Announcement of World Bank Group Provides Twelve Million Dollars for Second Education Project in Guyana on April 17, 1975

INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR • RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN'rERNA'£I0NAL DEVELOPl\1RNT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREET N \V WASHINGTON DC 20433 7E._EPHONE EXECUTIVE 3-6360 Bank News Release No. 75/25 April 1 7, 1975 IDA News Releas·e No. 75/15 WORLD BANK GROUP PROVIDES $12 MILLION FOR SECOND EDUCATION PROJECT IN GUYANA The World Ba.Dk and its affiliate, the International Development Association (IDA), are providing $12 million for a Second Education Project in Guyana. The project, with an estimated total cost of $18.9 million, will help to make the education system more responsive to development needs in Guyana and support the Government's education development strategy. T"ne pr-oj ect is designed to increase the practical content of secondary level curricula, to improve opportunities for nonformal education and training for the existing work force and to alleviate the shortages of skilled manpower in agriculture and other productive sectors. The project will im- prove secondary education by enabling the government to introduce a pilot program of • new community secondary schools, with a more meaningful and employment-oriented edu- cation program; to extend the diversified curriculum introduced in the multilateral secondary schools under the first World Bank project to 10 existing secondary schools; to provide new facilities for secondary teacher training; to strengthen agricultural education and training; and to expand both formal and nonformal training opportunities for farmers, rural residents, extension workers, animal health technicians and other agricultural technicians. The project will assist in establishing seven pilot community secondary schools, each with about 640 student places and workshops, laboratories and homecraft rooms for teaching practical subjects. The multilateral secondary schools under the pro- ject will also be provided with practical-subject teaching facilities comprising 19 workshops , 19 laboratories and 19 homecraft rooms. The project will provide for the construction of a new Secondary Teachers' Training College; the construction and equipping of six new rural training centers; the expansion and improvement of the facilities of the Guyana School of Agriculture; the establishment of an In-Service Training and Communication Center in the Ministry of Agriculture; and of a Caribbean Regional Center for the Training of Animal Health Technicians. The Caribbean Regional Center, with about 72 student places, will offer a two-year course in animal health to train technicians in all the Commonwealth Caribbean countries. The Bank loan of $8.0 million will be for 30 years, including 10 years of grace. It will carry interest at the rate of 8 1/2% per annum. The IDA credit of $4 million will be for 50 years, including 10 years of grace. It is interest free except for 3/4 of 1% service charge to cover IDA 1 s administrative expenses • • 1~i-)te: Money figures are exprAss ed in US dollars equivalents.  T E CHNI CAL DAT A • PROJECT: COUNTRY: TOTAL COoT: Second Education Project Guyana $18.9 million BANK FINANCING: $8 million, 30 years, including 10 years of grace, interest .at 8 1/2 percent per annum. IDA FINANCING: $4 million, 50 years, including 10 years of grace, interest free except for a service charge of 3/4 of 1% to meet IDA's administrative costs. OTHER FINANCING: Government of Guyana. IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Project Unit - Ministry of Education - Mr.Jrunes S. Douglas, Dlredo'i· :-rBRD/fDA Education Project Implementing Unit P-. O. Box 1063, Georgetown, Guyana. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project will help to make the education system more res- ponsive to development needs in Guyana. It will increase the practical content of secondary level curricula and improve nonformal education and training. The project will provide for: a) construction, furnishing and equipping of se- condar;y education facilities, consisting of: 7 new Community Secondary Schools, with about 4,500 student places; <::-}'.:tensions to 10 existing secondary schools, consisting of 19 work- • shops, 19 laboratories and 19 homecraft rooms for about 1,680 additional student places and 4 staff houses; and one new Secondary Teachers' Training College with approxima~~ly 450 student places. b) Construction, furnishing and equipping-of vocational and agricul- tural training facilities, consisting of: extension to the Guyana School of Agriculture for 88 additional student places; 6 new Rural Training Centers for about 216 trainees, including boarding facilities for about 152 trainees and 10 staff houses; an Agricultural Extension-In-Service Training and Corrnnunications Center with places for approximately 30 agricultural officers, boarding facilities for about 26 officers and 2 staff pous~;_and a Caribbean Animal Heal th Technicians I Trainirig--Center with- places and boarding facilities for about 72 students and one staff house. c) 7 man-years of technical assistance and 57' man-years of fellowships~ d) A study to assess the effectiveness of the vocational and technical education and training system. PROCUREMENT: Contracts for civil works will be awarded on the basis of competitive bidding advertised locally and in accordance with local procurement procedure. Contracts for furniture and equipment will be awarded on the basis of international competitive bidding except for furniture and equipment that cannot be grouped in packages of at least $5,000 each. These will be procured on the basis of competitive bidding advertised locally and in accordance with local procurement procedures. Procurement under these procedures will not, in aggregate, exceed $215,000 equivalent or 10% of the total cost of furniture and equip- ment. Domestic and other CARICOM member countries' manufacturers will receive a pre- ferential margin in bid evaluations. For domestic manufacturers, this will be limited to 15% of c.i.f. cost$ of imports or of the applicable import duties, whichever is lower. Suppliers in the CARICOM countries other than Guyana will be accorded preference equal to 15% of the CIF price or to the difference in tariff between CARICOM·and external supplier, • whichever is lower • CONSULTANTS: Consultants will be retained by the Project Unit to assist the Government in: i) drawing up a new education law and programming the educational reform measures; ii) developing curricula in the Guyana  - 2 - School of Agriculture and the Georgetown Technical Institute; and strengthening ~ the liaison between these institu+ions and employers and, iii) operating the rural training centers and the Agricultural Extension In-Service Training and Communications Center. Specialists will also be retained to carry out a stutiy that will assess the effectiveness of vocational and technical education in meeting Guyana's socio-ecqnomic objectives and identify priorities for the long term investment in education and training. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1980 • •