India - Third District Primary Education Project (DPEP III)

Report No. PID5679 Project Name India-Third District Primary (@) Education Project (DPEP III) Region South Asia Sector Education Project ID INPA38021 Borrower Government of India Implementing Agency Department of Education Ministry of Human Resource Development Room 110, Shastri Bhawan New Delhi, 110001, India Contact: Mr. R. S. Pandey Joint Secretary Fax: 91-11-3381355 and 91-11-3382947 Appraisal Date July 20, 1997 Date Prepared October 21, 1997 Projected Board Date December 2, 1997 Project Objectives: The project will assist the Government of Bihar (GOB) to build and strengthen state, district and sub-district institutional capacity to ensure that more children, especially from socially disadvantaged groups (female, scheduled caste [SC] and scheduled tribe [ST] students, working children, children with mild to moderate learning disabilities and other children who have limited access to educational opportunities), complete a five-year primary education cycle of appropriate quality in low literacy districts Project Description: The proposed project will have three components: (a) Expanding access to primary education, particularly of the disadvantaged group by: (i) constructing new classrooms and schools and repairing and rehabilitating existing classrooms; (ii) sanctioning new teaching posts and appointing teachers; (iii) developing and implementing targeted interventions for the socially disadvantaged group; (iv) mobilizing school and community organizations and carrying-out awareness campaigns in support of education; and (v) establishing a Village Education Committee (VEC) for each school in the project districts. (b) Increasing retention and improving learning achievement in primary school by: (i) selectively establishing new and strengthening existing early childhood education centers (ECCEs); (ii) supporting interventions for women's education and empowerment programs; (iii) installing toilets and water facilities in the primary schools; (iv) establishing and operating block and cluster resource centers (BRCs and CRCs); (v) providing continuous in- service teacher training; (vi) developing and supplying improved textbooks and supplementary instructional materials; (vii) providing grants to schools, community organizations and individual  teachers; and (viii) carrying out periodic primary student learning assessments. (c) Improving state and district capacity to manage primary education by: (i) building and strengthening state and district program management structures to review and supervise the implementation of state and district investment plans and annual work plans and budgets designed to enhance access to and improve the quality and efficiency of primary education; (ii) establishing and strengthening state and district resource institutions, such as the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the State Institution of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT) and the Bihar State Textbook Publishing Corporation (BSTPC) at the state level and the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) or equivalent institutions in all project districts and resource groups at the state and district levels to provide technical support in project implementation; (iii) strengthening the state and district capacity for monitoring, research and evaluation and carrying out related activities; (iv) establishing a facility to support innovative approaches to improve primary education; and (v) developing training modules for micro-planning and VEC training and training of master trainers (See 1/) . Project Implementation: The proposed project will be implemented in 17 educationally disadvantaged districts of Bihar. These districts, with the exception of one, comply with the female literacy criteria set up in the DPEP Guidelines. The female literacy rate in the selected districts ranges from 14 to 46 percent and averages 22 percent. The average SC and ST population in the districts is 15 and 11 percent, respectively. Some of these districts have a female gross primary enrollment rate of less than 50 percent and a total dropout rate in the first five grades of primary education of about 60 percent. All the 17 district and state investment proposals were appraised by the DPEP Bureau through its Technical Support Group (TSG). IDA reviewed the: (i) national appraisal process carried out by the TSG, the state investment proposal and a selected number of district investment proposals as well as the corresponding first year annual working plans and budgets (AWPBs); (ii) assessed the readiness for project implementation at the state and district levels offices; and (iii) appraised the project implementation plan prepared by the DPEP Bureau/TSG. The state and all district AWPBs complied with the DPEP Guidelines. Each district carried out a baseline survey of student achievement and a social assessment study and participation report. In addition, the state completed an education finance study with terms of reference acceptable to IDA. The IDA appraisal mission endorsed the national appraisal process and the recommendations of its report. Project implementation would be coordinated by the DPEP Bureau at the Department of Education (DOE) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India (GOI). Actual implementation of the proposed project would be delegated to the Government of Bihar (GOB) through the Bihar Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (State -2 -  Implementation Society [SISI) established in 1991 to manage the Bihar Basic Education Project financed by GOI, GOB and UNICEF. The yearly release of funding to the SIS by the GOI would be based on the review by the DPEP Bureau of the state and district AWPBs. The review criteria to assess AWPBs for the subsequent year against progress and supervision reports prepared by the DPEP Bureau and program donors comprise: (i) good project implementation performance at the state and district levels, including the rate of utilization of previously released funds; (ii) state compliance with the annual payment of the 15 percent contribution to the ongoing DPEP III; and (iii) evidence of state compliance with the additionality of DPEP III investments compared to the 1995/96 Bihar's elementary education expenditure levels. The first year of DPEP III implementation would be primarily focused on developmental activities, including: (a) capacity building in the state and districts; and (b) establishment of the basic professional and physical infrastructure for improved learning in participating districts. The proposed project would be supervised twice a year following the joint supervision scheme devised for DPEP I and II. Local research institutions and NGOs would be involved in project design and execution in a variety of ways, including innovative activities, effective multi-grade teaching, work with women's groups and the carrying out of non-formal education programs and alternative schooling modalities. While supervision will begin following the DPEP supervision model, IDA will be working closely with GOI to assess whether or not additional supervision will be required. Project Cost and Financing: The estimated total project cost of US$199.7 million equivalent would be financed by an IDA Credit of SDR 111.8 million (US$152 million equivalent). UNICEF has confirmed its interest in supporting this proposed operation with a Grant of about US$10 million. GOB would finance the remaining costs of US$37.7 million equivalent, including all taxes. Environmental and Social Aspects: No environmental impacts are anticipated. The special needs of the socially disadvantaged groups will be addressed on the basis of the district-based social assessment studies carried out as part of project preparation and required to confirm district eligibility for support under DPEP III. The results of the social assessment studies are being used to define state and district strategies for improving the access to, retention in and quality of primary education of the different socially disadvantaged groups, together with implementation plans and corresponding annual budgets. Lessons learned from the implementation of the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education, DPEP I and DPEP II IDA-assisted programs were incorporated in the design of DPEP III and are being applied in the implementation of DPEP III in all project districts. In addition, the DPEP Guidelines call for widespread stakeholder and beneficiary participation in the design of district strategies. The districts would carry out their project in accordance with tribal strategies meeting criteria agreed with IDA. 1/ This sub-component is fully financed by the UNICEF grant. -3 -  Contact Point: Public Information Center The World Bank 1818 H Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone No.: (202) 458-5454 Fax No.: (202) 522-1500 Note: This is information on an evolving project. Certain components may not necessarily be included in the final project. Processed by the Public Information Center week ending October 24, 1997. - 4 -