Announcement of World Bank Approves Three Hundred Million Dollars for Basic Education in Turkey on July 16, 2002

Turkey: World Bank Approves $300 Million for Basic Education Contacts: In Ankara Tunya Celasin (90-312) 446-3824 Tcelasin@worldbank.org In Washington Gina Ciagne (1-202) 473 8417 GCiagne@worldbank.org Washington, July 16 2002 -- The World Bank today approved $300 million for the Second Basic Education Project (APL II) in Turkey, which will focus on developing preschool education as an integral part of basic education. The loan will support the implementation of the Turkish Government’s Basic Education Program over three years by extending the actions supported under the First Basic Education Program. The Turkish Government requested large-scale support from the World Bank, after the Parliament approved a new Basic Education Law in 1997, which extended the duration of compulsory schooling to eight years and mandated improved quality of basic education. In June 1998, the Bank’s Board approved the first of the two Adaptable Program Loans (APLs) of US$300 million each to support the implementation of the Government’s Basic Education Program. The first APL, which financed a subset of the Government’s Basic Education Program, was amended further at the Government’s request to incorporate school reconstruction and other actions to support the resumption of education in the earthquake area following the August 1999 Marmara Earthquake. Within the framework of the first APL, 300 rural basic education schools were refurbished and enlarged; 22,268 rural schools were provided education materials; 3,000 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) classes were introduced in basic education schools; teachers and inspectors received in-service training; and earthquake-damaged schools were reconstructed. The first APL, scheduled to close at the end of the 2000/2001 school year, has been extended until June 2003. The Second APL of the Basic Education Project will help finance the following subset of the Government’s Program: a) ICT hardware, software for approximately 3,000 additional basic education schools throughout Turkey and establishment of an education portal; b) Physical upgrading of about 1000 rural schools, large schools, regional boarding and pension schools, and schools in peri-urban areas; c) Provision of educational materials to about 4,000 additional basic education schools; d) Further in-service training for basic education teachers and inspectors; e) Construction of 300 new pre-school classrooms at existing basic education schools, educational materials and training to develop preschool education as an integral part of basic education, as well as training and education materials to support non-formal education for mothers of young children; f) Rehabilitation and extension of 60 schools for children with special needs, as well as education materials and training to develop education for children with special needs and to integrate it better within basic education; g) continued support for program implementation; and h) continued monitoring and evaluation of the program. For more information about this project, go to http://www4.worldbank.org/sprojects/Project.asp?pid=P066149