Announcement of Morocco Rural Basic Education Development Project on March 1, 1991

FOR IMMi)IAlI RILASI World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.* Telephone: (202) 477-1234 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 91/48 Contact: Richard Kollodge Tel: (202) 473-1792 MOROCCO: RURAL BASIC EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Following are details of a project approved by the World Bank's Board: DATE: March 1, 1991 WORLD BANK GROUP SUPPORT: World Bank loan: $145.0 million. The loan is for 20 years, including five years of grace, with a variable interest rate, currently 7.73 percent, linked to the cost of the Bank's borrowings. It also carries an annual commitment charge of 0.25 percent on the undisbursed balance. TOTAL COST: $238.0 million OTHER FINANCING: Government of Morocco, $48.0 million; African Development Bank, $45.0 million IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: Ministry of Education ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1997 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The objectives of the "Rural Basic Education Development Project" are to: (a) promote equality of educational opportunity at the middle school level by improving access and participation, particularly to deprived sectors of the population, such as those in rural areas and, especially, girls; and (b) enhance the teaching- learning environment by improving the quality of basic education nationwide. The project includes: (a) construction, equipping, and furnishing of about 250 middle schools in rural areas, each accommodating about 360 students in a cluster of 9 classrooms, situated close to targeted communities that have been chosen on the basis of primary school graduate demand projections and availability of supporting services (roads, water, and electricity); (b) designing standards for construction and equipment to provide adequate flexibility to school districts that need to adapt to local climate and terrain; (c) rehabilitation and partial re-equipment of about 100 dilapidated middle schools; (d) room and board scholarships, which will be provided on an equal basis (based on actual demand) for boys and girls; (e) educational materials and textbooks for all participating schools, to be provided free or at nominal user fees to students; (f) introduction of a national educational achievement assessment program; (g) a two-phase study to measure factors affecting middle school participation in rural areas; and (h) a comprehensive in-service teacher training program.