Announcement of Jordan to Receive Fourth World Bank Loan for Education on December 17, 1981

m . FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1818 H Street,'N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.•Telephone: (202} 477-1234 " ' BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 82/29 Ccintact: Melhem Salman December 17, 1981 (202) 477-7538 JORDAN TO RECEIVE FOURTH WORLD BANK LOAN FOR EDUCATION A World Bank loan of $25 mid lion \\lill assist Jordan in training urgently needed skilled manpower. The World Bank loan will support a $51 million project to reduce the general shortage of skilled workers, ensure an ad,equate supply of vocational subject teachers at the secondary level, meet particular training needs in two growing urban areas and in Southern Jordan, and reduce the country's shortage of qualified health service personnel for basic care programs. The project is expected to result in an annual output of 750 technicians, 300 technical teach- er~, 2,430 craftsmen/skilled workers, and 285 graduates trained in nursing and paramedical work. A main investment under the project wall be to construct a polytechnic at Tafilah in Southern Jordan, to supply skilled workers for the industrial and mining development of that region. The polytechnic will offer two-year post- secondary technician training in electrical, chemical, and mechanical speciali- zations and mining and well-drilling. A two-year trade training program (Grades 10-11) in electrical power, welding and sheet metal, diesel and general mechanics, and a combined program in central heating ,and plumbing will be of- fered. At the Marka Polytechnic, a new technical teacher-training department will be established. At SaJt and Howwara, the teacher-training institute5 will be converted into commu~ity colleges, which will offer a broad range of vocational courses, including secretarial and office management, accounting, and architectural drawing, as well as continuing education for adults. These community colleges will introduce this institutional concept to Jordan. All these institutions will be equipped under the project. Four general vocational secondary schools will be constructed and equipped: two for g i r 1s, in Rusayfah and Amman, and two for boys, in Rusayfah and Aj 1oun4i These schools wi 11 combine programs currently provided in sepatate secondary schools and trade training centers, leading to greater administrati~, efficiency and tmproved use of equipment and space. · The loan of $25 million to Jordan is repayable over 17 years, including four years of grace, at 11.6% interest a year_ !. NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalents. -_FO.~~ NO. f 111' f • . ci,~1,, T- EC HNI CAL DAT A PROJECTf COUNTRY: ,. TOTAL COST: Fourth Education. Jordan $50.9 million • BANK FINANCING: $25 million, to be repaid over 17 years, including four years of g~ace, at interest of 11.6% per year OTH~R FI NANC.I NG: UN'DP, $2. 3 mi 11 ion .Jordanian Goverriment, $23.6 million IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Ministry of Education Vocational Training Corporation P.O. Box 9640 Amman, ~ordan PROJ~CT DESCRIPTION: It will construct a polytechnic at Tafilah in Southern Jordar, four general vocational secondary schools, one trade training center and one nursing/paramedical integrated training institute; an extension of the Marka Polytechnic through the establis~ment of a new technical teacher training department and conversion of the teacher training institutes at Salt and • Howwara i·nto community colleges; provision of furniture and equipment for these in~ti; tutions; qnd technical assistance for project implementation. - PROCU.REM~NT: Civi 1 works contracts (about $32 mi 11 ion including contin- gencies) will be awarded on the basis of international com- petitive bidding (ICB}. Equipment and furniture items (about $13 million including contin~encies) will be grouped to the extent possible to permit bulk procurement under ICB. Contracts for furniture and equipment in excess of $100,000 will be awarded in a~cordance }#cith the Bank's guidelines for ICB. Items or groups of items estimated to cost less than $100,000, or items of a specia1ized nature for which ICB would not be pract i ca 1, tota 11 i ng $"1 •.3.. mi ·11 ion or. le~s_, ·wf 11 be p_roc.ured un9~r norma 1 government pro~•dijres; to the extent possible, quotations will represent at least three manu- facturers or suoQliers. For the purpose of comparing bids under ICB, local manufacturers of f~rniture and equipmeAt will be allowed a margin of preference, equal to the existing rate of customs duties applicable to competing imports of 15%.Qr. the CIF price, whichever is lower. ·tONSU~TANT~: 54 man-months of specialists' services are required for the project's physical components; plus four man-months to assist curricula reviews and development of comprehensive schools, and six man-months to assist the Marka Polytechnic with its program in electrical, mechanical, and construc- t ion tectino 1ogy. ECONOMIC f\ATE OF RETURN: ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: n.a. 1987 - 9- •