Rwanda - Second Education Sector Project

Report No. PIC987 Project Name Rwanda-Second Education Sector Project Region Africa Sector Education Project ID RWPA2257 Implementing Agency Government of Rwanda Mr. Jean Tulikumana, Director of Cabinet, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr. Pascal Habufite, Acting Director General, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr. Celestin Karuyonga or Mr. Elie Gasagara Division of School Construction & Financing (DFCS), Ministry of Primary & Secondary Education, P.O. Box 622 Kigali, Rwanda Tel: (0) 85029 or 85043 Fax: (0) 85228 Date Prepared October 1993 Projected Board Date April 1995 1. Project Objectives. The main objectives of the proposed project are to: (i) increase overall access to secondary education, boost female access to this level of education and enhance equity; (ii) improve the quality of secondary education through curriculum development, the provision of pedagogical materials, improvement of the assessment system and pre-service and in-service training of teachers; (iii) encourage the development of private schools; (iv) improve the responsiveness of technical education and vocational training to the needs of the labor market; (v) reorient the utilization of rural education infrastructures; and (vi) improve data collection, processing and planning and strengthen secondary education management. 2. Project Description. The project would assist the government to: (i) improve access to secondary education and enhance equity through support to the restructuring of secondary education and construction of junior secondary schools (new first cycle schools), redeployment of existing equipment and provision of new equipment to senior secondary schools (new second cycle schools), support to the development of private schools, support to the development and implementation of measures to enhance female secondary enrolment and rehabilitation and reconstruction of schools in demilitarized zones; (ii) improve secondary education quality and provide support to the pedagogical aspects of the adjustment of secondary education reform through curricular reforms, pre-service and in-service training for teachers and school administrators (with particular attention to support to the establishment of a teacher training institution at the university  level), the provision of textbooks and educational support materials (including the development of resource centers), enhancement of pedagogical research and teaching materials development and reorganization and strengthening of the examination and evaluation systems; (iii) strengthen secondary education management and provide support to reform adjustment management through the establishment of a Reform Adjustment Management Team, the creation of Divisions in charge of Private and Technical Education within MINEPRISEC and the improvement of the management of the secondary education system at school, decentralized and central levels; and (iv) prepare the third phase of the reform adjustment process and undertake studies on educational cost and financing, planning, school mapping, staffing, teacher training and assessment. 3. Environmental Aspects. The project would have no adverse environmental consequences. Civil works will, to a large extent, consist of the rehabilitation of existing structures (and the conversion of some CERAIs into secondary schools) and some new construction of first cycle secondary schools which will be mainly small and dispersed throughout the country, with limited negative impact on the environment. The construction of schools will not involve displacement of population. The expansion of access to secondary education, particularly for females, will also help reduce fertility rates and slow down population growth and lead to less environmental degradation. Agriculture and environmental studies may become a core subject in the junior secondary school curriculum and this will help increase awareness of appropriate environmental practices. 4. Project Implementation. To enhance capacity building through learning-by-doing and foster widespread ownership and accountability, the relevant functional divisions of MINEPRISEC will be directly responsible for the implementation of the individual project components. An implementation manual will be developed and made available to component heads. A Reform Adjustment Management Team (RAMT), composed of division or component heads and whose weekly meetings will be chaired by the Cabinet Director or Director General, will be established in MINEPRISEC to manage the overall implementation of the agreed upon adjustments to the reform and monitor project implementation. Overall responsibility for planning implementation measures, procurement, accounting, relations with the Bank and day-to-day project management will be vested in the "Division de Financement et Construction Scolaire" (DFCS) of MINEPRISEC which has recently been strengthened in human resources and equipment under the First Education Sector Project. This Division will be further strengthened by the proposed project. Progress on project implementation and sector development will be assessed jointly with the government through annual reviews. These reviews would monitor progress on physical implementation of project activities, agreed policy action plan, sectoral investment and expenditure programs and the overall growth of the sector based on pre-established indicators. 5. Project Cost and Financing. Total project cost is likely to be about US $38.5 million of which IDA is expected to contribute about US$ 21.9 million. Government's budgetary contribution will probably be around 10. of project costs. Co-financing will be sought to cover the - 2-  remainder. UNDP and the Belgians have expressed interest in the proposed operation. Other possible sources of co-financing include the EEC, the AfDB, USAID, France and Japan. 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. -3-