Findings and recommendations from the social assessment on access to education for poor and disadvantaged children to the government’s school grant and stipend programs will be presented, as well as a qualitative assessment on the implementation of the programs. The social assessment, conducted in 2014, carried out discussions with key stakeholders in selected areas to ascertain whether there was broad community support for the project. A Community Participation Plan was developed based on the social assessment.

This consultation is the third of a series of consultations on the school grants and stipends programs, and hopes to seek feedback from participants on the findings and recommendations, provisions for community participation, and key design and implementation issues.

Through the school grants program, about 43,000 government schools will benefit from increased funding for operational spending. New school grants operational guidelines will also encourage schools to undertake school improvement planning and to increase community participation and transparency in the school. Under the revised stipends program, approximately 200,000 poor students in grades 5-11 will receive stipends that will promote increased enrollment, retention between grades and regular attendance. New operational guidelines for stipends will establish the procedure for targeting schools and students in poor or disadvantaged areas, and to increase community participation, fairness and transparency in the school. The stipends program is expected to be rolled out to 40 townships in all States and Regions over three years. The principles of Community Participation Planning Framework are embedded in both programs' guidelines. Each of these new programs will also be supported by the training of township education officials and school headmasters to be organized by the Ministry of Education.

Details of the consultations are as follows:

• The meeting for Qualitative Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 24, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Khanaung To, Yangon Region
• The meeting for Social Assessment, Community Participation Plan and Quality Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 25, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Tuanggyi, Shan State
• The meeting for Qualitative Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 26, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Kalaw, Shan State
• The meeting on Social Assessment, Community Participation Plan and Qualitative Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 27, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Bogalay Township, Ayeyarwady Region
• The meeting on Social Assessment, Community Plan and Qualitative Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 28, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Sint Gaing Township, Mandalay and Laputta Township, Ayeyarwady Region
• The meeting on Social Assessment, Community Plan and Qualitative Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 29, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Kyang Kone Township, Ayeyarwady Region
• The meeting on Qualitative Assessment will be held from 9:00 – 11:30 am on March 29, 2015 at the Township Education Office in Maha Aung Myay Township, Mandalay Region

Please see the following project documents: drafts of Social Assessment Report, Community Participation Plan, and Qualitative Assessment (both in English and Myanmar languages). In advance of the public consultations, all materials have been sent electronically and mailed to the participants two weeks prior by the Township Education Offices.

Aside from face-to-face consultations, participants are encouraged to send feedback and suggestions by email to myanmar@worldbank.org.

Consultation participants should confirm via email to Khay Mar San, ksan1@worldbank.org, or by phone at 01-654824 (EXT 319) by Friday, March 20, 5:00 pm (Yangon time).