Press Release No:2005/452/AFR
WashingtonDC, May 3, 2005 - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$32.2 million to help the Government of Malawi improve the education sector and strengthen the supply and quality of its human capital.
The Education Sector Support program aims to enhance education quality by improving the conditions and processes of teaching and learning at the school level. It will also help increase the number of qualified teachers, improve the capacity and the quality of education service delivery by fostering community participation, and strengthen the management of human and financial resources at district and primary school levels.
By improving learning outcomes at all levels, the project will enhance conditions for school effectiveness that will contribute to changes in the behaviors of teachers and students.
"This project will provide key support to strengthen government capacity in order to prepare it for subsequent implementation of a broader sector wide program. It will further emphasize donor collaboration and the setting up of a small, but scaleable-pooled fund, with a view toward harmonizing fiduciary procedures and moving towards a better-integrated sector program," said Soren Nellemann, the World Bank's Task Team Leader for the project. "A healthy and educated population leads to higher productivity, better income distribution and general improved standards of living."
The first component of the project -Teacher Capacity Development (US$15.5 million)-will complement government and donors' efforts to improve quality and expand capacity of teacher development and training at all levels.
The second component -Quality Improvement and Inputs (US$3.7 million)-is expected to improve the conditions of learning at selected secondary schools staffed with trained teachers or newly trained teachers.
The third component -Mitigating Externalities affecting the Quality of Education (US$3.0 million)-aims to provide a school health and nutrition package to all primary schools, including distribution of vitamin A and iron-folic acid to school children under 10 years old, de-worming, treatment of malaria and fever, and the promotion of good health and nutrition practices.
The fourth component -Direct Support to Primary Schools (US$3.7 million)-will focus on the supply of basic learning materials directly to schools while strengthening the participation of communities in school management.
The last component -Capacity Building and Policy Development (US$1.4 million)-will help develop a medium to long term prioritized and costed Education Sector Strategic plan to form the base for a future sector wide approach program. It will also develop a training and capacity building plan for training Ministry of Education staff at central and decentralized levels in the context of their emerging functions.
Media Contact:
In Washington:
Aby Toure (202) 473 8302
akonate@worldbank.org
In Lilongwe:
John Chikopa (265-1) 770 611
Jchikopa@worldbank.org