Education Modernization Project

closed

The Government's objectives are: (i) the Framework Agreement (including the rights for equal access to "uniform" quality of education, some extra support to ethnic minorities in terms of access); (ii) the Government Education Strategy of preserving or improving the quality of education; and (iii) the ongoing process of decentralization of public administration, including a recent Law on Local Self-governance, empowering the municipal governments to establish, administer and finance public education at pre-tertiary level. The project has the following three components: Component 1) will improve the quality of learning and education participation at the targeted schools through strengthening school level planning and management, and through the implementation of a school grants program. The component will: (i) establish a school development planning system: (ii) implement a school improvement grant (SIG) program; (iii) carry out external and school-based assessments; and (iv) establish a competitive in-service teacher training system. Component 2) The objective is to build capacity for the central and local governments to operate in a decentralized education system. The component will improve strategic planning, management, and monitoring and accountability procedures in the education sector. Component 3) will provide overall coordination and supervision of project activities, and ensure the highest quality through monitoring and evaluation of project indicators. The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) is expected to be part of the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) and staffed partly by consultants and partly by Ministry staff. It will fulfill all the administrative and fiduciary responsibilities related to the project (e.g., financial management, procurement, disbursement, monitoring and reporting) and will ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of project achievements and outcomes during the project.