The Inter-American Development Bank today announced the approval of a $45 million loan to Paraguay for the second stage of the Escuela Viva program to support access, retention and completion of quality basic education for students in the most vulnerable groups of the population.
“The program is helping reduce the disparity in basic education between different income groups and between rural and urban areas,” said IDB team leader Jesus Duarte.
“The first stage of the Escuela Viva program, from 2001 to 2007, showed significant improvements in access and years of schooling in participating schools, as well as in the quality of education,” added Duarte. “This second stage will reduce the number of over-age students and increase graduation rates in low-income areas. It will also improve coverage in urban-fringe, rural and indigenous schools, and will increase the level of learning and academic achievement.”
The Ministry of Education and Culture of Paraguay will be strengthened to continue to carry out the program. The project will also consolidate coordination among parents, communities and teachers in basic education school management.
The government of Paraguay requested a performance-driven loan for this new operation. A monitoring and evaluation system should be in place as a condition precedent to the first results-based disbursement. Local counterpart funds will total $4.5 million.