The Improving Access and Quality of Basic Education Project (IAQBE) aims to contribute to increasing access to quality primary education and improve learning outcomes for some of the most marginalized children in South Sudan, where more than 2.2 million children are out of school. The proposed is the Bank's response to a formal request by the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS) to support its efforts aimed at improving access and quality of social services in the country. The project is in line with the National General Education Policy Framework 2017-2022 places strong emphasis on basic, secondary and teacher training. It is focusing on rehabilitating the school infrastructure destroyed during the war and building additional classroom blocks to facilitate the upgrading of lower primary schools to include upper primary levels. This expansion will allow for an increased number of children to transition to upper primary. The following key strategic outcomes for the project have been identified: (i) to improve access to quality primary education for 30,000 boys and girls through the rehabilitation and expansion of 35 primary schools in four former States where learning has been greatly affected by the conflict; (ii) enhance the capacity of 2,000 teachers to effectively teach and support children to learn using child-centered teaching methods and improved classroom management. Its implementation cost is UA 13.35 million over a period of 4 years from October 2019 to September 2023.

The goal is to contribute to equitable access to quality basic education. The project specific objectives are (i) enhance access to primary education through improved infrastructure for delivery of education at community level, (ii) enhance the capacity of teachers to effectively teach and support children to learn through teacher training, and (iii) capacity development of the Ministry of General Education and Instructions (MoGEI) to improve overall system strengthening and institutional development. These will contribute to addressing underlying drivers of fragility, enhance inclusivity and build resilience.

The project will support 35 primary schools in four former states of Upper Nile, Unity, Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria. The primary schools to be rehabilitated and extended will benefit over 30,000 children. The teacher training institutes will benefit over 400 teachers coming from across the country over a period of four (4) years, and subsequently, provide an output of more than 200 trainees per year. The 10 County Education Centres (CECs) will benefit at least 1,600 teachers over the project life, and thereafter, train at least 400 teachers through in-service per year. Priority of CECs will be where there are no operational Teachers Training Institutes (NTTIs) .

KAIJA Darlison

d.kaija@afdb.org

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/.