Ghana - Primary School Development Project

Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No. 11760-GH STAFF APPRAISAL REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA PRIMARY SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT NAY 17, 1993 Population and Human Resources Division Western Africa Department Africa Region This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (March 1993) Currency Unit = Cedis US$1.00 = 610 Cedis ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADB African Development Bank BECE Basic Education Certificate Examination CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CMA Circuit Mobilization Assistant CS Circuit Supervisor CU Coordinating Unit DEO District Education Office EdSAC I Education Sector Adjustment Credit I (Cr. 1744-GH) EdSAC II Education Sector Adjustment Credit II (Cr. 2140-GH) EEC European Economic Community ERP Economic Recovery Program GES Ghana Education Service GNAT Ghana National Association of Teachers ICB International Competitive Bidding IDA International Development Association IEPA Institute for Education, Planning and Administration JSS Junior Secondary School MOE Ministry of Education NIC Newly Industrialized Countries ODA Overseas Development Administration OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries PNDC Provisional National Defense Council PTA Parents-Teachers Association PY Project Year SDR Special Drawing Rights SSS Senior Secondary School UNDP United Nations Development Program UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development FISCAL YEAR SCHOOL YEAR January 1 - December 31 September - June (Basic and Tertiary) January - December (Senior Secondary) STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION IN GHANA Years 1 - 6 Primary 7 - 9 Junior Secondary 10 - 12 Senior Secondary 13 - 16 University  FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY REPUBLIC OF GHANA PRIMARY SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT' Table of Contents Pagye No. CREDIT AND PROJECT SUMMARY ............... .. ................ I. INTRODUCTION ................1............1 II. THE EDUCATION SECTOR ...................................1 A. Overview ............................................ B. Previous Bank Operations in the Education Sector ................... 3 C. Future Bank Strategy in the Education Sector ...................... 4 D. Other Donor Support for Government's Education Reform Program ....................................... 5 HI. PRIMARY SCHOOLING. POLICIES AND ISSUES .................... 6 A. The Primary School System ................................ 6 B. Government Policies and Targets ............................. 8 C. Key Issues ........................................... 9 D. Costs and Financing ..................................... 11 E. Administration, Supervision, and Monitoring ...................... 12 F. Teacher Incentives and Sanctions ............................. 12 G. Instructional Time ....................................... 13 IV. COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION ................................ 13 A. Involvement in Construction Activities .......................... 13 B. Involvement in the Management of Community Resources .... .......... 14 V. THEPRROEI C . ..15 A. The Survey to Select Project Schools .15 B. Project Objectives .16 C. Project Description .16 1. Policy and Management Changes .16 2. Investnent in Physical Infrastructure .21 D. Project Costs and Financing .23 VI. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION .24 A. Project Preparation .24 B. Project Management and Coordination .24 C. Project Sustainability and Recurrent Cost Implications .25 D. Project Monitoring and Reporting .26 E. Mid-Term Review .26 F. Environmental Aspects 27 G. Procurement .27 H. Disbursements .30 I. Accounting, Auditing and Reporting .32 TThis report is based upon the findings of a pro-apprisal mission which visited Ghaa in February 1993. The mission memben consisted of MessrsnMmes. Nicholas Bennett (Mission LeaderAPrincipal Plsnner, AF4GA), P. Stephens (Project Officer, AF4GA), J. Angers (Research Analyst, AF4PH), S. Agarwal (Education Officer, UNICEF), and P. Theunissen (Architect/Consultant). Mr. Peter Moock. EP, ws the Lead Advisor and Ms. Janet Leno, AF6PH was the Peer Reviewer for the project. The report was written by Mr. Bennet, with contributions submitted by the mission memnben. Messrs. Ian Porter and Edwin R. Lim are the managing Division Chief and Department Director, respectively, for the operation. This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.  Table of Contents (Cont'd) Page No. VII. PROJECT BENEFITS AND RISKS ............................... 32 A. Project Benefits ........................................ 32 B. Project Risks .......................................... 33 VIII. AGREEMENTS REACHED AND RECOMMENDATION ....... .. ....... 33 ANNEXES 2-1 Length of the School Year in Hours/Year in Selected Countries 2-2 Plan for Implementation of Structural Reform of Education in Ghana (1987-2000) 2-3 EdSAC 1: Selected Quantitative Results of the Reform (1986/87-1990/91) 2-4 Description of USAID Primary Education Program (PREP) 3-1 Basic Educational Statistics and Indicators 3-2 Percentage of Double-shift Schools and Respective Enrollment by District (1990/1991) 3-3 Change in P1 Enrollments by Region for the Period 1990/91-1991/92 3-4 Letter of Primary Education Development Policy 3-5 Student Flows and Projections by Levels/Types of Education in Ghana (1988-2000) 3-6 Suggested Primary School Timetable and Allocation of Periods to Subjects Per Week 3-7 MOE 1993 Recurrent Budget Summary, Recurrent Expenditures on Education (1986-1992), and 1993 Development Budget 3-8 Structure of the Central Ministry of Education 3-9 Structure of the Ghana Education Service 3-10 Structure of the District Education Office 3-11 Details of Initial Training of Circuit Supervisors 5-1 Questionnaire Used to Survey Primary Schools 5-2 Distribution of Primary Schools Supported by the Project by Region and District 5-3 Quantitative Results of the Survey 5-4 Directive to DEOs on Minimizing the Loss of Pupils' Learning Time 5-5 Circular to Basic Education Headteachers 5-6 Guidelines in Techniques of Cladding by Communities and Standard Agreement with the Local Communities 5-7 Practical Duties and Responsibilities of the Primary School Headteacher 5-8 Headteacher Management 5-9 Detailed Description of the Training Program and Implementation Schedule 5-10 Specialist Services Under the Project and Draft Terms of Reference bf Key Technical Assistance 5-11 Detailed Bills of Quantities for Headteacher House and Floor Plan 5-12 Standard Contract Agreement for the Construction of a Headteacher's House 5-13 Standard Tenancy Agreement for the Occupation of a Headteacher's House 5-14 Detailed Project Cost Estimates 6-1 Detailed Description of the Coordinating Unit of the MOE and its Proposed Structure 6-2 Key Performance Indicators 6-3 Supervision Plan and Mid-Term Evaluation Criteria 6-4 Procurement and Disbursement Schedules 6-5 Implementation Schedule of the Construction Program Including Community Involvement 6-6 Impact of Raising JSS Quality on Cognitive Achievement in Ghana DOCUMENTS IN THE PROJECT FILE MAP: IBRD 24783  REPUBLIC OF GHANA PRIMARY SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT CREDIT AND PROJECT SUMMARY Borrower: Republic of Ghana Beneficiaries: Ministry of Education, and about 2,000 communities throughout the country Credit Amount: SDR 46.9 Million (US$65.1 Million equivalent) Terms: Standard, with 40 years maturity Proiect Description: The project would assist the Government in increasing learning achievements and enrollments in primary schools throughout the country. In order to accomplish this, the project would have the specific objective of improving the amount and quality of teaching and leaming time in primary schools, particularly, as far as 1,983 of the least well endowed primary schools are concemed. The project which concentrates on those schools combines the implementation of key policy and management changes with investments in physical infrastructure. In key policy and management changes, the inputs would be: (i) increasing official teaching hours from 4 hours a day to at least 5 hours a day; (ii) ensuring that District Education Officers do not arrange any functions or activities for school teachers during official teaching hours; (iii) eliminating aUl fees and levies that are not officially endorsed by the Ministry of Education and that are currently imposed on primary school students; (iv) involving communities in the selection of headteachers; (v) training and re-training of 1,983 school headteachers in school level supervision; (vi) orientation of key district officials; (vii) orientation of three community leaders from each school area; (viii) training and retraining of circuit monitoring assistants; and (ix) strengthening the Ministry of Education's implementation, monitoring and planning capacity (including carrying out a school mapping exercise for 1,500 snall schools); and in investments in Rhvsical infrastructure, the inputs would be: (i) constructing 10,977 classrooms (3,019 school pavilions or groups of three classrooms); (ii) constructing 1,983 headteachers houses; (iii) re-roofing of 1,546 classrooms; (iv) employing construction supervision and technical auditing consultants; and (v) mobilizing communities to clear and prepare the sites and rapidly clad the pavilions and make cement wall blackboards. Proiect Benefits and Risks: By extending instructional time, increasing the sense of community ownership of the school and its involvement in supervision, training the headteacher and providing a house as a permanent incentive, and ensuring that an attractive and functional school building is available, the project should result in a significant improvement in enrollments, learning outcomes, teachers' performance, and community interest, especially for the 1,983 schools selected to benefit directly by this project. There are three main risks. First, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and its members might not cooperate in increasing daily instructional time to something like intemational levels. Second, there might be some delays in procurement, i.e., in the award of the school pavilion contracts. Third, there may be long delays in communities cladding the pavilions. The first risk is being addressed by sensitizing GNAT officials and members to the current situation of extremely low learning outcomes of primary school students and its impact on Ghana's education system and future, and by constructing 1,983 headteachers' houses. The second risk will be mitigated by the high level of support for this project in Govermment, up front preparation of the bidding documents, and selection of contractors for the manufacture and installation of at least 2,000 triple pavilions by effectiveness. The third risk is being addressed by using a prior formal agreement between the Government and the district and local communities, by frequent technical supervision, and by organizing community mobilization workshops.  - ii - Estimated Project Costs (USS Million) Local Foreign TQoal A. Management and Training: Project Management and Coordination 1.6 0.4 2.0 Training and Orientation 1.9 0.1 2.0 B. Physical Infrastructures 38.0 20.4 58.4 C. Taxes and Duties u O O Total Base Costs 41.8 20.9 62.7 Physical Contingencies 3.7 2.0 5.7 Price Contingencies 31:7 i2 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 48.7 24.6 73.3 Financing Plan (USS Million): LQcal Foreign Tota IDA 40.5 24.6 65.1 Govermnent of Ghana/Community Participation 8 00 8 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 48.7 24.6 73.3 Estimated Credit Disbursements (USS Million) IDA Fiscal Years FY24 FYMA EY E FY 9 Annual 12.8 23.8 18.2 9.3 1.0 Cumulative 12.8 36.6 54.8 64.1 65.1 Economic Rate of Return: Not applicable Map: IBRD 24783  REPUBLIC OF GHANA PRIMARY SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Government of Ghana in its effort to improve the quality and access to primary education in about 2,000 of the most deprived schools in the country has requested IDA assistance of SDR 46.9 million (US$65.1 million equivalent) to finance a project aimed at improving physical facilities and increasing enrollment and learning achievements in these schools. II. THE EDUCATION SECTOR A. Overview 2.1 Until the mid-1970s Ghana had one of the most highly-developed educational systems in West Africa. Along with the economic decline of the next decade, the quality of the system deteriorated and enrollment rates stagnated or fell. Public resources for education fell from 6.4% of GDP in 1976 to 1.4% in 1983. Government was no longer able to construct, complete and maintain educational facilities. At the same time, foreign exchange dried up, preventing the purchase of textbooks, library materials and other essential instructional materials. The economic decline also led to a mass exodus of trained teachers, especially the more highly-trained and qualified school teachers. 2.2 Since the introduction of the Economic Recovery Program (ERP) in 1983, the people and Government of Ghana have been engaged in a far reaching program of economic recovery and structural adjustment. Unlike adjustment programs in many other countries, the Ghanaian program has always placed very great emphasis on the social sectors, and has succeeded in reversing the precipitous fall in the provision of education and health services that preceded its introduction. As the adjustment program has deepened, Government has placed increasing emphasis on the human dimensions, by introducing a major educational reform in 1987, launching the Program of Actions to Mitigate the Social Costs of Adjustment (PAMSCAD) in 1988, and by choosing as its theme for the 1991 Consultative Group meeting in Paris "Enhancing the Human Impact of the Adjustment Program". 2.3 The Bank carried out its first sector study and analysis of the educational system in 1985, and the need for urgent reform and rehabilitation of the system became apparent. In the majority of primary and secondary schools there were no textbooks, no chalk, no equipment, and no materials. Teachers were conspicuous by their absence. The majority of teachers were untrained and had probably been employed through under-hand methods. All schools were overstaffed not only with unqualified teachers, but also with huge numbers of non-teaching personnel. In some secondary schools the number of staff outnumbered the students, whilst all the universities had considerably more staff than students. In 1985/86 Ghana had one of the smallest amounts of annual official instruction hours anywhere in the world, with only 610 hours compared with a norm of 870 hours. The length of the school year in hours/year in selected countries is found in Annex 2-1.  - 2 - 2.4 In 1987, the Government took the recommendations of a 1973 education commission report, which had been shelved due to elite opposition, and with support from the Bank and other donors, launched a major, multi-year, sector wide educational reform. This reform had four main objectives corresponding to some of the key problems of the system. 2.5 To reduce the previous inordinate length of pre-university education. This was taking up to 17 years, against an international norm of 12 years, and consisted of short school days and years. This reform would have the effect of increasing access to secondary education, and would also release public resources. A plan for implementation of structural reform of education in Ghana for the period 1987-2000 is found in Annex 2-2. 2.6 To improve pedagogic efficiency and raise the guality and relevance of educational outcomes. The old curriculum emphasized rote recall; textbooks and other instructional materials were scarce; buildings were poorly maintained; the proportion of untrained teachers was high; and school leavers received an academic training fitting them only for a modern sector wage employment, which did not exist; 2.7 To contain and partially recover costs. Overstaffing was significant, especially of non-teaching staff and untrained teachers; feeding and lodging costs of secondary and tertiary students accounted for a significant proportion of Government educational expenditures; cost recovery for textbooks was derisory; and funds were often misappropriated. 2.8 To enhance sector management and budgeting procedures. Physical and financial norms did not exist or were not enforced; planning and budgeting were separated; budget uncertainties hindered planning; management decisions responded only to crises; and monitoring was insufficient, especially at school level. 2.9 The structure of the educational system was changed to six years of primary, three years of junior secondary (JSS), three years of senior secondary (SSS), and four years of tertiary education. The reform program was divided into phases: JSS from 1987 to 1990; SSS from 1991 to 1993; while the tertiary reform program will cover the next four years in its first phase. Reforms and improvements at the primary level have been taking place continuously since 1987. 2.10 Enrollment increases have accelerated at all levels of education after a long period of stagnation. Nine years of basic education (primary plus JSS) are offered to all children. The gross primary enrollment ratio reached 82% in 1990/91, with the more rapid increases taking place in previously under-served areas. Unfortunately, in 1991/92 public primary schools enrollment stagnated largely due to a 4.2% fall in first grade enrollments. JSS enrollments are 51 % of the 12-14 age-group. Tertiary enrollments are increasing significantly, but are still only a little under I % of the 20-24 age-group. 2.11 The curriculum has been reformed at both primary and secondary levels to be less theoretical and more relevant to Ghana. Ghanaian languages and agriculture have been made compulsory. All JSS offer one pre-vocational subject, to familiarize pupils with the use of hand tools. SSS offer both a common core and some of five areas of focus for elective program options. Most SSS offer general arts and science and vocational options, half of them agriculture, and one-third technical options. The elective program options being offered aim at preparing children for both a wide range of occupations and post-secondary education and training. New textbooks have been written at all school levels. Most primary school children now have access to a full set of core textbooks though they are not always used. Pupils again have exercise books, pencils and pens.  - 3 - Equipment has been provided for prevocational and science teaching in JSS. A major effort in both pre-service and in-service teacher training, along with new curricula, has reduced the proportion of untrained teachers to below 30% at primary, 20% at JSS, and only 10% at SSS. 2.12 Costs have been contained in several ways. The proportion of boarding students in secondary schools is being reduced through concentrating all new expansion on day schools. Staffing was regulated by a freeze on hiring between 1987 and 1992, and a maximum staffing limit is still in force. About 13,000 non-teaching staff were laid off at secondary and tertiary levels. Many temporary untrained teachers with low academic qualifications were also not rehired. Costs have been partially recovered in a number of areas. Food subsidies have been eliminated at both secondary and tertiary levels. School supplies are now sold at cost. There is partial cost recovery for textbooks in basic education, and full cost recovery at SSS. At the tertiary level, an innovative student loan scheme was introduced in 1988 which, though highly subsidized as in other countries, provides for an element of cost recovery. 2.13 Sector management, planning and budgeting have been improved by a gradual merger of staff into a unified planning, programming, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation division. This has been provided with international technical assistance and has implemented an active work program, including the development of physical and financial norms. Line units dealing with school and non-formal education have also built up their professional staffing. 2.14 The Government has increased dramatically its budgetary allocation to the education sector, from 1.4% of GDP in 1983 to 3.8% of GDP in 1993. Education's share of the national recurrent budget has risen from 27% in 1984 to 39.8% from 1993. The internal allocation of the budget has also improved substantially. The share of basic education has increased from 44% in 1984 to 62% or more every year since 1989. Allocations to non-wage recurrent items rose from less than 12% of the recurrent budget in 1986 to 22% by 1989. With the October 1992 salary increase of 80% for teachers and other civil servants, these allocations have fallen back to 12% in 1993. 2.15 Despite the impressive progress being made in formal education, two-thirds of the population remain functionally illiterate. Of those who have been to school, 40% are illiterate largely due to poor quality of instructions in primary schools. The Government therefore launched a mass literacy program in 1991, to reduce illiteracy by 5.9 million persons by the year 2000. B. Previous Bank Operations in the Education Sector 2.16 Though the Bank started supporting Ghana's development activities in 1962, it was not until 1986 that the first credit was provided to the educational sector. This came after 50 loans or credits had been granted to Ghana in most other sectors for a total of more than US$1.0 billion. Since then six credits in the educational sector have been approved for a total of almost US$170.0 million. 2.17 The first project, an emergency Health and Education Project (Cr. 1653-GH, closed on December 31, 1991) was approved early in 1986, and was designed merely to get text and library books, writing materials, and other essential supplies into the school system as quickly as possible. The Project Completion Report (Report Number 11080-GH) concludes that the project met its objective in getting the necessary materials into the school system in a short time. This project was followed by a series of programs and projects to support the Government's 1987 education reform program. In 1987 the First Educational Sector Adjustment Credit (Cr. 1744-GH, closed on December 31, 1991) was approved. This was a broad policy based SECAL, covering the whole of  the educational system, but with the resources generated from the credit being concentrated on the JSS level (grades 7-9). The three tranches of the program were released with very little delay. The draft Project Completion Report of Cr. 1744-GH concludes that the impact of the project was positive and laid a strong foundation for further reforms in the education system. It also emphasizes the importance of project implementation activities falling under the direct and day to day leadership of a high level political appointee. This same structure will be used for the implementation of this project. (Selected quantitative results of EdSAC I for the period 1986/87-1990/91 is found in Annex 2-3). In 1990 the Second Education Sector Adjustment Credit (Cr. 2140-GH) was approved, based on the model of Cr. 1744-GH described above, but with the policy framework dealing only with school education, and resources generated from the credit being concentrated on the SSS level. All three tranches of this credit have been released. Although EdSAC I and II funds were mainly aimed at JSS and SSS levels, respectively, funds have also been spent on or are currently committed to primary education. 2.18 In 1991, the Community Secondary School Construction Project (Cr. 2278-GH) was approved. This involved supporting 150 rural communities in the construction of facilities needed for new Senior Secondary Schools. Over half the schools have been completed, and over 50% of the credit disbursed. According to the Ghana Living Standards Survey, in 1987/88 32.5% of the population aged 8 and above were not functionally literate, even though 55% had been or were in school. Thus in 1992, the Literacy and Functional Skills Project (Cr. 2349-GH) was approved, designed to support the Government's mass literacy program. Already the first 270,000 participants are studying in their own language in 11,000 classes. Finally, in FY93 the Tertiary Education Project (Cr. 2428-GH) was approved, designed to help extend the reform process into the universities and other tertiary institutions and rehabilitate their facilities. C. Future Bank Strategy in the Education Sector 2.19 Government decided during the 1991 Consultative Group meeting to attempt to increase the GDP growth rate from its current levels of 4-5% p.a. to at least 7-8% p.a by the year 2000. To support this strategy, the Bank carried out jointly with Government and published (February 1993) a study "Ghana 2000 and Beyond--Setting the Stage for Accelerated Growth and Poverty Reduction". All future Bank lending to Ghana is being evaluated against this strategy. In the education sector, by far the highest priority is given to the expansion of enrollments at the basic education level, as "the Asian NICs, as well as Thailand and Malaysia, had all achieved universal primary education by the time they began their industrialization. Today Ghana has lower primary enrollment and literacy rates than the NICs had when their economic growth began to accelerate." The accelerated growth strategy also emphasizes the improvement in quality. "Besides expanding enrollments, improvements in the quality remain a major goal. If Ghana is to achieve some of the dynamic growth of the East Asian NICs the quality of instruction and completion rates must rise." 2.20 This project, which aims to improve the quality of and access to primary education in some of the most disadvantaged areas, where enrollment rates are lowest, and the quality of instruction poorest, is entirely supportive of the accelerated growth strategy. 2.21 All the educational investments the Bank has made in Ghana in recent years have been designed to increase the productivity and earning of the labor force, but none so far have attempted to establish a close link between education and employment. In Ghana the majority of the labor force is either self employed largely in the agricultural sector and associated rural industries, or in the informal sector in the towns. Leading out of a study on "Education for Self Employment and Rural Development" that was completed in 1989, Government and the Bank are developing a project  - 5 - designed to strengthen informal apprenticeship schemes and twin these with reformed skill training centers. A Government task force is currently working on elaborating proposals, and a project should be ready for Board presentation late in FY94. Obviously all apprentices benefiting from training must at the very outset have received a strong basic education. 2.22 EdSAC I and II funds have been used for massive in-service training programs for primary school teachers and headteachers, the provision of essential classroom supplies, the strengthening of monitoring and supervision, the provision of key teacher guides, the provision of textbooks, exercise books and pencils, and (with co-financiers) the erection of 2,000 classrooms. EdSAC II funds are being used to finance project preparation activities and the mobilization payments for all supervision and school pavilion contracts, purchase ten supplementary readers for each P4, P5, and P6 class, and Ghanaian language texts for all primary grades, and pay for travel and other allowances for the circuit monitoring assistants. Approximately US$32.0 million of EdSAC I and EdSAC II funds have been spent on, or are currently committed to primary education. The policy framework under EdSAC I and II has resulted in a freeze in additional teacher recruitment, fees for textbooks use charged only at P3 to P6 levels; and improvement in the teacher qualification structure and a retrenchment of non-teaching staff. Because of the achievements of EdSAC I and II; and because the Bank in FY95 is planning a large sector investment credit designed to assist the Government in further addressing issues in basic education, especially teacher education, curriculum development, school management, and planning and monitoring systems; this project will concentrate on the more limited activity of increasing instructional time through policy initiatives, involving headteachers in supervision, and constructing schools in the least well endowed communities. D. Other Donor Support for Government's Education Reform Program 2.23 Before the launch of the educational reform program in 1987, there had been very little donor support for the educational sector. However, in September 1986 in order to increase donors support, there was a social sector donors meeting in Vienna and since then over US$110.0 million has been committed from other donors to support various aspects of the reform. The biggest donors apart from IDA have been USAID, who have allocated US$35.0 million to primary education (a description of USAID's Primary Education Program Is found in Annea ); ADB with US$20.0 million for tertiary education; CIDA with US$14.0 million for basic and technical education; British ODA with US$8.0 million for literacy and teacher education for basic education; Norway with over US$8.0 million for literacy and school pavilions for basic education; and the OPEC Fund with US$4.4 million for school pavilions and school sanitation. Other donors include World Food Programme (WFP) for school feeding; UNICEF for primary and pre-school education; Switzerland for secondary school equipment; the Saudi Fund for secondary school development; GTZ for vocational school development and UNDP and ILO for institutional strengthening. Various non- governmental organizations (NGOs) have also provided assistance. Given the increasing interest of donors in the education sector, in August 1992, a monthly education donor coordinating meeting was started in Accra. 2.24 As mentioned in paragraph 2.23 above, USAID is supporting many key research and software elements essential for the revitalization of the primary sub-sector including: (a) intensive short in-service training to approximately half of all primary teachers a year in English and Mathematics; (b) four textbooks to each primary school child (English, Math, Science, and Social Science); (c) teacher guides and syllabi for all teachers; and (d) essential classroom supplies. The project is also piloting in the three northern regions a number of initiatives including housing for headteachers, motorcycles for headteachers and circuit supervisors, furniture for schools, scholarships for girls, and retention contests amongst schools. Useful for the monitoring of the impact of this  - 6 - proposed project is the development and implementation of criterion-referenced tests, the results of the first round of which will be available by the middle of 1993. 2.25 British ODA has a four year project for UK