Contacts: Alejandra Viveros (202) 473-4306 Aviveros@worldbank.org Patricia da Camara (202) 473-4019 Pdacamara@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, November 29, 2005 –The World Bank’s Board of Directors approved today an $85 million loan to support equitable access to secondary education in El Salvador. “Investing in education is a fundamental component of El Salvador’s strategy for economic growth, competitiveness and poverty reduction,” said Jane Armitage, World Bank Country Director for Central America. “This project will help the country’s work on closing the gap to accessible, quality, and relevant secondary education for all Salvadorans.” Despite substantial improvements in secondary education (grades 7 through 12) in El Salvador, there is a persistent secondary education enrollment deficit (60 percent in 2004) and quality is still unsatisfactory. Improvements in access to and completion of primary education (at almost 80 percent in 2004) is creating pressure on the secondary education cycle to make room for the larger number and more diverse pool of students entering secondary education. In addition, there is a high demand of secondary school graduates in the labor market. The Excellence and Innovation in Secondary Education (Exito) Project will increase secondary school enrollment and completion rates among disadvantaged groups, increase the percentage of secondary students who score at the intermediate or advanced level in national exams, as well as increase the quality and professional opportunities of technical education graduates. The project will do so by supporting the following activities: - Promote high-quality, relevant secondary education by developing basic competencies and targeting low achievers in five core subjects (Spanish, Math, Science, Social Science, and English), improving the teaching-learning environment in poor marginalized schools, and ensuring higher levels of integration between secondary technical education and tertiary technological education.
- Support broad-based coverage in secondary education by developing flexible delivery models, including accelerated, semi-distance and distance education for youth who did not complete, or are at risk of not completing, secondary education. In addition, this component will help address the direct and opportunity costs of completing secondary education by providing grants to students who are among the poorest 40 percent of the population; and where needed, the project will also expand and rehabilitate public infrastructure.
- Strengthen the country’s management and evaluation capacity by developing solid monitoring, evaluation, and certification and accreditation systems, as well as by improving school management and decentralization.
“Access to secondary schooling not only leads to equality of opportunities and social cohesion, but it is key to boosting national competitiveness in an increasingly technological world,” said Emanuela Di Gropello, World Bank task manager for the project. “El Salvador will need a labor force with sufficiently advanced skills to integrate effectively with global markets and meaningfully participate in the new knowledge economy.” The $85 million, fixed-spread loan carries a total repayment period of 16 years, including a six-year grace period.
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