UNIVERSALIZATION OF BASIC EDUCATION PROJECT

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The Universalization of Basic Education Project aims at improving coverage, and equity at the primary school level, as well as improving the quality of education. It will further seek to facilitate the design, and execution of a program to enhance cultural diversity, and pluralism as specified by the Guatemalan Peace Accords, and the National Congress on Cultural Policies. The four main components will: 1) support universal access to primary education by expanding the primary schools' enrollment capacity in rural areas, and marginal communities, through the National Community-managed Program for Educational Development (PRONADE). Under this program, rural communities will receive financing for development of new school facilities, based on a participatory criteria. Economic assistance/scholarships will be available for poor families, with an emphasis on girls attendance; 2) focus on improving the quality of education, by strengthening multi-grade strategies, and bilingual education; providing educational materials; and, training teachers in new methodologies, including educational content, and bilingual curricula development; 3) support the institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Culture and Sports (MCS), in coordination with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), to attain cultural diversity, and pluralism. The component includes capacity building, decentralization of MCS cultural education services to the municipal level; and, design of a national cultural resources information system; and, 4) support the improvement of MINEDUC managerial, and administrative capacities, for decentralization at the departmental, and local level, emphasizing on strengthening the Bilingual Education Directorate. It also includes training to community associations, and continued development of the education management information system.