Secondary Education Modernization Project II
Loan 2096 SRI (SF)

Project Description

The Project will help establish a secondary education system that is equitable and responsive to labor market requirements. It will increase equity of access to quality secondary education by upgrading approximately 1,200 target schools to an acceptable quality standard. It will support the Government's strategy to modernize the secondary school curriculum and teaching - learning methodologies by equipping some schools with science laboratories, computer facilities, and multimedia units. Capacity of school personnel to manage and sustain these facilities and improve teaching - learning activities will be developed through terms of zonal trainers/facilitators. Schools will be required to submit a comprehensive school development plan (SDP) before receiving any support. School-based management (SBM) will be enhanced through the provision of small-scale school development grants. Incentive program to attract teachers to work in rural areas will be carried out. Special attention will be given to support Tamil teachers. Stipends will be provided to poor students qualified to study Advance Level science or commerce in a nearby school. The capacity of provincial, zonal and divisional education officials will be developed through training and consulting services. The project will support implementation of the Government's policies and reforms in education such as decentralization of education and introduction of SBM, and integration of school-based assessment in the national examination. The project will also contribute to social equity and building of social cohesion by minimizing disparities across regions and ethnic groups, and by promoting inclusive curriculum content and teaching methodologies.

The Secondary Education Modernization Project 11 has two major objectives: (1) to support the government's strategy to improve the quality, equity and management efficiency of secondary education and make it more responsive to labor market requirements and; (11) to contribute to the government's long term policy on peace building by increasing equity of access to quality education and promoting education for social cohesion. The project target approximately1200 1AB and 1C schools. It is proposed that physical infrastructure and facilities of 1AB and 1C schools that are considered to be below accepted standards need to be developed and therefore, minor civil works will be undertaken in selected schools. Civil works include construction of computer learning rooms, libraries, activity rooms, science laboratories and toilets, partitioning classrooms, conversion of existing rooms to libraries and science laboratories and computer learning rooms by extension to the existing buildings. The types of civil works envisaged are similar to civil works carried out under the Secondary Education Modernization Project.