El Salvador - Education Project

LOftAJ r60q -co5 RESTRICTED Report No. TO-64 6a This report was prepared for use within the Bank and its affiliated organizations. They do not accept responsibility for its accuracy or completeness. The report may not be published nor may it be quoted as representing their views. INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION APPRAISAL OF AN EDUCATION PROJECT IN EL SALVADOR May 20, 1969 Education Projects Department  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS U. S. $1 = 2. 5 colones 1 colon = U. S. $0. 40 Colones 1, 000, 000 = U.S. $400, 000 UNITS OF LENGTH AND AREA 1 km 0. 62 mile 2 I m 10.8 sqft 1 km = 0. 39 sq mile  APPRAISAL OF AN EDUCATI3N PROJECT IN EL SALVADOR TABLE OF CONTENTS Paragraph Number BASIC DATA SUIIqARY i -x 1. INTRODUCTION 1.01 2. BACKGROUND 2.01 3. THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM 3.01 The Structure of Education 3.01 The Administration of Education 3.03 Enrollment 3.06 Primary Education 3.07 General Secondary Education 3.09 Industrial Secondary Education and Vocational Training 3.16 Agricultural Secondary and Post-Secondary Education 3.18 Commercial Secondary Education 3.20 Primary Teacher Training 3.21 Secondary Teacher Training 3.23 Higher Education 3.25 Television Education 3.26 Education Research 3.29 Foreign Aid 3.30 4. EDUCATIONAL FINANCE 4.01 5. THE NEED FOR EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION 5.01 Manpower Need 5.01 The Educational lNeed 5.10 This report is based on the findings of an appraisal mission composed of M4essrs. N. Hultin (general education), R. McYiahon (technical education), P. Oltmanns (architect), F. Lethem (economist) and A. G. Apodaca (FAO, agricultural education) which was in El Salvador in March 1968.  TABTU2 OF CONTENTS (Cont.) Paragraph Number 6. ThE PROJECT 6.01 General Description 6.01 Secondary Schools 6.04 Technical Institutes 6.o8 The National School of Agriculture 6.12 Staff 6.13 Costs 6.18 Loan 6.22 Building Construction 6.23 The Implementation of the Project 6.31 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7.01 ANEXES 1 - Chart - Structure of Education, 1968 2 - Chart - Ministry of Education, Organization, 1968 3 - Graph - Primary and Secondary School Enrollment, 1960-1975 4 - - School Enrollment by Grade, 1965 and 1975 5 - - Primary and Secondary Education. Students Entering and Finishing, 1960-1965. 6 - Table - Total Recurrent and Capital Expenditure on Education (1966). 7 - - Projected Recurrent Expenditure in Government Schools 8 - Graph - Central Government Recurrent Expenditure on Education by Main Sector 9 - - Central Government Tax Revenues and Recurrent Expenditures with Total Expenditures on Education 10-a & b - Tables - Present and Projected Enrollment and Output in General, Industrial, Commercial and Agricultural Public and Private Secondary Education, 1965 and 1975. Project Schools 11 - Table - Sumnary of Costs 12 - Chart - Implementation MAP - El Salvador, showing Population and Secondary Schools Distribution  EL SALVADOR BASIC DATA - 1967 Size of Country: 21,000 km2 Population: 3.15 million Density: 150 persons per km2 Population Growth 1950-61: 2.8% p.a. Estimated Population Growth 1961-67 3.7% p.a. Labor Force Growth 1950-61: 1.9% p.a. * Gross Domestic Product: US$890 million Sector of Origin: Agriculture 26% iMianufacturing 20% Construction 3% Commerce 24% Others 27% GDP Per Capita: US$283 Average GDP Growrth Rate (1960-65) 7.2% p.a. (in real terms) 1966 GDP Growth Rate: 5.6% Primary school enrollment as percentage of' appropriate age group 63% Secondary school enrollment as percentage of appropriate age group 15% Literacy rate: 47% Annual Educational Expenditure per capita (1966): US$9.6 GLOSSARY Plan 3Bsico - A three year junior general secondary course (grades 7-9). Bachillerato - A three year senior general secondary course (grades 10-12).  A??Th2JSA'AL OF AN EDUCATICN PRWOECT IN E SALVADOR SUI'TIARY i. The Government of El Salvador has made a reauest to the Bank for financial assistance to expand and improve secondary education and agricul- tural post-secondary education. ii. The project consists of the construction and equipment of 17 sec- ondary schools and the addition of facilities to 10 existing secondary schools and one agricultural institute as well as the provision of equipment to 2 technical institutes. The schools would offer, in addition to academic edu- cation, industrial, agricultural or commercial options. The project would increase enrollment in public general and technical secondary schools to 535000 by 1975 by adding 15;500 new places and provide 32% of the graduates from public secondary schools. iii, The ratio of applicants for admission to secondary education to the number of available seats would be sufficiently high to provide entrants of adequate quality. Graduates of the schools should have good chance of finding suitable employment, iv. The supply of secondary school teachers would be sufficient pro- vided the proposed training program at the new teacher-training college in San Andres is implemented and 75 scholarships are awarded as a part of the project for the training of teachers in agriculture, industry and commerce - partly on courses abroad. A number of project schools principals would also be trained in modern school administration, v. The proposed project would permit the implementation of a new and improved school curriculum with increased teaching of science and vocational courses at secondary level and an improvement in post-secondary agricultural education. The schools would be supplied with up-to-date and reasonably priced equipment. vi. Competent architects, engineers and contracting firms are available in El Salvador but technical assistance is needed for execution of the pro- posed expansion of the agricultural institute. vii. All procurement for civil works, furniture and equipment would be subject to international competitive bidding procedures. viii. The project would be administered by a special project unit. The Bank would approve the selection of the director of such unit. ix. The proposed project would cost about US$8.4 million equivalent over an implementation period of five years, 1969-1973. The foreign exchange -component of US$4.9 million equivalent, including interest during construction, is 58% of total project cost. The estimated construction costs are reason- able, The government's capital contribution to the project and the consequent increase in recurrent expenditure would be within the capacity of the government to provide out of its own resources.  - ii - x. The project is suitable for a Bank loan in the amount of USt4.9 million equivalent, equal to the foreign exchange component of the project. S . .  APPPA1SAL OF AN EDUCATION PROJECT IN EL SALVADOR 1. EITRODUCTION 1.01 In October 1966 the Bank group received a request from the Government of El Salvador for financial assistance to expand and improve general, industrial and agricultural secondary education and secondary teacher train- ing and to construct an educational television institute. The project had been identified by a Unesco mission, and was prepared with assistance from the Bank and Unesco. It was appraised in November/December 1966 by a Bank mission. However, in 1967, a new Salvadorian cabinet decided to revise the request by transferring secondary teacher training and TV-education to a USAID project and by including more industrial, agricultural and commercial education in the proposed Bank project. 1.02 This report is based on the findings of an appraisal mission com- posed of I4essrs. M. Hultin (general education), R. IvicMahon (technical edu- cation), P. Oltmanns (architect), F. Lethem (economist) and A. G. Apodaca (FAO, agricultural education) which was in El Salvador in IMarch 1968. 2. BACKGROUND 2M01 El Salvador is the smallest of the six Central American Republics. It covers an area of 21,000 km2 and no place in the country is further away than 180 km by road from the capital, San Salvador. The population was es- timated to be 3.15 million in 1967. The birthrate is high and an annual population increase of 3.7% is expected. There are indications, however, that family planning is gaining wider acceptance. A birth control program was recently started and population groweth rate is therefore, expected to decline. The country has, with 150 persons per km , one of the highest population densities in the Americas. The area around the capital is par- ticularly densely populated but elsewhere the population is fairly evenly distributed. About 60% of the population is rural. The official language is Spanish. 2.02 El Salvador's economy consists of a group of growing modern activ- ities and a large subsistence agriculture, with a wide gap between the two. The former includes manufacturing and commerce concentrated in three urban centers and an export-oriented segment in the agricultural sector. The per- formance of subsistence agriculture has not matched the demand for food irn the country during the last decade. The Gross Domestic Product remained stagnant during the late 1950's but has showm an upward trend during thhe last five years as shown in the following table:  - 2 - _Total and Per Capita GD in El Salvador GDP % Per Capita % Year Million $ Increase GDP $ Increase 1961 578 - 228 - 1962 641 10.9 244 7.0 1963 671 4.7 247 1.2 1964 746 11.1 265 7.3 1965 797 6.8 272 2.6 1966 842 5.6 277 1.8 2.03 Agriculture is the largest single factor in the economy, accounting for 26% of the GDP in 1967. During the early 1950ts, rising coffee prices sustained a growth of the GDP. In the late 1950's a drop in coffee prices led to a slovwdownl and a shift to cotton plantations. The increase in cotton exports coupled with the recovery of coffee prices and the expansion in Central American trade, has been the cause of the recent growth of GDP. However, more modest prospects for exports over the next few years may lead to a substantially slower rate of growth for the economy. 2.04 Manufacturing has grown at an annual average rate of 11% since 1960, and now accounts for 20% of the GDP. This growth has been greatly helped by the creation of the Central American Common Market. Foreign in- vestors have been attracted by good market conditions. The construction sector is likely to show an increase due to the government housing program now underway, 2.05 About 32% of El Salvador's population are economically active. Of the estimated labor force of 807,000 in 1961, about 60% were agricultural workers and 22% semi-skilled or skilled indusStrial workers. The wage level has remained fairly stable as has the price level. The industrial laborers in the urban centers receive rates varying from the equivalent of US$0025 to US$0.33 per hour with US$1.30 per day as the legal minimum. 2,06 El Salvador prepared a F-ive-Year Econamic Development Plan for the period 1965-1969, planning an increase in real GDP of 6.5% per year. Although this rate was achieved in 1965 and 1966, there may be a deceleration during the rest of the Plan period, due to the slaoer rate of foreign investments in industry, and the likely decline of agricultural exports. 3. THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTE14 The Structure of Education 3.01 Primary education requires six years (Annex 1). An examination qualifies for admission to secondary schools. General secondary education is offered as a three-year junior secondary course (Plan 3asico) followed by a two-year senior secondary course (Bachillerato). The latter is taken by candidates for university admission. It has now been decided to extend thi Bachillerato course by one y*:r.  3' .CX2 iupils completing primary or junior secondary education are of- fered vocational education at secondary level in schools of several types. The government has recently decided to phase out industrial and agricul- tural schools at the junior secondary level and raise the entrance level of primary teacher training institutes to completion of senior secondary education (Annex 1). Existing higher education institutions are also show,n on the chart. The Administration of Education 3.03 Administration is centralized under the Ninistry of Education which has been reorganized with Unesco assistance to achieve higher effi- ciency in planning, imhplementation of school reforms, school construction and supervision (Annex 2). 3.04 The reorganized NLinistry of Education has a separate planning unit which cooperates with the government's Planning Council. The Council, which includes educational experts, does the overall planning and coordi- nates foreign aid while the Ministry?s planning unit is responsible for detailed planning and project execution. 3.05 There are no regional or local school boards in El Salvador and the authority of the school principals is very limited. Many schools have parents' associations which show much interest in education and contribute financially to the schools, providing for additional school buildings, a part of the teachers' salaries and school equipment. Enrollment 3.06 Between 1960 and 1967 enrollment in primary education increased from 300,000 to 412,000, a 37% increase and in secondary education from 33,000 to 60,400 about 83% (Annex 3). However, this expansion is moderate if considered in relation to population increase; enrollments of appropriate school-age groups increased frcm 55% to 63% in primary education and from 11% to 15% in secondary education during this 1960-67 period. Secondary school enrollment in El Salvador is compared with some other American countries in the 1960ts in the following table: Secondary School Enrollment as a Percentage of Relevant Age Group Country Percentage Guatemala 9% El Salvador 15% Nlexico 17% Brazil 22% Argentina 40% U.S.A. 93% It is estimated that primary school enrollment by 1975 will have grown to 595,000, or 76% of the relevant age group, and secondary school enrollment to 143,000 or 26% of the age group (Annex 4). Pablic secondary schools would enroll 53,000 students.  -4- Primary Education 3.07 There are about 2,400 public and 100 private primary schools. On average there are 160 students per school and 31 per class, figures which compare favorably with many developing countries. Mhe numbers of boys and girls are almost equal. Urban schools contain 70% of the total enrollment although less than 40% of the population is classified as urban. Rural schools often go no further than second grade which implies that a considerable number of rural students leave school with no more than two years of education. The overall dropout rate is, therefore, high and only 20% of those entering Primary 1 graduate six years later (Annex 5). Twenty percent of students are repeaters. Of the primary teachers, 45% have not received an adequate professional training and many work only part-time whereas others work extra hours to an extent incompatible wiith full effi- ciency. Primary education is free, although parents' associations often pay voluntary contributions (para. 3.05). 3.08 The standard of primary education is being raised, and dropout reduced by the construction of schools offering a full six-years course, by the adoption of a new curriculum to better satisfy the needs of the country and by raising teacher quality. A large primary school building program - 1,600 classrooms - financed by USAID has been completed. General Secondary Education 3.09 In 1967 general secondary education was provided by 95 public coeducational schools (Institutos Nacionales de Educaci6n)_>7 and more than 200 private unaided schools. The total enrollment was 42,700 (fairly evenly divided between public schools and private schools), of which 55% were boys and 45% were girls. Five thousand of these were enrolled in night schools All townships of any importance have secondary schools and these are accessible by bus or by other means of transportation from most parts of the country. Boarding is, therefore, not provided. The capacity of most rural schools is, however, limited and there is an unevenness of opportunities between provinces. The secondary schools in the capital, San Salvador, offer five times as many openings per primary pupil as the schools in some eastern provinces. The overall index of opportunity for those few who finish primary education has, however, been high. Two primary graduates out of three have found a place in grade 1 of secondary education. Improved primary education with higher promotion rates will triple the number of primary school graduates in 1966-1975, which will cause greater pressure for secondary school admission and raise the standard of secondary education. */ All Central Government schools.  - 5 - 3.10 Secondaiv- education has expanded rapidly since 1945 and has led to the proliferation of many small and uneconomic units. The average pub- lic school has 220 students and the average private school less than 100 students, enrollments which penrit only an academic program and make oper- ation expensive. Government has now decided on a new curriculum with a wider range of subjects and on larger school units. Dropouts and repeaters are common in secondary education; the problem is not as serious as in pri- mary education (Annex 5) but it creates small and, therefore, uneconomic classes in the upper grades. The output from general secondary education is also hampered by a comparatively low rate of passes ((70-80%) in the final examinations in the third and fifth grades. The introduction of a new curriculum should, therefore, be combined with a revision of the examination system. 3.11 The purpose of the schools has been almost solely preparation for university with the curriculum based on the humanities. The new curriculum will provide for more science teaching and for vocational options in industrial, agricultural and commercial subjects, to broaden the concept of secondaryr education. Instructional television will form an integral part of the new teaching in Plan Basico schools. 3.12 Eighty-two pU'blic secondary schools in El SalvadorlX occupy rented private buildings which were originally intended as pri- vate houses and are adaptable to teaching of academic subjects only. Most public schools lack equipment for the teaching of science and practical subjects. The supply of textbooks is also insuffici.ent. A few private schools are of high quality but the majority are inferior to the public schools in all respects. Oral teaching and learxing by rote is characteristic of the whole secondary school system. The over- all standard is very low but a general improvement in both public and private schools should result from current Unesco and USAID assistance in school supervision and teacher training and by the development of new curricula. 3.13 Public secondary education is free but many parent associations pay voluntary contributions of 5 to 10 colones a month per student to improve education (para. 3.05). Tuition fees in private schools vary from 20 to 45 colones a month per student. 3.14 Data on the availability of secondary school teachers is very limited. Part-time teaching is frequent as well as teaching on overtime. Of a total of 2,200 general secondary school teachers, about 1,100 are teaching mainly in public schools. Xost teachers will need upgrading to teach the new curriculum. Gradual abolition of the part-time teaching system is necessary. 3.15 At present 80;