Announcement of Four Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollar Credit for Tanganyika school system on December 20, 1963

• INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREF.:T, NW, WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TELEPHONE. EXECUTIVE 3-6360 IDA Press Release No. 63/15 Subj~ct: $4.6 million credit for :->ecember 20, 1963 Tanganyika school system The Interha.tional Development AssociatiOJ:?. (IDA), an a.:ffiliate of the World Ba.nk, 3.a.s extended a development credit equivalent to $4.6 million to Tanganyika to help the Government to enlarge the secondary school system. This is the first financial operation by the World Bank group in Tanganyika since the country became independent in 1961. The credit will help to finance the construction and equipment of two new • schools and the extension and equipment of 53 others, providing in all nearly 6,900 additional places for students. The expansion of secondary schools is vital to the economic development of Tan- ganyika. There is an urgent a.nd increasing demand for secondary school graduates both f~r direct employment a.nd for further training in the administrative and pro- fessional fields, private and public. The need is all the more pressing as ex- p~triate civil service officials depart. In five years, Tanganyika will need to have trained and available twice the present number employed in such careers as teaching and engineering, as well as a wide range of technicians in other fields. There is little cha.nee, however, that enough qualified people will be available to fill a.11 the vacancies even after completion of the program now being financed. The Government program to expand the secondary school system was started in Ju.ly 1962 and is scheduled for completion in June 1967. As a result of the pro- • gram, the number of places for students 1'1ill be increased to 21~, 300. Several countries are helping to provide qualified teachers for the schools.  - 2 - The two new schools to be built with IDA assistance Will be government board- ing schools; the 53 schools to be enlarged include 12 government and 27 voluntary • agency boarding schools, and 8 government and 6_ voluntary agency day schoolse Tan- ganyika's population is scattered and boarding facilities for secondary schools are necessary to enable pupils to attend regularly. The voluntary agency schools, which are operated and staffed "by various religious organizations in Tanganyika, have traditionally played an important role in the country's educational and social development~ These schools are f'ul.ly integrated into the government school system. About a quarter of the construction included in the program is well under way or has been completed. Student enrollment in the new facilities commenced this year. The estimated cost of construction, expansion and equipment is equivalent • to $6 million. The extension of government schools is being carried out and super- vised by the Public Works Division. The additions to voluntary agency schools are being undertaken by the agencies themselves according to standards and specifica- tions approved by the Public Works Division. The IDA credit is for a term of 50 years. Repayment of the principal will begin on November 15, 1973. Thereafter 1% of the principal ·will be repayable annually for 10 years and 3% will be repayable annually for the final 30 years. The credit is free of interest, but a service charge of' 3/4 of lo/a per annum on the a.mount withdra;wn and outstanding will oe made to meet IDA rs administrative costs .. •