Announcement of Pilot Scheme for Philippines Educational Radio Assisted by Two Million Dollars Loan on March 23, 1978

FOR IMMEDIATE ~E.LEASE -VVorld Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. • Telephone: (202) 393-6360 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 78/59 MARCH 23, 1978 PILOT SCHEME FOR PHILIPPINES EDUCATIONAL RADIO ASSISTED BY $2 MILLION LOAN A pilot scheme for educational radio in the Philippines will be assisted by a $2 million loan approved by the World Bank~ The four-year project. will develop and evaluate the cost effectiveness of improving the qua1 ity of in-service teacher training and primary classroom teaching by radio, concentrating on the predominantly rural areas of Pangasinan in Luzon and Leyte in the Visayas. It will also explore the use of radio for ~ rural education, support the evaluation of appropriate corm,unications technology for the country, and prepare possible expansion of the project. Some 12,600 primary school teachers at present serving in schools will receive additional training in Pilipino, English, social studies, mathematics and science, supplemented by written material and meetings. A total of 80 30- minute programs wi 11 be broadcast in each subject. Classroom instruction in Pilipino will be given to about 75,000 pupils in the two provinces in which Pilipino is not the major language. Evaluation of the pilot program will be carried out by the Institute of Mass Communication and the School of Economics at the University of the Philippines. The loan is for 10 years, including 4i years of grace, at an interest • rate of 7.45% per annum . NOTE: Money figur~s are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalents.