WASHINGTON, June 6, 2018 - The World Bank today approved a $25 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA)* to help the Central African Republic improve access to quality basic education and build management capacity in this sector.
The Emergency Basic Education Support Project will benefit some 4,000 preschool-aged children (2,000 of whom are girls); 300,000 primary education students (130,000 girls); 140,000 secondary education students (55,000 girls); and 5,800 primary education teachers (of whom 1,000 are female).
The project marks the World Bank’s reengagement in the education sector in the Central African Republic since 2013. This sector was significantly affected by the crisis, particularly in terms of the State’s capacity to address the urgent needs of the population. “In the Central African Republic, the number of unschooled children aged 6 to 18 is very high as conflicts have exacerbated the situation and increased dropout rates. Close to 215,000 primary school-aged children and 174,000 secondary school-aged adolescents do not attend school,” said Robert Bou Jaoude, World Bank Country Manager for the Central African Republic. “The project is expected to help these young people return to a normal curriculum by introducing special education programs.”
There are four components to the project: school infrastructure development; enhancement of teaching effectiveness; support for alternative education programs; and capacity building to strengthen service delivery. The project also aims to provide an immediate response in the event of a crisis, emergency, or intersectoral interventions.
“Taking the security situation in the country into consideration, the project is adopting flexible implementation approaches, based on transparent criteria regarding the selection of intervention areas,” said Dung-Kim Pham, World Bank Project Task Team Leader.
* The International Development Association (IDA) is the World Bank’s fund for the poorest. Founded in 1960, IDA provides grants and low-interest or interest-free loans for projects and programs aimed at stimulating economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving the lives of the poorest. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. IDA resources help effect positive change in the lives of the 1.5 billion people living in the countries that are eligible for its assistance. Since its inception, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged $18 billion over the past three years, with about 54% of commitments going to Africa.
