Ramallah, August 12, 2010 -- The World Bank will provide the Palestinian Authority (PA) $5 million to fund the Teacher Education Improvement Project. A grant agreement was concluded and signed Wednesday by Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad and Ms. Dina Abu-Ghaida, Acting World Bank Country Director for West Bank and Gaza (WBG).
The Teacher Education Improvement Project focuses on training teachers of grades one to four, with the aim of enhancing the basic education of primary school pupils. Last year, the Bank granted an additional US$5 million for the training of teachers in higher education institutions through the Quality Improvement Fund of the Tertiary Education Project.
“This project will invaluable in the implementation of our Teacher Education Strategy, which recognizes the key role played by primary school teachers in high quality education for Palestinian children", said Dr. Lamis Al-Alami, Minister of Education and Higher Education.
"Teachers of the highest quality are key to the development of the Palestinian education system,” said Ms. Abu-Ghaida. “The World Bank is committed to support the PA’s strategic effort to meet this challenge.”
This Teacher Education Improvement Project will complement efforts by the EC,UNESCO, and other donors (such as GTZ, Finland, Ireland, Norway, France), who are also supporting the implementation of the Education Development Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education.
The Bank has had a long term involvement in support of education in the Palestinian Territories starting with the Education and Health Rehabilitation Project of 1995, followed by the Education action project in 2001 and the Tertiary Education Project in 2005.
