Announcement of Jordan to Expand Primary and Secondary Education with World Bank Assistance on February 6, 1984

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.* Telephone: (202) 477-1234 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 84/39 Contact: Fawzi Rihane February 6, 1984 (202) 477-5325 JORDAN TO EXPAND PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION WITH WORLD BANK ASSISTANCE Jordan will expand primary and secondary education in five governorates. A total of 47 schools will be constructed to accommodate an enlarged enrollment, which is expected to reach around 45,000 by 1989/90. The World Bank is supporting the project with a loan of $40 million. The project includes the constructing, equipping, and furnishing of 25 primary grade schools for girls and six for boys in the governorates of Amman, Irbid, Balqa, Ma'an, and Karak. These schools will help reduce the average size of a class, currently up to 70 each, to about 40-50 students. The schools will also increase their total enrollment and provide better quality of instruction. Seven secondary schools for girls and nine for boys will also be built in the five governorates. These will replace some 110 temporary classrooms. Some 48 science laboratories, 49 libraries, and 50 workshops will be constructed in existing secondary schools. The project will also include the development of standard aptitude and performance tests for students. The regional Directorates of Education in the five governorates will be assisted to assume planning responsibilities now held by the Ministry of Education (MOE). At the same time, the project will further strengthen the management of procuremment and technical assistance by the central authorities. The total cost of the project is estimated at $122 million. The government is providing $76.3 million and $5.7 million will come from suppliers and export credits. The World Bank has supported five education projects in Jordan, with loans totalling $74.2 million. The projects assisted the government's programs to improve the quality of education, provide basic education for all Jordanians, and establish systems designed to increase vocational training opportunities for men and women. They also assisted the programs of the Ministry of Education for establishing up-to-date management systems. Two of the projects have been completed and the other three are underway. The latest Bank loan is for 17 years including four years of grace, with a variable interest rate linked to the cost of the Bank's borrowings. It also carries an annual commitment charge of 0.75 percent on undisbursed balances and a front-end fee of 0.25 percent on the amount of the loan. NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalents.