Announcement of Five Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars IDA Credit to Jordan for Education on January 27, 1972

• INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPl\ffiNT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREET, N.W .. WASHINGTON D. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 IDA Press Release No. 72/8 Subject: $5.4 million IDA credit to January 27, 1972 Jordan for education The International Development Association, an affiliate of the World Bank, has extended a credit equivalent to $5.4 million to Jordan to assist in financing comprehensive secondary schools, vocational education , teacher training, and re- lated technical assistance. This credit is the sixth operation in Jordan by IDA and the first for education. Enrollment at all levels of education are high and the output of the system is numerically impressive. The most urgent need now is for modernization, in- creased efficiency and higher quality to ensure that there will be an adequate number of trained teachers at the primary and preparatory levels, and to help overcome the critical shortage of trained manpower in industry, commerce and agriculture. To cope with this variety of needs, the project which the new IDA credit will assist in financing consists of the following items: • Construction and equipment for two new comprehensive secondary schools in Amman, which will help correct the present imbalance between purely academic and vocation-oriented secondary education in favor of the latter. Construction and equipment of a Polytechnic and Trade Training Center at Marka with boarding facilities for about 35% of the total enrollment of 755 students. Construction and equipment of a co-educational primary and preparatory teacher tra'ining college located at Salt with a total enrollment of 700 students. Extension of an existing agricultural secondary school at Shaubak to facilitate the training of agricultural teachers for preparatory schools. Technical assistance comprising ten man-years of experts and eleven man-years of fellowships for the two comprehensive schools, the teacher training college, education planning and a Project Unit to be set up within the Ministry of Education. The total cost of the project, which is scheduled for completion in 1975, is estimated at the equivalent of $9.8 million, including technical assistance which will be provided by other donors and estimated to cost about $1.2 million. • The credit has been extended to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for a term of 50 years, including a 10-year period of grace. The credit is interest free, but carries a service charge of 3/4 of 1% per annum to meet IDA's administrative expenses. - 0 - INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON D. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 January 2 7, 19 72 TECHNICAL DATA PROJECT: Education COUNTRY: Jordan T<JI'AL COST: $9.8 million equivalent IDA FINANCING: $5.4 million credit, 50 years, 10 years of grace, no interest but 3/4 of 1% service charge. OTHER FIN.ANCING: Jordan Government, UNDP, United Kingdom IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: 1) Ministry of Education, Amman. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Construction, furnishing and equipment and related technical assistance for: Two new comprehensive secondary schools • 2) One new polytechnic md trade training center 3) One new teacher training institute 4) Extension to Agricultural Secondary School PROCUREMENT: International competitive bidding qn construction, equipment, furniture and books with 15% preference for local manufacturers and suppliers. CONSULTANTS: To be selected. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1975. - 0 - •