According to the Bank’s website, Mongolia is facing severe economic difficulties. Significant cuts in the education budget for 2017 and beyond greatly constrain the government 's capacity to mitigate further deterioration of education services. This will result in lost opportunities for pre-primary, primary, and secondary education, especially for children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Support from the Asian Development Bank is urgently needed to minimize the negative effects during this difficult economic period by (i) narrowing the gap in the enrollment capacity of schools and kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar and some aimag (administrative subdivision) centers, (ii) supporting the completion of unfinished curriculum reform and associated assessment system reforms, (iii) ensuring the provision of teaching and learning materials that accompany the new curriculum, (iv) upgrading the skills and knowledge of teachers and managers for the new curriculum and assessments, and (v) strengthening systems for planning and managing education services.

With the second additional financing, the overall project scope will be expanded to include the construction of 41 additional schools and kindergartens, support for the ongoing curriculum reform for preschool and primary education, and strengthening education sector planning and management through improved data systems and evidence-based infrastructure planning. The project's impact and outcome will remain unchanged, while indicators for Outputs 1, 2, 4, and 5 will be slightly revised to reflect the expanded scope. Particularly, with the second additional financing, the government has proposed to construct and/or expand 41 facilities, comprising 32 schools and 9 kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar city and rural areas, expanding Output 1. Of these, 23 facilities are in rural areas and 18 in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city. Among the 41 facilities, 24 are new constructions, 12 involve expansion of existing facilities or construction of additional buildings, and 5 require demolition of old buildings followed by construction of new ones. Out of the total, 31 facilities do not have detailed engineering designs (DED) or drawings, 4 already have completed DEDs, and DEDs for 6 are currently being prepared. In terms of land availability, 32 facilities have secured land, while 9 do not and will require land acquisition. The government's financing contribution will cover essential furniture and equipment for all newly constructed facilities. Output 2 will be expanded to support the ongoing curriculum reforms, specifically the rollout of the early childhood education curriculum and the development of the primary education curriculum. The project will introduce STEAM-based learning approaches, deliver training for creative and inquiry-based pedagogy incorporating basic climate change concepts, and finalize and pilot the revised primary education curriculum that integrates climate change education. Output 4 will be expanded to design and deliver professional development programs for school and kindergarten principals, teachers, and education department staff on updated curriculum and assessment practices. It will also develop and digitize online teacher training modules to enable nationwide access and continuous professional development. Output 5 will be expanded to support the MOE in reviewing and updating the comprehensive education sector digital transformation roadmap and upgrading the education sector management information system (MIS). The enhanced MIS will enable effective planning and budgeting, including identifying needs for school and kindergarten construction, expansion, and rehabilitation, and informing financing decisions and budget preparation. Support will also be provided to strengthen the recently established "Medle" digital school, which is primarily designed for students, by enhancing its digital infrastructure, integrating e-learning platforms to enable students to access updated curriculum content and maintain learning continuity, and building teacher capacity for digital pedagogy. This initiative will serve as a model for scaling up digital education in Mongolia.

Environment: B
Involuntary Resettlement: A
Indigenous Peoples: C

Ordinary capital resources: US$ 63.00 million
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending: US$ 67.00 million

No contacts available at the time of disclosure.

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