Announcement of Second Education Project in Guinea to Use IDA Credit on March 31, 1983

.NorldBank IHI IJ H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202} 477-1234 !DA NEWS RELEASE NO. 83/.38 Contact: Pam Brennan March 31, 1983 (202) 477-3293 SECOND EDUCATION PROJECT IN GUINEA TO USE IDA CREDIT The shortage of skilled workers in Guinea will be reduced through a training project using a credit of SDR 10.2 million ($11 million) from the International Development Association (IDA). IDA is the concessionary lending affiliate of the World Bank. The Second Education Project will continue IDA's support to improving technical vocational trainint and the quality of primary educ~tion in Guinea. The project is based on knowledge gained from the first education project and on a COl!lprehensi ve review of the country's educational policies completed in 1981 under a ~nesco/World Bank Cooperative Program •• Three vocational training schools which offer training in a wide range of trades (in Labe, Kankan, and Nzerekore), will be refurbished, equipped, and expanded to create adequate teaching conditions. Teachers for the schools will be trained at the Technical Instructor Training Institute at Conakry, the capital, established un<ler the first project whi.ch used an IDA credit of $8 million. A General Education Planning Directorate will be established within the Ministry of Higher Education to restructure_Guinea's educational system. The National Pedagogical Institute in Conakry will be provided with specialist services and fellowships to develop national primary education programs and prepare manuscripts for primary-level textbooks in.the six official national languages and in French. The Educational Printing Office will use funds for improving the production of textbooks, and primary teacher training colleges in Labe and Kankan will be expanded. The Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea will provide $3.4 million toward the project. Additional financing will be provided by the African Development Fund, $11. 7 million, and the Saudi Fund, $4.1 million. NOTE: IDA credits are de nominated in SD Rs (Special Drawing Rights), which are valued on the basis of a "basket" of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of the negotiation of the credit.