Niger - Primary Education Development Project

 Primary education development project Report No: ; Type: Report/Evaluation Memorandum ; Country: Niger; Region: Africa; Sector: Primary Education; Major Sector: Education; ProjectID: P001964 Niger: Primary Education Development Project (Credit 1740- NIR) The Niger Primary Education Development project, supported by Credit 1740-NIR for US$18.4 million equivalent, was approved in FY87. The credit was closed in FY96 after two extensions and US$0.36 was canceled. Cofinancing was provided by the Kingdom of Norway for US$ 4.7 million and Germany for US$1.7 million and was fully disbursed. The Implementation Completion Report (ICR) was prepared by the Africa Regional Office. A summary of the borrower's report is included as Appendix B. The project was developed alongside an economic adjustment program addressing, inter alia, fiscal difficulties that were undermining the education system. Before the project only one in four children went to primary school and the situation was getting worse. Projections suggested that, without reforms, only about one in ten children would get primary schooling by 2000. Project objectives sought to reduce unit recurrent costs, increase access to and improve the quality of primary education, reduce the cost of classroom construction and promote more cost-effective use of educational resources. The main measures intended to meet these aims were: recruiting lower-cost teachers and upgrading serving teachers; expanding multigrade teaching and double-shift schooling; establishing capacity to provide textbooks; building and renovating classrooms and strengthening maintenance capabilities and the Ministry of Education's (MOE) management capacity. Most project activities were carried out, but with delays. Teachers unions resisted the restructuring of the teaching force and introduction of double-shifts, but eventually dropped their resistance and supported the decentralized inservice teacher training activities. After the Ministry of Public Works reluctantly gave up its control of school building and a high-cost pilot was phased out, the School Construction Bureau managed a successful school building program using economical designs. The textbook component had a slow start and the maintenance component and studies were unfinished. Student pressure forced the government to raise the value of scholarships in university education after 1991, threatening primary education budgets. The project met its objectives despite enormous challenges. It succeeded in reducing unnecessary costs to make the system more affordable while not prejudicing the education of children. By 1994, nearly one in three children were enrolled in school, despite rapid increase in the school-age population. Unit recurrent costs were reduced, though teacher salary cost reductions did not become significant till 1994. The pupil-teacher ratio increased from 36 to 40:1. Important quality indicators improved_rates for examination passes, grade repetition and promotion to secondary school. Costly preservice teacher training programs ended. Some 3,400 teachers received upgrading and the schools received over one million books. With community self-help, classroom unit cost fell 30-50 percent in nominal terms. But MOE management capacity-building still has some way to go. A follow-up project builds on the project experience. The Operations Evaluation Department agrees with the ICR's ratings. Project outcome is rated as satisfactory, institutional development as moderate, sustainability as likely and Bank performance as satisfactory (ICR highly satisfactory). The ICR points out the importance of building consensus for reforms amongst stakeholders and cost-sharing with the private sector and communities. It also underscores the need to increase textbook development through private sector involvement and the importance of flexibility on the part of the Bank and borrower in meeting unforeseen circumstances. The ICR is detailed and analytic. But it lacks dollar estimates of cost-efficiencies achieved, data on actual costs and an operational plan to maintain the project's investments. An audit is planned.