and technical assistance, policy advice and analytical services to the country. By mid-2005, the Bank had supported 25 projects totalling in excess of US$1.3 billion, and a number of grants for over US$20 million. All completed projects to date have satisfactory ratings. Overall portfolio performance in recent years is also above the Bank’s Europe and Central Asia region’s averages, and disbursements rates at 27.3% for Financial Year 2005 are high. For more information about the World Bank's work in Croatia, visit www.worldbank.hr | 
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