Washington, March 7, 2013 – Today the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved financing of US$ 16.5 million equivalent for the Sector Support for Education Reform Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. US$ 9.1 million is a highly concessional credit, while US$ 7.4 million is a grant.
The objective of this project is to create conditions for improved learning outcomes in basic education. In particular, the project will work to enhance learning process and improve management and accountability of Kyrgyz schools.
The project builds on the achievements of the World Bank-supported Rural Education Project (2004-2011), which supported the Kyrgyz Government’s education reforms through introduction of the efficient school resource management schemes, textbooks development and commissioning control, and national sample-based assessment of students’ learning achievements. The Rural Education Project also raised students’ test scores and distributed over 1,000,000 textbooks.
“The Sector Support for Education Reform Project will directly support the Kyrgyz Government’s Education Development Strategy by increasing accountability at the school level and improving classroom learning,” says Dingyong Hou, World Bank’s Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader for the project. “The goal is to make Kyrgyz schools more successful, Kyrgyz teachers better teachers, and Kyrgyz students better learners.”
The project will be implemented over five years by the Ministry of Education with the support of the Kyrgyz Academy of Education, regional methodological centers, local self governance institutions, and schools. The beneficiaries of the project are school students who will gain from the improved quality of education, and teachers whose teaching and mentoring skills and qualifications will be strengthened. The project will also benefit parents, and communities will have greater control over school development plans and budget formation.
The World Bank’s overall mission in the Kyrgyz Republic is to reduce poverty, promote economic growth, and encourage a better quality of life. 45 percent of the World Bank’s assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic is in the form of grants. The other 55 percent is in highly concessional credits – no interest, and only a 0.75 percent service charge. Credits are repayable in 40 years, including a 10-year grace period, while grants require no repayment. The financial assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic since 1992 amounts to over US$ 1 billion, in the form of grants and highly concessional credits.
