Rural Education Project

closed

The Rural Education Project for Kyrgyz Republic aims to improve learning and learning conditions in primary and secondary schools, with priority attention to rural areas. The project has the following six components: Component 1) will support the development of an improved performance management system for teachers and principals, and payment of related performance incentives for teachers and principals for two complete academic years (2006/07 and 2007/08) in two pilot oblasts, Issykul and Talas. Component 2) will improve learning and school accountability in basic education schools in Issykul and Talas oblasts through support for development and implementation of Learning Improvement Plans by school teams. Component 3) will finance the provision of textbooks and learning materials for primary and secondary schools throughout the country, under competitive procurement procedures which conform to the World Bank's new guidelines for textbooks. It will also support the development and implementation of an improved textbook rental scheme, and will promote improved textbook content through author training and a transparent and competitive textbook selection process. Component 4) will strengthen four main dimensions of student assessment: (a) school-based and classroom-based formative assessment, (b) formal examinations of all students at specific transition points (e.g. grade 9 and grade 1 l), (c) periodic sample-based national surveys of student achievement, and (d) international sample-based surveys of student achievement. Component 5) will support technical assistance, training, commissioned studies and workshops to strengthen budget planning, strategic planning, and monitoring and evaluation in the Ministry of Education. Component 6) will ensure effective administration and coordination of the project activities.