World Bank Supports Long-Term Education Reforms in Azerbaijan
Contacts:
In Baku:
Saida Bagirova (994-12) 921-941
E-mail:
Sbagirova@worldbank.org
In Washington:
Miriam Van Dyck (1-202) 458-2931
E-mail:
Mvandyck@worldbank.org
Washington, May 28, 2003
– The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank yesterday approved a US$18 million equivalent Credit to Azerbaijan to help finance the Education Sector Development Project, which constitutes the first phase of the Education Reform Program. The proposed credit is the first in a series of credits with an Adaptable Program Credit (APC) not exceeding the aggregate the amount of US$63 million over the next ten years.
At present, the education sector of Azerbaijan is facing many challenges, including rapid deterioration of the quality of education due to a shortage of financial resources and limited institutional capacity. In 1999, to address main issues in the sector, the Government launched the long term Education Reform Program with IDA’s support. The new Education Project builds on the experiences and lessons learned from the ongoing Education Reform Project, which is the first Bank-financed Education Project signed in 1999 for a total amount of US$5 million. The project is also consistent with the overall objectives of the Government’s State Program on Poverty Reduction and Economic Development, which emphasizes the importance of improving the quality of education and equity in access to it.
The main purpose of the Government’s Education Reform Program is to improve the quality of education and to realign the entire sector with the needs of the emerging market economy and social conditions. As
Akbar Noman, World Bank Country Manager for Azerbaijan
noted, “
One of the most important things that Azerbaijan has inherited from the former Soviet Union is a quality education system which is well able to produce highly-educated professionals. However, complicated processes of the post-Soviet history and long-lasting transition have created new economic, social, political and cultural environment in the country. Therefore, this project endeavors to maintain this high overall quality and sound basis of education in the country and, at the same time, to make it more relevant to market economy by bringing state-of-the-art innovations and time-tested experience
”.
The Project Task Manager, Halil Dundar,
says: “
We are very pleased to be able to work with the Government to provide further assistance to the education sector of Azerbaijan. We believe that this project will make a significant contribution to the Government’s reform efforts, and help students to be better prepared to meet the needs of the labor market and to have better opportunities and more fulfilling lives. By the end of the Program, the children of Azerbaijan, who are the future of the country, will have access to high quality general education, while the Government has the capacity in the education sector to use resources more efficiently and effectively
.”
The main purposes of the Education Reform Program are to increase learning achievements for all students and improve efficiency of general education. To achieve these purposes, the Program would support a plan of activities that will be implemented in three phases over a period of ten years. Phase 1 of the APC is a total amount of US$18 million equivalent, and the estimated amounts for Phases 2 and 3, if approved, will be about US$20 million and US$25 million, respectively. The longer-term perspective of an APC would provide the Government with support to carry out a system-wide reform, while providing flexibility to adjust and refine interventions in light of outcomes and results observed. A set of triggers will determine to proceed to the next phase, while a set of indicators will be used to monitor progress in implementation.
The Education Sector Development Project (2003-2007), which is the First Phase of the Education Reform Program, will have a duration of four years and will assist the Government to strengthen its capacity to plan, manage and monitor the reform program more effectively and efficiently and initiate the highest priority investments in selected districts. The Project consists of the following components, each of which includes several subcomponents and/or activities: (i) quality and relevance of general education (through curriculum reform, teacher development, provision of reading materials for all general school libraries in the country); (ii) efficiency and finance reforms (through financing and budgeting reforms and rationalization and school improvement in the three selected districts, i.e., Ali Bayramli, Ujar, and Ismayilli); (iii) equity and access (through the provision of school grants in selected less advantaged districts); and (iv) management strengthening (through the establishment of a new system of student assessment; the establishment of education management information systems; and the development of management, planning and monitoring capacity). Finally, the project management and evaluation component would finance project management and monitoring and evaluation activities. These specific reforms and interventions would be expanded under the Second Phase and completed under the Third Phase of the Program.
As a result of this Program, the education sector will be better equipped to satisfactorily meet the skills and knowledge needs of a market economy, to increase access to high quality general education and tertiary education, and to have the capacity to make a more efficient and effective use of its physical, financial and human resources to deliver quality education for all.
The Credit is provided on standard IDA terms, with maturity of thirty-five years, including ten years of grace.
Azerbaijan joined the World Bank in 1992. Since then, the Bank’s commitments to the country have exceeded US$600 million.
For more information on the World Bank’s work in Azerbaijan, visit
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/azerbaijan.nsf