WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit* of US$35 million to assist the government of Mali in the implementation of its Ten-Year Program for the Development of Education (PRODEC) which lays the groundwork for the promotion of universal completion of primary education in Mali by 2015.
The Mali Education Sector Expenditure Program II (ESEP) will support the Malian government in increasing the proportion of Malian children who complete quality primary education and improving the overall efficiency in the use of resources in the education sector.
“The quality of education in Mali remains a major concern, and the country’s academic achievement scores in reading and math are among the lowest of francophone African countries. This project will address this issue, among others, and help improve the current literacy rates and math scores,” said William Experton, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project.
The project will support the set up of a reading area for 25 percent of classrooms, the transfer of grants to all schools of basic education having an operational School Management Committee, training to certify 3,000 teachers and recruit 1,800 new teachers, along with equipping teacher libraries. It aims to construct and equip primary and secondary schools, while introducing vocational training through apprenticeship. The project will also improve education service delivery through a variety of mechanisms, such as the creation of a school mapping system, textbook management, and annual audits.
*The credit is provided on standard International Development Association (IDA) terms, with a commitment fee of 0.35 percent, a service charge of 0.75 percent over a 40 year period of maturity which includes a 10-year grace period
