Improving the Quality of Initial and Primary Education in Uruguay

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The development objectives of the Improving the Quality of Initial and Primary Education in Uruguay Project for Uruguay are to improve the teaching practices and the learning environment in early and primary education, as well as the internal efficiency in primary education, all in full-time schools (FTS), and to strengthen the evaluation capacity of the education system. The project comprises of four components. The first component, early education will provide support to increase access to early education for 3-year olds and to improve the quality of early education for 3 to 5 year olds. It consists of following sub-components: (i) access to early education; and (ii) quality improvements in early education. The second component, primary education will: (i) support added class time (through the expansion of the FTS model), better use of additional class time (through school principal training), and improved physical environments; and (ii) improve teaching practices with a focus on the development of competencies, socio-emotional skills (SES) and the alignment of skills imparted with graduate profiles. It consists of following sub-components: (i) infrastructure in primary education; and (ii) quality improvements in primary education. The third component, transition between primary and secondary education will improve internal efficiency in the short term by supporting students at-risk in their transition to lower secondary education and by helping articulate institutions in primary and secondary education through intra-level school partnerships. It consists of following sub-components: (i) strengthening the second cycle of primary education; and (ii) pilot alliances between primary and secondary schools. The fourth component, monitoring and evaluation system will seek to improve the evaluation capacity of the education system as well as to ensure the good management and monitoring of this project and the FTS program, by (i) helping design and finance key analytical studies and impact evaluations that expand the knowledge base of the Uruguayan education system, and (ii) providing assistance and resources for the coordination, execution, and monitoring of the project.