Conformed Copy - L4586 - Second Secondary Education Project - Province of Buenos Aires - Supplemental Letter

Page 1 PROVINCE OF BUENOS AIRES June 15, 2001 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 United States of America Re: Loan No. 4586-AR (Second Secondary Education Project - Province of Buenos Aires) - Monitoring Indicators and Selected EGB3 Schools. Excellency: Please refer to the Loan Agreement of even date herewith for the above referenced Project. The several terms defined in the Loan Agreement have the respective meanings therein set forth. With respect to paragraph (j) of Section 1.02 and paragraph (a) of Section 3.05 of the Loan Agreement, kindly find attached hereto the Monitoring Indicators. With respect to paragraph (p) of Section 1.02 of the Loan Agreement, kindly find attached hereto the eligibility criteria for Selected EGB3 Schools. Please confirm your agreement with the above and with the annexes by signing this letter in the space provided below. Very truly yours, PROVINCE OF BUENOS AIRES By /s/ Carlos Ruckauf Authorized Representative AGREED AND CONFIRMED: INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT By /s/ Myrna Alexander Authorized Representative ANNEX 1 INDICADORES RELEVANTES DE MONITOREO DEL PROYECTO PLEASE SEE ORIGINAL FOR ANNEX 1, FORMAT WOULD NOT FIT DOCUMENT ANNEX 2 SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Based on the Social Assessment results, the bank and the Borrower agreed on the eligibility criteria for the 200 schools. This criteria are taken into account on social-economic and poverty issues, educational risk, regional representativeness, ownership by the educational community and land legal possession. 1. The selection will be based on the social-economic profile of the school population, measured by various characteristics prepared by schools directors in cooperation with teachers and the school community (see below); Page 2 2. All the education Regions (16) should be included in the sample of the selected (about 200) EGB3 schools; 3. Land availability for access expansion should be legally ensured for all the schools; 4. Ownership of the "Jornada Completa" model and its implementation should be shown through a PEI ("Proyecto Educativo Institucional") in each of the selected (about 200) EGB3 schools, which is equivalent to a school development plan. Socio-economic profile of the school population. Selection criteria under item 1 have been determined on the basis of the student population living in social-economic disadvantaged conditions. These conditions are measured against various characteristics of the household and/or the student and/or the EGB3 school. Over-aged school population and average repetition rates in EGB3 schools will be included as part of the selection criteria. The family information data are determined by the school director in cooperation with teachers, and the parents or children’s supervisors (community). The data are available per school and are comparable with district averages. Methodology. The DGCyE will compile the basic statistical database for at least 400 poor EGB schools, in order to select at least 200 EGB schools as control group, and at least 200 EGB3 schools which will implement the "Jornada Completa" (full-time). This tentative list of EGB3 schools should show their location, and comparative "social-economic" school population data at district and regional level. The schools in the PBA include normally three cycles (EGB1+2+3) in one building. In the poorer urban areas the schools are for the most part over-populated, and there is a severe shortage of space to: (i) accommodate the transfer enrolment into the EGB3 level (grades 7-9) in agreement with the new curricular requirements, and (ii) respond to the increased demand for further education from the communities, which often live in poor conditions (housing, sanitation and other public services). A school can be selected into the project if the percentage of its student population at EGB level "living in disadvantaged social-economic conditions" is higher than district’s average of the student population. This "poverty-composite" indicator is based on the following social-economic data from student and their households. For a student to be categorized as "living in disadvantaged social-economic conditions", he/she needs to fall into one of the following categories ("matrícula en dificultad"): 1. Pupils from "villas de emergencia" (recognized slums). 2. Pupils from families who occupy land illegally. 3. Orphans or pupils who have been abandoned by their parents. 4. Pupils who go to a neighborhood "care center" during the day ("Centros Complementarios"). 5. Pupils from families with at least 4 of the following characteristics: 5.1. Families with more than 4 children below 18 years old. 5.2. Single-parent households with the head of the household unemployed. 5.3. Children from households in extremely poor conditions. 5.4. Children with one parent who is illiterate. 5.5. One or more of the siblings have dropped out of school prematurely. 5.6. Students from households which receive social assistance.