EFA Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund Grant for Lesotho

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The objective of the Basic Education Project for Lesotho is to provide improved facilities at existing primary schools, support and contribute to expand access to pre-primary education, and support improvements in quality of teaching. There are three components to the project. The first component of the project is to improve the quality of primary school infrastructure. This component will provide additional fully furnished primary gender and disability friendly classrooms at existing schools, along with toilet blocks. Construction will develop within a new approach which makes greater use of smaller contractors, de-concentrated procurement and subcontracting of technical supervision of civil works. This approach is expected to speed up the pace of construction and reduce costs. The second component of the project is to support and contribution to the expansion of pre-primary education. This component will support the Government's aim to maintain and expand access to reception classes especially for the poorest children, through procurement of care givers, procurement of learning materials, and procurement of catering services to existing and additional reception classes. This expansion will support the continued inclusion of an estimated 5.2 percent of the age five population in reception classes over the duration of the project. The third component of the project is contribution to improvements in quality of teaching. This component will support the Government plans to improve learning outcomes in primary schools through: (i) conducting analytical work to understand the conditions of education service delivery, teaching, and learning, through school resources survey, classroom-based observation, skills profiles and training needs, and assessment of student outcomes measurement; (ii) assisting in increasing the qualification level of the teacher force in 'difficult' school by attracting and/or retaining more qualified teachers in targeted schools and/or upgrading the qualifications of teachers working there; (iii) providing additional in-service teacher training aimed at improving literacy and numeracy teaching; and (iv) providing textbooks in core subjects and grades where there are deficits and learning materials for the implementation of the new curricula.