Extension of Primary and Teacher Education Program

                                     HAITI

SECTOR:                 Education

PROJECT NAME:           Extension of Primary and Teacher Education Program
                        (959/SF-HA)

TOTAL COST:             $19.6 million

FINANCING:
      IDB               $17.6 million
    LOCAL               $ 2.0 million

DATE OF APPROVAL:       October 25, 1995

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:    The objectives of this program are to improve internal
                        efficiency and promote equity in primary education. 
                        It will seek to reduce the drop-out rate, increase
                        pupil performance and increase the efficiency of
                        primary education.  

                        The program has four components: (a) Fonds de
                        Parrainage National (FPN), to provide scholarships to
                        80,000 disadvantaged children completing the first and
                        second cycles of primary schooling in approved private
                        schools who are considered to be at risk of leaving
                        school in two critical years in the cycle, grades IV
                        and VI, due to poverty; (b) textbooks and school
                        supplies, including subsidies for printing and
                        distributing new textbooks, free supplies of materials
                        for public schools, and distribution of teaching
                        manuals to teachers in the public and private sectors;
                        (c) training for teachers, school directors, school
                        supervisors and pedagogical supervisors in both public
                        and approved private schools; and (d) support to the
                        National Education Plan (PNE) to facilitate the
                        national dialogue and public participation in the
                        process of finalizing the National Education Plan.  

CONSULTANTS:            Consultants will be hired to carry out a study to
                        evaluate the role of Creole as a medium of
                        instruction, as well as the wider issues relating to
                        the problem of monoligualism in an increasingly
                        international environment.  
                        
GOODS AND EQUIPMENT:    IDB funds will be used to purchase teacher's guides,
                        2,500,000 textbooks, 3,000,000 notebooks, pens and
                        pencils, 200,000 boxes of chalk and 200,000 sets of
                        simple geometry instruments.  

EXECUTING AGENCY:       Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports
                        (MENJS)
                        Blvd. Harry Truman
                        Cité de l'Exposition
                        Port-au-Prince, Haiti
                        Tel.: (509-1) 22-1036