Primary Education Improvement Program
PARAGUAY
SECTOR: Education
PROJECT NAME: Primary Education Improvement Program
(770/OC-PR and 908/SF-PR)
TOTAL COST: $59.0 million
FINANCING:
IDB $52.8 million
LOCAL $ 6.2 million
DATE OF APPROVAL: September 22, 1993
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this program is to improve the quality of
pre-school and primary education, increase its internal
efficiency and optimize the use of funds allocated to
it. The program comprises the following subprograms:
(a) a program for improving education quality and up-
grading teacher skills, designed to improve levels of
learning and the quality, coverage and efficiency of
preschool and primary education; and (b) a program for
management development of the Ministry of Education and
Religious Affairs, designed to meet the more pressing
needs of strengthening of the ministry in order to
implement the results of the program and ensure their
sustainability.
The first subprogram will improve the quality of education
through activities, such as reworking the curriculum to adapt
it to the users' needs and expectations, preparing new
textbooks and teaching materials in order to improve the
students' academic performance, rehabil-itating and expanding
the physical infrastructure of approximately 400 primary
schools, as well as informa-tion, dissemination and community
training to promote the importance of basic education. It
will also improve the quality of teachers through
strengthening of the Ministry of Education's current system
of teacher training.
The second subprogram includes the following components:
(a) management and administration information systems,
including computerized administrative and budgetary
information, and strengthening of the school maintenance
system; and (b) educational management and computerized
information, which comprises the design and installation
of data processing for educational planning, establishment
of a national school performance evaluation system,
strengthening of supervision and carrying out of studies
to measure the socioeconomic factors that affect the
students' efficiency.
CIVIL WORKS: The main civil works include rehabilitation and expan-sion of
approximately 400 primary schools and teaching institutes.
The schedule of announcement for specific procurement notices
is as follows: (a) civil works for teacher-training
institutes: last quarter of 1993; (b) civil works for schools
and teacher-training institutes: second quarter of 1994.
GOODS AND EQUIPMENT: Specific procurement notices will be published for pre-
qualification and bidding on: (a) equipment (including
computers), teaching materials and furnishings: first
quarter of 1994; and (b) equipment, teaching materials
and additional books: third quarter of 1993.
CONSULTANTS: Consulting services will be hired for a total of 242
staff/months for preparation of the study plans, devel-opment
of texts, training of teachers and institutional strengthening
of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and other
participating units.
EXECUTING AGENCY: Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs
ADDRESS: Calle Chile 849
Asuncion, Paraguay
Telephone and Fax:(595-21) 44919
Contact: Ms. Maria Celsa Bareiro de Soto
Vice Minister
