Vietnamese State Bank Governor Le Duc Thuy and World Bank Director Klaus Rohland Wednesday signed agreements of the credit of 50 million US dollar (300 mio. DKR) for Vietnams Targeted Budget Support for National Education for All Plan Program.
The credit aims to enhance the quality of basic education and strengthen the administration of the governments Education National Targeted Program (NTP).
The International Development Association (IDA) credit, which would provide funds directly to the Ministry of Education and Trainings Education National Targeted Program, will finance improvements in physical infrastructure, teaching skills, provision of learning materials and community participation.
– This program targets areas of the country where schools fall below minimum standards and outcome indicators are correspondingly low. The main beneficiary groups include poor children, ethnic minorities, girls and children with disabilities, said Governor Le Duc Thuy.
The program will also provide technical assistance, and capacity building to strengthen the administration, implementation and evaluation of the Education NTP. This component will be financed from a capacity building technical assistance fund.
These resources will be predominantly reserved to support the central, provincial, and district levels on planning, procurement, financial management, and institutional strengthening issues, as well as to enhance community consultation, and empowerment.
Vice Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said at the signing ceremony:
– This Targeted Budget Support is a form of support using ODA (Official Development Assistance) through Vietnams education budget in order to improve delivery services for basic education and quality for educational disadvantaged children.
– This support program will be implemented through the Governments existing management system. It will bring about changes in planning, prioritizing activities and defining budget allocation. It will also strengthen monitoring and evaluation of the sectors activities based on the implementation of the governments decentralize policy.
According to the target, provinces and districts will identify target schools using the Minimum School Quality Standard of the Ministry of Education and training as a tool for investment. The implementation and management of Education NTP activities will be strengthened and monitored closely through this Support program.
The desired outcomes are that the Vietnam’s basic education quality will be improved; education management capacity will be strengthened, funding mechanism will be changed to ensure equity of outcomes in education for every child. Monitoring and evaluation of the National targeted program for education will be improved to enhance efficiency of the Governments resources.
This Targeted Budget Support represents the harmonization of Government procedures as well as different donors in a common aim to support the Governments achievement of poverty reduction and growth targets to ensure the equity in quality and investment efficiency”.
Five other international partners – Belgium, Canada, the European Commission, New Zealand, and the UK – will provide funds to this Targeted Budget Support program. Donors, including the Bank, provide a total of 128 million US dollar which is approximately 12 percent of total Education NTP funds.
The introduction of the Education for All Action Plan, the increasing importance of decentralized education planning and delivery mechanisms and the ongoing support that is being provided to strengthen education management at all levels of Government has meant that the time is prescient for a coordinated multi-donor funding approach to support Education for All goals maximizing the use of, and improving Government’s own administrative and budgetary structures.
– Improving Vietnams schools is a key aim of the countrys strategy to reduce poverty and improve its economy, Rohland said adding:
– This program is important to improve basic education in the country but also to build the management and oversight capacity in the governments education program for all funds, not just funds coming from the World Bank.
Basic Information
Name: Targeted Budget Support for National Education for All Plan Program
Total cost: 249 million dollar
WB’s contribution: 50 million dollar (as IDA loan)
Duration: 2005-2008
Implementing Agency: Ministry of Education and Training
