Announcement of Six Million Six Hundred Thousand US Dollars Loan to Lebanon for Education on December 21, 1972

INTERNAT,IONAL BANK FOR e:RECONSTRl.JCTl<?,J>t' AND DEVELO:MENT ~ / . 1816 H STREET, 'N.W .. WASHINGTON 0. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: 'EX.ECUTIVE 3-6360 (,; Bank Press Release No. 72/73 Subjects ,$6.6 million loan to Lebanon December 21., 1972 id · for education The World Banlc has approved a$6.6 million loan to assis~ Lebanon in implementing a comprehensive "i'eform. and developrient . program for primary. and secondary education, it was announced today. \'1 · 1\ '.· \\\ The, approximately $15.9 million project is part of the Gove~~:tnt's 1972-77 Plan to .grea te a modern educa tiona.l sytftem., reorient the highly academic emphasis of the present system to a more p:ractical and technical one better suited 1~o the country's needs., and provide more equitable educational opportunities to all segments' of the population. The initial focus of the reform is on expa.ndint· and improving primary 1 and lower secondary schooling; econo~zing · on recurrent costs; and improving teaching conditions and teacher/pupil ·ratios.· - , . To achieve this., the.project includes_ the design, construction.,· furnishing and equipping of 39 primary schools., 2h lower secondary schools and three.primary teacher training institutes; extension, renovati~n and equipping_of an existing lower_secondary teacher training institute; and techni,eal assistance to prepare for the reform of upper • secondary education • The new schools will be located in both urban and rural areas and provide approxi- mately 31,000 primary school places and 14.,hoo lower secondary school places. These will replace facilities in inefficient and uneconomical rented buildings and low- quality., aid.sting institutions~ Ea.ch of the new teacher training institutes will have places for 650 pre-service students and 110 in-service students. 'ffle institutes will also be used for in-service training or teachers and school administrators during vacation time. \' Unesco identified the project and helped to prepare it. Lebanon's Conseil des Grands Projets, \\nder. the supervision or the Ministry or Public Works and Transport (Ministere des Travaux Publiques et des Transports), will be responsible for implemen- ting the project. The Bank loan will cover the foreign exchange cost of the project and is for 25 years, including a five-year grace period., with. interest a t ~ per annum. . Three United States financial institutions are. participating in the Bank loan for Lebanon for a total amount or approximate:cy, $685,000. They are: Chemical Banlc, New York; Western Pennsylvania National Bank~ Pittsbul'gh; arid Bank or America., New York. - 0 - •  Ir December 21, 1972 • Education OOUNTRY: Lebanon 1 TOTAL OOST: $15,.,,· 9 million ' ,;--! BANK FINANCING: $6.6 million loan; 25 years, 5 years of grac.e, -7Ba interest <::i ·per ann\Bll. '\\ \\ · OTHER FINANCING: Government of Le~\anon. . \ t .. \\ • IMPLEMEh1:mc··-a-~nN!.i:ri:T-I-Gf-r-·--cuuseil Executif des Grands Projets, B.·p. ~307, Beirut, ~ebanon. Telephone: 270146; ·Cat,le Address: AIMAQIARIE. • PROJECT DESCRIPTI<fi: Assist Govemment in reorienting the school system along more practical lines, improving the distribution of educa- tional opportunities, economizing on recurrent costs through rationalization of school system and replacement of rente~buildilJI&. Project consists of design, construction, fumishing, equipping of 39 primary schools, 24 lower secondary schools; 3 primery teacher training institutes; extension, renov•tion, furnishing, equipping .of existing lower secondary teacher training instituce; technical assistance. \· PROCUREMENT: Intemational competitive 'bidding for civil works aqd equip- ment with 15% preference for local suppliers. Furniture to be procured locally and financed with Government funds. CONSULTANTS: Consultant architects and experts in education planning and administration, education economics ad manpower, technical education, and education statistics to be selected. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: Late 1976. -o- •