Document of THE WORLD BANK Report No. 24204-DJI REPUBLIC OF DJIBOUTI EDUCATION STRATEGY NOTE June 14,2002 Human Development Sector Middle East and North Africa Region CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective May 22, 2001) Currency Unit = Djibouti Francs (DJF) US$1.00 = 164.9 DJF FISCAL YEAR January 1- December 31 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ACCC Association of Canadian Community Colleges ADETIP Agence Djiboutienne d'Ex,cution des Travaux d'Int&t Public (Djiboutian Executing Agency for Works of Public Interest) AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome APL Adaptable Program Lending (Pr9t-Programrnme Evolutif [PPE]) BAC Baccalaurgat (Secondary School Diploma) BEF Brevet d'Enseignement Fondamental (Basic Education Degree) BEP Brevet d'Etudes Professionnelles (Vocational Training Diploma) BEPE Bureau d'Excution des Projets Education (Implementation Agency) BTS drevc! de Technicien Supfrieur (Senior Technician Diploma) CAS Courtr% Assistance Strategy CEFEB Certirat de Fin d'Etudes de Base (Primary School Certificate) CFPEN Centre de Formation Professionnelle de l'Education Nationale (Professional Training Center for Natin!l Education) CNOSEGE Comitg National d'Organisation et de Suivi des Etats Gngraux de l'Education C! PEN Centre de Recherche, Information et P&dagogie de I'Education Nationale (National Education Research and Pedagogic Information Center) DZUG Dipl6me d'Etudes Universitaires Gndrales (General University Degree) DJF Djiborian Francs DGEN Directeur Gindral de l'Enseignement National (Director General for National Education) EDAvi Etude Djiboutienne aupr&s des Mnages (Djibouti household survey) GDP Gross domestic product GER Gross enrollment rate HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus IDA International Development Association IMF International Monetary Fund MHUAT Minist&re de l'Habitat, de l'Urbanisme, et de iAmnagement du Territoire (Ministry of Housing, Urban Development, Environment, and Regional Development) MIS Management information system MOE Ministry of Education NER Net enrollment rate NGO Non-governmental organization SOE Statement of expenditures UNDP United Nations Development Programme VT Vocational training VTE Vocational and technical education TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................... I. INTRODUCTION .................................................... ............1 II. COUNTRY BACKGROUND .......................................................2 III. THE EDUCATION SYSTEM........ ................................................4 Structure and Management...... ...............................................4 Students, Schools, Teachers .....................................................5 Costs and Finance............................................................8 IV. ISSUES.................................... .................................................................. 10 Access ......................................................................10 Equity .......................................................................... Quali ty and Relevance..............................................................13 Institutional Capacity of the System....................... .......................17 Costs and Finance............................................................17 V. GOVERNMENT STRATEGY.......................................................19 Access and Equity.................................................. . ........19 Quality .................................................................... 20 Institutional Capacity to Manage Proposed Reforms...................................21 Costs and Finance...... .....................................................21 Assessment of the Government's Strategy .........................................22 VI. PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR DONOR SUPPORT................................23 ANNEXES .....................................................................................34 Annex 1.a: Organization of Studies................................................34 Annex Lb: Education Structure Diagram............................................36 Annex 2: MoE Organizational Chart...............................................37 Annex 3: Household Survey and Other Data................................. . .....38 Annex 4: Recommendations of the Nationat Education Forum .................... ......40 Annex 5: The School Access and Improvement Program ..............................42 This note was prepared by Francis Steier (Senior Education Economist, LCSHE) and Stephanie Cohn (Consultant, MNSHD). Revisions following the review meeting on June 6, 2001, were incorporated by Eileen Sullivan. The note is based on various background documents, including six studies financed by a grant from the Norwegian Trust Fund (Managed by Nicholas Bennett, AEMET), a preliminary note drafted by Stephanie Cohn under the guidance of Marlaine Lockheed (then MNSHD) Education Sector Manager), and certain findings of the appraisal mission for the Djibouti Schools Access and Improvement Project led by Qaiser Khan (Sr. Human Development Economist and Task Team Leader for Education in Djibouti). Valuable comments were provided by Qaiser Khan, Regina Bendokat (Acting Education Sector Manager, MNSHD) and Arvil Van Adams (Peer Reviewer and Sector Manager, AFTH4). Editing was provided by Christina Djemmal (Operations Analyst, MNSHD)  Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Objective 1. The objective of this strategy note is to highlight issues gleaned during the course of the preparation of the Djibouti School Access and Improvement Project, which was prepared as a ten-year Adaptable Program Lending (APL), including the extensive review of documents received by the Government of Djibouti (the Government) on the overall strategy of the education sector reforms and long-term economic reforms. From these issues, several strategies are proposed which aim to enable the Government to concretize some of the reforms planned in a realistic timeframe, and include issues which need to be reflected upon in the long-term. 2. The note is addressed to the Government, principally the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the donor community. The note will be distributed to the World Bank PRSP Committee for broader cross-sectoral use. Background 3. Djibouti's education indicators are among the lowest in the world with primary gross enrollment under 40 percent and basic education enrollment under 29 percent (primary plus lower secondary). With the arrival of the new Government in 1999, the MOE undertook a fundamental review of Djibouti's education system with a view to achieving universal access to basic education and making it more responsive to the country's development needs. 4. The Government used a consultative process to develop its education reform proposals and convened a National Education Forum in December 1999, bringing together the stakeholders of civil society and the Government. The Government then outlined a long-term perspective plan (Plan Directeur) and a medium- term investment framework (Plan d'action). These were presented to donors at a round-table in Djibouti held in October, 2000 and received full backing and pledges of support. 5. The International Development Association (IDA) and other donors supported the process of reform and worked closely with the Govermment at all stages. On December 19, 2000, IDA's Board approved a three- phase ten-year APL to support part of the Government's ambitious plans. 6. Djibouti's curriculum is mainly based on the French education system and is not relevant to Djibouti's needs. The Government participated in the Education for All Conference in Dakar, and established a National Education Forum which recommended changes to the education law, which were codified into a new law adopted in August 2000. Following this change, the education system was restructured and Djibouti moved from a six-year compulsory primary school system to a nine-year compulsory basic education system which consolidated the primary and basic education cycles in order to meet the target set for basic education for all. Current Issues 7. The Djibouti education and training system faces serious issues. They can be grouped into five categones: Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note ii (a.) Access: 73 percent of basic school age population was out of school in 1999/2000. With Djibouti's rapid demographic growth, this issue will be exacerbated if no corrective action is taken. (b.) Equity: There are two key dimensions: (a) socio-economically advantaged students reach the higher rung on the education ladder - this is a particularly serious issue at the tertiary level, given the high level of public subsidies for overseas studies; and (b) there is an enrollment gender gap at all levels, with enrollments being lower for female students. To reduce inequity, special attention must be paid to the factors which discourage girls and those from poorer households from going to school. (c.) Quality of learning is weak. Key reasons are: (a) insufficient number of teachers and archaic pedagogic methods; (b) insufficient number of textbooks and learning materials; and (c) rigid implementation of French-based curriculum, which is ill adapted to local conditions. (d.) Internal efficiency: there are high repetition and dropout rates. Key reasons are: (a) quality issues as described above; (b) competitive entrance examinations at the end of primary and lower secondary levels; and (c) dropout of girls due to social pressures. (e.) Fiscal sustainability: the Government allocates about 16 percent of the budget to education and education expenditures are executed faster than other sectors ending up at 20 percent of actual expenditures (5.8 percent of GDP). The Government's current resources are not sufficient to increase access or improve quality. The Government has made a commitment to increase education's share of expenditures by reallocating from other areas, but it will not be able to increase its total expenditures. Government Strategy 8. The Government's 10-year strategy covers the broad range of education activities, divided into seven areas of intervention.' More significantly, each area is planned to be affected along four strategic axes aiming at improving, respectively: (a) access and equity; (b) quality; (c) institutional and management capacity to carry out the reforms; and (d) diversification and rationalization of resource allocations. (a.) Access and equity: The Government's strategy has a target of increasing primary school enrollments to over 90 percent in 10 years. The strategy aims at absorbing all primary school graduates in lower secondary schools, eventually increasing the overall enrollment rate for basic education (primary and lower secondary) to 70 percent by 2010. The means used to achieve the above are: (i) rationalization of school mapping, taking into account the capacity needs of school districts in order to address geographic access issues (rural districts); (ii) construction and rehabilitation of new schools and classrooms; (iii) maintaining the policy of double shifting to maximize the use of existing facilities; and (iv) increasing the role of private education. As for gender and socio-economic disparities, the Government lists their reduction as important, but most activities financed under the Action Plan are timid. (b.) Quality: The Government proposes to improve quality through four sets of interventions: (i) curriculum reform; (ii) textbook policy; (iii) teacher training; and (iv) evaluations. These are: (a) basic education, (b) secondary education, (c) higher education, (d) teaching of Arabic, (e) literacy training, (f) physical education and (g) institutional and management capacity. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note lu (c.) Institutional capacity: the weaknesses identified above are to be addressed through the (i) increased decentralization of decision-making by setting up reform implementation committees at the national, district and school levels; (ii) improvement of the organization, planning, management and evaluation capacities of the education system; and (iii) strengthening of the management and supervision functions of MOE staff. (d.) Diversification and rationalization of resource allocations: The Government aims to control the increase in recurrent costs that would result from these reforms by: (i) decreasing scholarship costs for higher education; and (ii) increasing system efficiency by reducing repetitions and dropouts. It will also increase resources allocated to education by augmenting its own contribution to education, seeking alternative sources of financing, and by tapping foreign donors. Alternative sources of financing will be sought from the private sector and from community participation. Issues for Reflection 9. There are three dimensions which have not been fully incorporated into the design of the Government's strategy. The first is that of demand for education. Although the critical factors in Djibouti's low enrollment rates are related to insufficient capacity or supply, little is known about the demand for schooling in the country. The second dimension is related to Djibouti's economy and potential sources of growth. The country has very few natural resources, and its growth strategy depends on its human resources and exploiting its strategic location, i.e., the port serving the region and other economic strengths, e.g., a good quality banking system. The third dimension is related to school dropouts (past and present) and refugees. Both groups are great in number and have a significant impact on Djibouti's potential growth. Recommendations DEMAND Priority: Conduct a study on the factors affecting family incentives to send their children to school, especially school attendance by girls, for each education level (including vocationalltechnical education). QUALITY and Priority: Conduct a study on the factors affecting the quality of education, such as the existing RELEVANCE teaching methods, teacher-student contact hours, qualifications of teachers, and how to approach teacher standards for the rural areas (i.e., decreasing the qualifications required to teach the first two years of primary school in rural areas as a pilot action). Priority: Review the adaptability of the curricula to local context, at both basic and secondary levels. International literature should be reviewed for lessons learned and possible applicability. Education authorities may also wish to consider experimenting with local languages of instruction during the early years of basic schooling. Priority: Review the social demand for higher education, undertake a study on the economic return for the investment in the sector, review alternatives to university education in Djibouti, the impact of and benefits from remittances, and analyze the existing employment opportunities for university graduates in-country. Develop strategies to limit the existing disconnect between the curriculum being implemented and the textbooks needed to fulfill the curriculum (especially for the lower and upper secondary levels), and the progression which needs to take place from the primary to the secondary level. EQUITY Priority: Review gender equity issues which will require sound measures to be implemented in order to have a satisfactory impact. Several areas should be reviewed, namely whether more female instructors are needed in both basic and secondary education to attract more females into school; educating mothers through adult literacy programs, and the language of adult literacy instruction; disseminating information as to career choices available to women; and scholarships to incite female enrollment (especially in the rural areas) - scholarship amounts, family targeting, and modalities would be addressed by the study. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note iv FINANCING Priority: Review recurrent cost issues over the long term due to increased access, teacher training costs, textbooks, school equipment, maintenance of schools, sanitation services, etc. Increase role of the private sector given the insufficient amount of recurrent budget and limited investment budget available to the MoE over the long-term. Facilitate a thorough discussion on higher education and alternative delivery modes (e.g., regional cooperation, distance learning); review elements of financing (cost-recovery, obligation of students sent abroad to either return or send remittances during a certain period of time). Review the sustainability of the CFPEN and CRIPEN over the long term (administration, resource allocation, planning functions, organization & management of education activities) in the event external financing decreases. Future Considerations * Demand for education by the different groups of refugees presently residing in the country, acceleration of the provision of social services, and basic education adapted to refugee conditions. * Scholarship programs, and cost-effective means to implement the program, especially for the poorer families. * Review of the vocational training program, the rationale for reform, a study on the linkages with the economic environment and international best practice in the sector. * The adult literacy strategy needs to be reviewed, namely the beneficiary population, implementation of cost-effective training methodologies, language of instruction, and review of international best practice materials as a guide for the strategy. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 1 I. INTRODUCTION 1. In September 1999, the Government of Djibouti embarked on an in-depth reflection on the challenges facing its education sector, and it requested assistance from IDA and others to strengthen its education system. This reflection culminated in the Donor Round Table, held in Djibouti from October 9 to 11, 2000, with the presentation of the Government's education reform program to 2010. An IDA project, which is the first project to support the education sector since 1990, was approved by the World Bank's Board on December 18, 2000. Both the Government's reform program and the IDA project based certain of their actions on a series of background studies prepared under a Norwegian Trust Fund grant (box 1). Box 1: Background Studies These background studies are: Study #1 (Institutional Audit of the MOE) made several recommendations regarding the reorganization of the MOE and delegating some of the decision-making processes to the districts. Study #2 (feasibility of local production of textbooks) underlined the lack of textbooks and their inadequacy to the local environment, and made remedial recommendations for privatizing the production of textbooks. Study #3 (costs and financing) recommended, among others, budget decentralization. Study #4 (factors affecting teacher motivation) outlined the serious impact on motivation by lack of, or delays in, teacher payments and inputs which would motivate teacher performance through access to guides and textbooks, school equipment, less classroom crowding, and training. Study #5 (employment outcomes of technical school graduates) dealt with the fact that one out of five graduates finds gainful employment. Study #6 (factors affecting primary school achievement) highlighted the lack of availability of textbooks for home use, the economic status of each family, the penalties imposed upon repeaters, and speaking the language of instruction within the home. Study #7 (role of the private sector) was undertaken in October 2000, and completed in April 2001. Study #8 (community participation) has now been undertaken by the Planning Department of the MOE. A ninth study, on the revision of curricula for Arabic language studies, was undertaken in support of the Government's National Education Forum. 2. The School Access and Improvement Project is financed under an Adaptable Program Lending (APL), which was selected as the best instrument to respond to the Government's long-term strategy. The present strategy note sets the framework for long-term IDA support for the Government's reform program, particularly through phases II and 11I of the APL. 3. This strategy note is broken down as follows: a brief country background (section II), a description of the main characteristics of the education system (section II), key issues (section IV), the Government's strategy (section V), and proposed donor support (section VI). Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 2 II. COUNTRY BACKGROUND 4. Djibouti was under French colonial rule from March 1862 until its independence on June 27, 1977. Shortly thereafter, Djibouti became a member of the United Nations, the Organization for African Unity and the Arab League. Its brief history has been turbulent and marked by civil strife and spillover wars from neighboring countries. 5. Djibouti's population was estimated at 700,000 in 2000, and had an estimated annual population growth rate at 2.8 percent. It is situated in the Horn of Africa, surrounded by Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and the Red Sea. Djibouti is considered a city-state, covering 23,000 square km. The population is more than 70 percent urban, with more than 60 percent living in the capital. The official languages are Arabic and French; two other languages are also widely spoken (Afar and Somali). The country comprises five administrative districts: Djibouti, Ali Sabieh, Dikhil, Tadjoura and Obock. Hot and humid, the annual average temperature is about 320 C (900 F), and from June to August, the extreme heat can reach 450 C. 6. Seventy percent of Djibouti's gross domestic product (GDP) is provided by the service sector, and the country acts as a regional service center for the Horn of Africa, providing port and transport services for Ethiopia and banking services for Ethiopia and northern Somalia. Most of the land is volcanic, and Djibouti has no economically significant mineral deposits or energy resources. Agriculture only represents 3 percent of GDP. Djibouti's assets are its strategic location, its natural harbor and associated infrastructure, and its access to relatively rich fishing waters. 7. Djibouti's economy is facing a crisis. It has stagnated for the last 15 years, with negative growth during most of the 1990s. The situation deteriorated in 1991 as the economy experienced a series of exogenous shocks, namely: (a) a sharp inflow of refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia; (b) the 1992-94 armed conflict between the Front pour la Restauration de I'UnitW et de la Dgmocratie (FRUD) and the Government; (c) increased competition from Eritrea in providing transport services to the region; and (d) sharp declines in external assistance (a 58 percent drop from 1993 to 1999). As a result, Djibouti's per capita GDP has declined by 50 percent in real terms since 1985. It stands at a relatively high level (nominal per capita income of US$790 versus US$510 for Sub-Saharan Africa, US$320 for Yemen and US$110 for Ethiopia), but the economy currently faces an unemployment rate of over 60 percent. Poverty is also severe, as the Bank's 1997 Poverty Assessment2 indicates that at least 45 percent of the population is poor (higher when refugees, nomads and homeless are taken into account), and 10 percent extremely poor. 8. In an attempt to build on its relative strengths and reverse the negative economic and social trends, the Government started implementing a stabilization and structural reform program with the support of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) stand-by arrangement (1996-98) and with a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (1999-2003). The structural reforms include: a reduction in the public sector wage-bill; fiscal measures to improve revenues; commercialization and privatization of some of the major infrastructure services; and removing impediments to private investment. 9. The resulting civil service wage freezes have reduced the public sector wage bill by 30 to 40 percent in real terms. In addition, the Government owes substantial arrears to private suppliers and vendors, as well as to civil servants' pension funds. The French Government, historically the main donor, has been progressively pulling back, as have other major donors - Japan, Italy, African Development Bank. There has been a 58 percent drop in total external assistance between 1993 and 1999, less in the education sector 2 Djibouti: Crossroads of the Horn of Africa. Poverty Assessment, World Bank, 1999. The study is based on 1996 data. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 3 (42 percent). In the latter, the last two IDA-supported projects, the Education Project and the Manpower and Education Development Project, closed in 1992 and 1996, respectively. Djibouti began receiving support from Arab donors in the mid-1990s, and from the African Development Bank in 1997. 10. The poverty situation is exacerbated by the presence of a high number of refugees from neighboring countries (28 percent of the total population), who also tax the already over-stretched capacity of social services. Djibouti has one of the poorest sets of social indicators in the world. It ranks 157h among 174 countries on UNDP's Human Development Index. Illiteracy stands at 37 percent of the population aged 15 and over, and enrollment rates at the primary level are among the lowest in the world. 11. AIDS and tuberculosis have reached catastrophic proportions, and infant and maternal mortality are high. The latter (740 deaths per 100,000 live births) can be largely attributed to high fertility rates, anemia caused by malnutrition, and the widespread practice of female circumcision. The health infrastructure is nearly overwhelmed. Finally, the consumption of the legal drug khat also has a negative social impact (box 2). Box 2: Khat As in Yemen, khat consumption is deeply embedded in Djiboutian society- with an estimated 80 percent of the male population consuming an average of 10 tons of khat per day. The drug is legal, and is sold by private traders. A 1996 poverty study3 reveals that khat is used by many young people as a means to overcome hunger and to simply pass time in the afternoon hours when unemployed. Khat consumption is a social activity which can stretch over several hours - starting in the afternoons and stretching into the evenings.4 While precise figures are not available, it is estimated that khat absorbs up to 30 percent of family budgets. Long-term use of khat has been shown in other countries to be associated with mouth cancer and other health problems, including child malnutrition and mortality. 3Etude Participative de la Pauvret i Djibouti; World Bank, 1996. 4 Education in Djibouti, by Saba Bokhari, World Bank consultant report, May 1997. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 4 III. THE EDUCATION SYSTEM Structure and Management 12. Until August 2000, primary schools offered six grades, lower secondary schools offered four, and upper secondary schools two, three or four grades, depending on the nature of the school. (see Annexes la and lb). Only the first 6 years of primary education were compulsory, and transition from one level to the next was controlled by a competitive examination called "admissions examination into 6h level." Students who successfully completed lower secondary school obtained the Brevet d'Enseignement Fondamental (BEF). The new Education Law was approved by Parliament in August 2000. Among others actions, the law planned for a reorganized system of nine compulsory years of basic education (enseignement fondamental): 5 years of primary education followed by 4 years of lower secondary education. Box 3 summarizes the key elements of the new law. Box 3: The New Education Law (August 2000) The new law provides for: (a) guaranteed education for all children 6-16 years old; (b) increased teaching of Arabic in the curriculum and eventually instruction in Afar and Somali, while maintaining French as the main medium of instruction; (c) improved quality of education through a variety of measures; (d) the inclusion of parents and students in school management committees; (e) increased length of compulsory education from 6 to 9 years; (f) replacement of the competitive examination at the end of the lower secondary (or middle school) level with an assessment test; and (g) public financial support to private provision of education at all levels of education. 13. Vocational and technical education (VTE) is comprised of a small but very diverse set of establishments, where students can complete one of two degrees: the Brevet d'Etudes Professionnelles (BEP) or the "Bac Pro." As for post secondary education, only two types of degree have been provided locally until recently: preparation for the Brevet de Technicien Supgrieur (BTS) in the lycle, and teacher training at the Centre de Formation du Personnel de l'Education Nationale (CFPEN, see box 4). Other fields at the post-secondary level were only possible overseas. Education research is carried out by the Centre de Recherche, d'Information et de Production de l'Education Nationale (CRIPEN), under the MOE. Finally, the private sector comprises 13 'registered' and 113 'unregistered' schools, which offer classes and test preparation courses at all levels.5 Enrollments in private schools are marginal, however, as they represented only six percent of the total in 1999/2000. 14. Education and training are under the responsibility of the MOE, though some vocational training for secondary school dropouts is offered by the Ministry of Vocational Training and Labor. Under the guidance of the Minister, the MOE is headed by the Director General of Education (DGEN), who is responsible for coordinating all activities, including donor financing. A recent institutional audit 7 revealed that the MOE is over-centralized and generally weak, with many key units not working at full capacity8 (see Annex 2 for the MOE organizational chart). 5 'Registered' private schools are those where teachers' salaries are paid by the Government. 6 DGEN-Directeur Geniral de l'Education Nationale. 7 The MOE audit. Background Study No.1 was done in August 2000, by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC). 8The DGEN, in turn, is supported by the Planning Unit which is responsible for preparing statistical reports on the education sector, conducting surveys, and school mapping exercises. The Project Unit (Bureau d'Exicution des Projets Education - BEPE), working under the DGEN, is responsible for the procurement activities and financial management of donor-funded projects. The BEPE works in coordination with the Department of Housing, and Urban Development (D6partement de l'Habitat, de l'Urbanisme, et de I Am6nagement du Territoire - DHU), for school construction activities. The selection of sites and the preparation of architectural plans and bidding documents are carned out by BEPE and cleared with DHU. DHU approves and is responsible for supervising works with BEPE collaboration for school construction activities. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 5 15. At the school level, the roles and responsibilities of school principals vary with the type of school they manage. With respect to budgetary decisions, most primary school principals do not have decision- making power over their budgets, whereas the principals of 4tablissements scolaires (mostly lower and upper secondary schools) have joint decision making powers over budgets with the MOE representative in their district. In most schools with no independent budgetary power, the principal is only a manager of school personnel - teachers and maintenance staff- in the others, the school board discusses and recommends a budget, which then needs the principal's approval to be executed. Students, Schools, Teachers 16. Students. Student distribution by education level is summarized in table 1. Primary enrollment rates are among the lowest in the world, and there is a sizeable gender differential at all levels (table 2). While there are primary schools throughout the country, most of the 19 secondary schools are located in Djibouti- ville, in particular, the one public upper secondary school (Lyce d'Etat),and one of the 2 vocational training (VT) schools (Lycge Industriel et Commercial).9 This helps explain the different evolutions of enrollments at these two levels in the 1990s. While secondary enrollments grew by nearly 7 percent annually between 1990-91 and 1999-2000, primary enrollments only grew by an average 2 percent during the same period. This can be explained by the civil war, which forced most schools to close in the North until 1994/95. Table 1: Enrolments, by Education Level, 1999/2000 Male Female Total Primary 21,790 15,650 37,440 % of total 58.2 41.8 100.0 Lower Secondary 6,350 4,150 10,500 % of total 60.5 39.5 100.0 Upper Secondary 310 160 470 % of total 66.0 34.0 100.0 Higher N/a n/a 1,150(*) Total (excluding Higher) 28,452 19,961 48,410 % of total 59.0 41.0 100.0 Source: Annuaire Statistique, Ministry of Education, Republic of Djibouti, 1999-2000 (*) Note: 1,150 = 190 in Djibouti + 960 overseas Table 2: Gross Enrollment Rates (1997) Djibouti Yemen Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia MENA* SSA* LMI* 1. Primary 38.6 70.2 101.1 53.4 42.9 92.2 69.3 101 2. Secondary 14.2 34.4 78.3 20.2 12.3 60 28.2 64.4 Ratio 2:1 0.37 0.49 0.77 1 0.38 0.29 0.65 0.42 0.64 * MENA: Middle East and North Africa, SSA: Sub-Saharan Africa, LMI: Low Middle Income. Source: World Bank, SMA database 17. The 1996 Household Survey 10 reveals high percentages of school age children who have never been enrolled or are no longer in school: from a high of 62 percent of six-year olds (this is consistent with a near total absence of a pre-schooling system, as only 172 students were enrolled at that level in 1999-2000) to a low of 14 percent of ten-year olds (figure 1). 9 The Lycge d'Enseignement Professionnel is located in Ali Sabieh. 10 Etude Djiboutienne Auprs des Mgnages (EDAM)CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 6 Figure 1: School Participation, ages 6 through 14, 1996 School Participation, by age, 1996 14 12 g Currently in school 0 0 No longer enrolled 010 0 Never enrolled 8 6 0% 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 %%%%%00%%%%% Source: Etude Djiboutienne Aupr s des Minages (EDAM)CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999. 18. Figure 2, which shows the never enrolled population, is broken down by gender, and is expressed as a percentage of the population within a ten-year age group. Overall, the trends show that most adults between 20 and 49 years of age have never been in school, with women outnumbering men nearly two to one in the 20 to 39 age group. Among the 13 to 19 age group, this gender gap disappears, but as girls' primary school enrollment rates are lower than those of boys, this suggests higher dropout rates for girls. The higher percentage value of 13 to 19 year olds can be explained by the civil war and external strife, accompanied by the influx of refugees, whose children usually do not attend school." Figure 2: Percentage of the population who has never been enrolled, by age group and gender, 1996 120 8cD S 6 10 50. 40-49 30-39 20-29 13-19 Age group Source: Etude Djiboutienne Auprs des Mgnages (EDAM)CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999. 19. Schools and facilities. Under the MOE, public education comprises 64 primary schools (.coles primaires), 10 lower secondary schools (collWges), and three upper secondary schools (two lyc9es techniques and one lyc9e) (table 3). " Only Djibouti nationals are officially allowed to attend public schools. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 7 Table 3: Number of Public Schools, 1999/2000 Lower Upper Secondary Secondary Total 64 10 3 Djibouti 27 5 2 Djibouti District 8 1 0 Ali Sabieh District 8 1 1 Dikhil District 7 1 0 Tadjourah District 11 1 0 Obock District 3 1 0 1/Excluding the city of Djibouti One vocational school is located in Djibouti-Ville Source: Annuaire Statistique, Djibouti 2000. 20. School capacity is insufficient to satisfy the needs of Djibouti's growing population. The natural rate of population growth is 2.4 percent, and more than half of the total population is under 25 years of age. This shortfall in school capacity has provided the rationale for the official policy of selectivity, and the imposition of a competitive examination to enter 60' grade. In 2000, some 2,400 students repeated the 5, grade (representing one third of total enrollments in that grade), because they failed the highly competitive entrance requirements into 6h grade.2 21. Teachers and principals. The total number of teachers (including expatriates) by education level is summarized in table 4. At the primary level teachers fall into three categories: fully trained and certified teachers (63 percent of the total), those who have undergone training but are not certified (28 percent), and substitute teachers (9 percent), some of whom may have received no formal training at all. In 1999-2000, only 30 percent of teachers at the primary level were women, and only 20 percent at the secondary level.'3 Table 4: Number of Teachers by Education Level, 1998/99 and 1999/00 Academic Year 98/99 Academic Year 99/00 Primary 1072 1108 Lower Secondary 294 323 Upper Secondary School 110 128 Vocational" 111 119 Source: Annuaire Statistique, MEN, Djibouti 2000 22. Although Djibouti has historically been heavily dependent on external technical assistance to provide teaching staff, the number of Djibouti nationals equals more than four times the number of expatriate staff. Teacher training is currently undertaken by the CFPEN (box 4), and Government strategy includes plans to gradually replace most expatriate teaching staff with competent Djibouti nationals. 12 As mentioned earlier, the August 2000 reform has eliminated this barrier at entry into 6 grade, and requires nine mandatory years of education for all. 13 Annuaire Statistique, MEN, Djibouti 2000 14 Vocational: LEP, and LIC (excluding enseignement Prof Et M6nager) Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 8 Box 4: Teacher Training Teacher selection occurs through a competitive examination. Recruitment of teachers for the primary level is done at the BAC level with one year at the teacher training school (CFPEN), or at the BEPC level with two years of teacher training. For the lower and upper secondary level, teachers are required to have at least the DEUG (a university degree of two years) in either mathematics or French. Teacher training for that level lasts 2 years. Theory and applied teaching techniques are broken into three stages: in the first stage the trainee simply observes for a duration of one week; the second stage is of a two-week duration and assigns some degree of responsibility to the trainee, the third and final stage lasts three weeks and gives total responsibility to the trainee. Once the students have completed their training at the CFPEN, they take a final exam called Certificat de Fin d'Etudes Normaliennes (CFEN) for the Baccalaureat holders, or Certificat El9mentaire de Fin d'Etudes Normaliennes (CEFEN) for the holders of the BEPC. No repetition is allowed at these exams, for which the success rate is greater than 90 percent. Students who pass these exams successfully are appointed as teacher trainees and benefit from further training during their employment. Costs and Finance 23. In 2000, 14.3 percent of the national budget was allocated to the MOE. In the 2000 MOE budget, salary payments covered only 65 percent of the total recurrent education expenditure (figure 3). This relatively low share can be explained by the high cost of tertiary education scholarships for overseas studies." At the primary and secondary levels combined, salaries represented 90 percent of total recurrent expenditures. Subsidies to the private sector (in the form of teacher salaries) represented 3 percent of the 2000 expenditure. Figure 3: Alocation of Education Budget, 1998 to 2000 Allocation of Education Budget 100 90 80 70 ESalaries 650 .ENon-Salaries 40 OScholarships 30Private Education 20 10 0 1998 1999 2000 Year Source: Schima Directeur, Ministry of Education, October 2000 24. The distribution of educational expenditure by level is summarized in Figure 4. Tertiary education represents nearly 25 percent of total spending.16 1s In 1999-2000, there were 963 students overseas, costing US$6 million. This is nearly double the number of overseas students in 1996. 16 The Comptes Difinitifs du Budget provides (actual) expenditure lines for basic education (primary and lower secondary school) and upper secondary school, but does not separate primary from lower secondary school. The following method was used to estimate the separate expenditures. First, basic education operations and maintenance and teaching material expenditures were divided according to the share of basic education students enrolled in primary and lower secondary school (78 and 22 percent, respectively). Second, salary and aide au logemeni expenditures were divided according to the share of teachers at each level and their qualifications (see annex for details). The results show that approximately one-fourth of education expenditures are targeted at each level, with slightly more for lower secondary school than for primary. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 9 Figure 4: Recurrent Education Expenditure, by Level, 1998/99 Tertiary 23% Primary - 27% Upper Lower Secondary Secondary 20% 30% Source: Comptes Djifnitifs du Budget, Dgpenses Rialisies, 1998/99, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Republic of Djibouti. 25. These enrollment and expenditure patterns reveal sharply higher unit costs for students in upper secondary school and post-secondary education than for those at the primary or lower secondary levels. In many countries, unit costs for secondary education are on par with those for primary education. And while unit costs for higher education are often significantly higher than those for primary education (e.g., twice as high in OECD countries), unit costs for higher education in Djibouti are nearly 31 times higher than those for primary education (figure 5). This can be explained by the absence of a local university and the fact that students pursue their studies overseas, mostly in France", though this has changed in the last year (2000/01) with the new courses being offered at the Pole Universitaire which limits the number of students going overseas for the first two years of a university program. This should reduce the demand for overseas scholarships financed by the Government as it will reduce the number of overseas student years needed for a degree. Figure 5: Unit Cost by Education Level, Djibouti, 1998 Unit Cost 1998-99 -500 U Lower Secondary SOD 0 Upper Secondary 400 DTertiary 10 Education Level Source: Comptes Difinitifs du Budget, Dipenses Ralises, 1998/99, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Republic of Djibouti. 17 Due to the lack of data, students in the BTS program have not been included in the calculations. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 10 IV. ISSUES 26. Djibouti's education system faces serious challenges; these are grouped below under five headings: (a) access; (b) equity; (c) quality and relevance; (d) institutional capacity and management; and (e) fiscal sustainability. This section also draws upon the six background studies which were carried out under the financing of a Norwegian Trust Fund towards the preparation of the Government's 10-year strategy. Access 27. A key issue is access to education at all levels. As mentioned earlier, the majority of the school age population is not enrolled (73.2 percent of the basic school age population was out of school in 1999/2000). Djibouti's primary gross enrollment rate (GER) is 39 percent (44 percent for boys and 32 percent for girls), which is less than half of the 85 percent average GER for Sub-Saharan Africa and the 95 percent GER in the Middle East and North Africa region. This is even more surprising when one considers that Djibouti's population is more than 70 percent urban, with over 60 percent living in one city. With the use of double shifting, most classrooms are in use at 90 percent of available school hours.'8 28. As an indicative measure, demand for education in urban areas far outstrips supply. This suggests insufficient capacity to welcome the school age population, in terms of both teachers and classrooms. If no corrective action is taken, this dramatic capacity shortage will only be exacerbated by the projected population growth (figure 6). In addition, insufficient capacity is compounded by the lack of facilities such as cafeterias, dormitories and sanitation (table 5). While the real need for dormitories and cafeterias is circumstantial, sanitation deficiencies are always critical. In most districts, only 17 percent of schools have toilet facilities. When facilities do exist, they are often unusable, and thereby increase difficulties associated with the school experience. The absence or disrepair of sanitary facilities creates additional obstacles to the enrollment of girls, and contributes to the enrollment gender gap (see Annex 3 for information on all districts). Figure 6: Projected School Age Population, 2000-2030, Djibouti 000's Projected School Age Population 140 - 120 - 110 - 100 --a- Ages 5-10 70 60 - 50 40 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 years Data source: UN Population Division, 1999. 1 It is not clear what happens during the other 10 percent of the time. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 11 Table 5: Percentage of primary schools with facilities, Djibouti and Obock districts, 1999/2000 Percentage of Schools with the following facilities Districts Reading Rooms Toilets Access to Water Cafeteria Dormitory within 500m Djibouti Ville 36% 96% 96% 0% 0% Obock 17% 17% 83% 10% 50% Source: Annex 3 Table 2. 29. An in-depth analysis would need to be undertaken regarding the issue of education demand. Although the critical factors in Djibouti's low enrollment rates are related to insufficient capacity or supply, little is known about the demand for schooling in the country: a solid study has not been undertaken on the subject to date. Djibouti's economy has a number of unusual features - e.g., the high share of the services sector in GDP, primarily revolving around the port, economic role of the French military presence, importance of smuggling in the "informal" sector, high level of khat imports, socio-economic consequences of massive khat consumption, and high numbers of refugees and nomads, to name the most prominent. As a result, it is difficult to extrapolate to Djibouti what is known about other countries in a similar socio- economic state. As discussed later in this section, some qualitative conclusions are available, mainly the factors affecting girls' enrollments; however, additional work is needed to better understand the issue at hand. 30. Private schools enrolled only six percent of students in 1999/2000; in the short-term, therefore, the private sector capacity can only marginally contribute to the improvement of educational access. Equity 31. There are two dimensions to equity issues: socio-economic and gender. On the first point, there is anecdotal and statistical evidence that the higher the socio-economic background a child has, the more likely (s)he will be to attain a higher educational level. This is most pronounced at the tertiary level, where subsidies for overseas education resulted until recently in 24 percent of the total recurrent expenditure to be devoted to that level (para. 23 - 24). 32. On the other hand, a gender gap exists at all education levels. Enrollment rates are lower for girls, with a greater gap at the primary level (figure 7). Furthermore, analytical evidence suggests that the gender gap is relatively more pronounced than socio-economic inequities, and more consistent throughout educational levels. As the same reasons exist for girls to drop out throughout the system, the gap will widen as enrollment levels increase, at least in absolute terms. Figure 7: Gross Enrollment Ratios by Education Level and by Gender, 99/00 G ER by Education Level and Gender 40% 35% 30% -25% j20%Male 10% GE 5% Prim ary Lower Upper secondary secondary Education Level Source: Annuaire Statistique, MEN, Djibouti 2000, et UNDP projections. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 12 33. Figure 8 displays net enrollment rates, by gender, area and socio-economic group.9 It reveals no significant urban/rural split, but a slight gender gap. It also suggests a stronger correlation between family income and school enrollments for boys than for girls, particularly in rural areas. As expected, the highest quintile of the population has the highest enrollment rates, both in rural and in urban areas. Figure 8: Primary NER, by gender, area, and welfare quintile, 1999 90 80 EFRural Male 70 6Rural Female S60 O]Urban Male 50 DUrban Female 40 30 1 (poorest) 2 3 4 5 (richest) Welfare quintile Source: Etude Djiboutienne auprs des Minages (EDAM) CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999. 34. Figures 9 and 10 summarize the reasons for not attending school. The main contributing factors to low enrollment rates appear to be exam failures and family poverty. The need to find a job, or to help in domestic chores and/or household income-generating activities prevents many school age children from attending school. Poverty affects gender differently as girls' responsibilities are more oriented towards household tasks. The high exam failure between education levels, and high repetition rates are also causes of lower enrollment: for every year repeated, students have a greater chance of being cast out from the education system as a whole.20 Figure 9: Reasons for no longer attending or not attending school, age 10-24, poorest and richest quintile Graduated with a Diploma Reason. Sickness unabled attendance Had to find a paid job Had to help with domestic chores School was too far away Had no money Insufficient level to be accepted Too young to attend Did not learn anything useful Decided not to attend, too difficult, failed exams 0 5 1 15 20 25 Source: Etude Djiboutienne Aupras des Minages (EDAM)CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999.21 '9 As the sample was small, particularly in rural areas, some of the results should be treated with caution. For example there is no apparent explanation for rural males to display the highest NERs across socio-economic groups. Factors Affecting Primary Level Student Performance, UNICEF and CRIPEN, 2000 May 1999.20 21 N.B. These figures exclude 'non-determined', and 'other' answers Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 13 35. Overall, there are no great differences between quintiles in terms of reasons given in not attending school or dropping out of school. The only major differences between the two groups related to helping in domestic chores and having to find paid employment, which was emphasized by the poorest quintile as being important reasons. Having a diploma is stated as a stronger justification for leaving school for the richest quintile, rather than the poorest quintile. Figure 10: Reasons for no longer attending or not attending school, age 10-24, by gender Graduated with a Diploma WFMLE Sickness unabled aliendance Had to find a paldjob Had to help with domestic chores School was too for away Had no money Insufficient level to be accepted Too young to attend Did not learn anything useful Decided not to attend, too difficult, failed exams 0 5 10 IS 20 25 30 Source: Etude Djiboutienne Auprs des Mnages (EDAM)CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999.2 36. Given the above, the three main findings for girls not enrolling in or dropping out of school are: (a) classes were too difficult and/or examinations failed; (b) insufficient educational attainment to be enrolled; and (c) need to assist in domestic chores. As expected, the main difference noted between the two genders is the issue of having to stay home to perform domestic chores. The other findings (graduated with diploma, exam failure and insufficient level) are common to both male and female students. This illustrates the position of girls within households: educating girls is not a priority for the families, whereas household duties are. 37. The findings on low enrollment are the same across welfare quintiles, though enrollment rates increase with the welfare level. The differences in low enrollment are mainly gender related. The gender gap will continue to widen in absolute terms, if this issue is not addressed. 38. Finally, the fact that female teachers are a minority (30 percent at the primary, and 20 percent at the secondary levels) may discourage enrollment of girls by some families, especially those families with an anchored traditional background. In addition, with time, an even lower share of female teachers at the secondary levels will in fact exacerbate this effect. Quality and Relevance 39. The quality of learning leaves a lot to be desired and relates to the fact that formal education is a new concept to a traditionally nomadic society, and a new experience for many children. While many families have a general understanding about what takes place in a school, there has been very limited contact between school administrators and teachers on the one hand, and the population they wish to serve on the 22 N.B. These figures exclude 'non-determined', and 'other' answers Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 14 other.23 However, with a 39 percent adult illiteracy rate, many parents are unable to participate directly in the educational development of their children, outside of providing material and moral support. 40. A formal assessment of the efficiency of the education sector was conducted in 1996. That assessment, combined with later MOE studies and IDA missions, identified the main quality issues. They can be grouped as follows: (a) number of teachers; (b) teaching quality; (c) learning materials; and (d) curriculum and learning contents. 41. Number of Teachers. The official student: teacher ratio for 1999/00 was 32:1 in primary, 33:1 in lower secondary, and 18:1 in upper secondary.5 Comparing these figures with the OECD's average of 42 students per teacher, as an example, the ratio would appear to be adequate. The actual ratio is estimated to be much higher, mainly because teachers face a number of serious disincentives to teach - late payment of salaries (sometimes up to five months in arrears), insufficient and/or inadequate textbooks and other teaching materials, lack of career plans, a poorly organized labor union,26 etc. As a result, teacher absenteeism is high, as is the number of teachers abandoning the teaching profession. The number of teachers decreased by 32 percent between 1997-98 and 1999-2000 (figure 11), while the number of primary school students increased by 3 percent during the same period. Figure 11: Evolution in Number of Teachers, Primary Level, 1990-2000 Number of Primary Teachers, 1990-2000 1600 OContractual 1200 Teachers 00 r e EAssistant Teachers 600 400 f terQualified Teachers 200 0 Year Source: Schema Directeur, Ministry of Education, October 2000. 42. As mentioned earlier, Djibouti relies exclusively on a highly selective teacher training institute (CFPEN) for the production of its certified teaching staff. Relative to the Horn of Africa, the level of Djiboutian teachers is qualitatively high, in part because of the requirements of the BAC or BEF to enter teacher training. However, this severely restricts the supply of teachers, as the CFPEN is unable to produce enough teachers per year to cover the needs of the educational system. A significant difference exists between the needed numbers of certified teachers and the numbers of teachers in training. On average, 100 teachers leave the profession every year (excluding retirements), while the CFPEN produces approximately 130 new teachers. This means that the number of new teachers is less than 30 per year, vastly insufficient to meet the country's rising demographic and pedagogic needs. 23 As recommended during the National Forum on Education, Dec. 1999, this may change as communities and parents become increasingly involved in school maintenance (see Section V). 24 SIMA Database, World Bank, Edstats, 1997 2 Annuaire Statistique, Djibouti 2000. 26 Education Action Plan, Schima Directeur, Plan d'Action de l'Education (2001/2005), MEN, Djibouti, September 2000. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 15 43. Teacher Training. The three-stage teacher training process offers several quality filters (see box 4). The quality of teaching is also enhanced through the French Technical Assistance, which provides highly qualified teachers from France. However, the training suffers from a paucity of textbooks and other teaching materials within the CFPEN, which makes it difficult for trainees to be adequately prepared to teach. Furthermore, the lack of in-service training over the course of a teacher's career impinges upon the teacher's ability to upgrade their skills and fill in the knowledge gaps. 44. Learning Materials. The number of textbooks available is insufficient. At the primary level, there is, on average, one textbook for every three students in French, and one for every 20 students in Mathematics. In other subjects, such as geography, history, art, religion and Arabic, there are no textbooks available at all. At the lower and upper secondary level, students on average have access to one book for every two courses. However, the CRIPEN budget does not allow the purchase of books for every student. A national publishing company exists, but has temporarily closed down due to the Government's inability to pay for its orders. 45. Each family is responsible for obtaining textbooks for their children. Textbooks are rented on a yearly basis. However, as each textbook must be returned at the end of the year, and are often in poor condition, teachers have encouraged their students to leave the books in the school to ensure longer shelf- life. However, this may have a negative effect on the student's ability to learn, especially as they are limited in doing their homework outside of the school. However, given the paucity of textbooks, the teacher usually requests that the students transcribe information given to them in notebooks which are used in lieu of textbooks, thus engaging scarce family resources in the purchase of additional notebooks and pens. 46. The quality of teaching is dependent on individual teachers, since the necessary teaching tools and materials are not usually provided for. However, teachers are supported by a teacher's guide (provided by CRIPEN), which is available to all teachers. The French Technical Assistance has financed the guides since 1993. Finally all classes have blackboards and chalk, although an adequate number of student desks are lacking. 47. Curriculum. Formal education is almost entirely in French; some limited instruction takes place in Arabic, while almost none is given in Afars or Somali, the mother tongues of most school children.27 The curriculum for the primary level was last redesigned by the CFPEN and the CRIPEN in 1993. The curriculum is based on the French system, although it offers a version of history and geography courses which are more relevant to the region. On the other hand, the lower and upper secondary curricula strictly follow the French curriculum. The programs are updated systematically with every educational reform in France. The alignment of Djibouti's curricula with those of France is problematic, as students are expected to keep up with subjects while their families and schools cannot afford to buy the latest books incorporating curriculum reforms. 48. Since the curriculum for primary education is designed in-country, it becomes increasingly difficult for the students following this particular curriculum to later adapt to the more intensive curriculum of the secondary level, which was primarily developed for students in France. Because the content and interests of the curriculum for secondary education diverge from the primary curriculum, students have to make a difficult transition between 5th and 6t grade. This has also contributed to the bottleneck which existed for 6 h grade entry. 27 This is particularly significant in the case of Somali, which is also a written language. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 16 Efficiency 49. Internal Efficiency. The factors described above contribute to the system's low internal efficiency. Poor quality education does not prepare students adequately for the level required for the year end examinations.2 Repetition and dropout rates are significant and peak at the terminal years of each cycle because of a lack of space at the subsequent cycles. At the end of the primary cycle, about 40 percent of the students go on to lower secondary school, and later in the cycle only 40 percent pass into upper secondary school. 50. Because of the low pass rate, there are many repeaters, who have a greater chance of dropping out of the educational system for every year repeated. Until 2000, it took the average student 8.6 years to complete the six year primary cycle and 5.5 years to complete the four year lower secondary cycle. Compared to other countries in the region, these numbers may appear acceptable; but they contribute to overcrowding in the terminal grades, making it more difficult for new students to enter (figure 12). Figure 12: Repetition Rates by Grade and by Gender, 1999/2000 34 32 30 20 at18 1 64 12 10 8 12 10 En 12 -3 0 - V Cl CP CEI CE2 CM1 CM2 6e 5e 4e 3e 2nde lere Tale G ra de Source: Annuaire Staiistique, 1999/00, Service de la Planification, MEN. 51. Relevance and External Efficiency. The strict following of the French curriculum, particularly at the secondary level, is bound to have a negative impact on its socio-economic relevance for Djibouti. External efficiency, as reflected by employment rates, has only been measured for students exiting the VT stream.29 According to a MOE study,0 in that timeframe only 22.5 percent of students who have undergone VT have entered the labor force, 43.2 percent remain unemployed, and 34.3 percent have pursued their studies (table 6).' Table 6: Employment outcome for VT students who graduated in 1998 and 1999 Employed Unemployed Pursued Studies Total 22.5% 43.2% 34.3% 100% Source: LInsertion Professionnelle des Jeunes Sortis de l'Enseignement Technique et Professionnel (1998 and 1999), Ministry of National Education, Djibouti, June 2000. 28 Education in Djibouti, by Saba Bokhari, World Bank consultant report, May 1997 29 Information on external efficiency has been retrieved from L7nsertion Professionnelle des Jeunes Sortis de lEnseignement Technique et Professionnel (for academic years 1998 and 1999), MOE, Djibouti, June 2000 (background study No. 5). 3 A report assessing the level of employment in general education has been prepared in 2001 31 Globally for the 2 cohorts, 92 percent of graduates found employment within one year after graduation. The 22.5 percent rate represents a 27.7 percent employment rate for the 1998 graduates and 18.1 percent rate for the 1999 graduates. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 17 52. Students with the BTS have a considerably greater chance of being employed than those with the "Bac Pro," or BEP, which does not require the general Baccalaureat. The rate of employment of BTS students is 77 percent, compared with 20 percent for the "Bac Pro" graduates and 15 percent for the BEP graduates. Reasons for low external efficiency include inadequate curricula which do not reflect the needs of the labor market, and the low quality of VT teacher training. Other reasons, exogenous to the education and training system, include general macroeconomic conditions as well as the lower socio-economic groups of students entering the VT system. Institutional Capacity of the System 53. The education system in Djibouti has evolved historically from a small system designed primarily to cater to French expatriates stationed in Djibouti, to a system covering the whole country. As it evolved, the system has become highly centralized with all decisions, including personnel management, being handled from the center. Over time the School Inspectors, who are assigned by the District, have taken some day- to-day control over the primary schools but still personnel decisions are handled directly from the MOE. The morale of the teaching profession is poor in large part due to salary arrears. The MOE has two units responsible for quality - CFPEN and CRIPEN. The former is a teacher training institute which receives a significant amount of technical assistance from French cooperation, while the latter is responsible for producing (or selecting) books and teaching aids. These institutes are based on the French model, but they are dependent to a large extent on French technical assistance. Weaknesses have been identified in the administration, resource allocation, and planning functions of MOE staff, as well as in the organization and management of education activities. Costs and Finance 54. At the primary and the secondary levels, the share of teacher salaries is high with respect to total recurrent expenditures, though it has declined from 98 percent and 99 percent, respectively in 1998, to 88 percent for both levels in 2000 (table 7). As this ratio is still high, the issue of teacher pay in Djibouti warrants closer examination. Broadly speaking, teacher salaries have exercised two contradictory effects on the education budget: on the one hand salary freezes after the 1996 adjustment measures, payment arrears, and the fact that salaries of non-certified teachers are much lower than those of certified ones 32 - all have exercised a moderating (if not perverse) effect on educational expenditure. However, the nominal salary of an experienced (and certified) teacher is relatively high - 7 times the GDP per capita, much higher than the average 1.5 times the GDP per capita for OECD countries; this number is in line with Sub-Saharan countries," particularly Francophone Africa (in Anglophone Africa, the average ratio is 2 to 3 times). The relatively high salary in Djibouti is in line with the high formal standards expected of the teaching profession, which in turn may contribute to the scarcity of primary school teachers. Table 7: Share of Salaries in Recurrent Budgets, by Education Level (1998-2000) Education Level 1998 1999 2000 Primary 100,0 100,0 100,0 Salaries 97,8 94,5 88,3 Teaching Materials 2,2 5,5 11,7 Secondary 100,0 100,0 100,0 Salaries 98,9 93,9 88,2 Teaching Materials 1,1 6,1 11,8 Source: Annex 3 Table 7 32 Investing in Education, OECD, 2000 3 For primary school teachers the ratios are: Burundi: 8, Central African Republic: 8, Ethiopia: 11, Gambia: 4, Togo: 5. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 18 55. Non-salary recurrent costs are also insufficiently funded, as they represent only 12 percent of the total budget (vs. an OECD average of 20 percent).34 In the short term, donor financing is anticipated for books and pedagogic materials, but there is still a need for non-teacher costs to be financed by the Government. Table 8: Average Monthly Teacher Salary (US$) Primary Lower Secondary Upper Secondary Civil Servants 480 540 760 Contractuals 370 740 740 Average Annual Teacher Salary / GDP per Capita 1999/2000 Djibouti (99) 7.3 8.2 11.5 OECD (97) 1.0 1.4 1.7 Yemen (99) 3.5 3.5 3.5 Jordan (97) 2.1 3.4 7.8 Source: Schrna Directeur and Planning Service, Ministry of Education, 2000 56. Finally the issue of the high level of expenditure for overseas tertiary education needs to be mentioned here, as it poses three problems: (a) the unit cost per student is very high by regional standards; (b) the fact that these expenditures are fully subsidized by the Government makes them inequitable, since the higher socio-economic groups are more likely to benefit from the subsidy; and (c) very few graduates return to Djibouti; and among those who do not return, it is unclear if remittances are sent back, and the amount of such remittances.35 3 Source: OECD Education at a Glance 3s Numbers are not available, but this is stated in the Government's Schema Directeur et Plan d'Action (2000). Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 19 V. GOVERNMENT STRATEGY 57. The Government of Djibouti used a highly participatory three-step approach in the elaboration of its education reform program by convening a National Education Forum (Etats-Gindraux de l'Education) in December 1999 (Annex 4). The forum consulted representatives of all stakeholders, including NGOs and civil society (MOE officials, teachers, parents, students, members of Parliament and the general public), during the initial preparation of the Government strategy. During the National Education Forum, the Government commissioned background studies to help it design its national ten-year strategy (see box 1). The new Education Law set, among others items, the conditions for broadening participation in Djibouti's education system (see box 3). Finally a Sch6ma Directeur was produced in September 2000, leading to a Donors' Round Table in October 2000. The Schma Directeur outlined the Government's ten-year strategy in the sector, and detailed its proposed investment program for the first five years in an Action Plan. 58. As described in the Schma Directeur, the Government's ten-year strategy covers the broad range of education activities, divided into seven areas of intervention.36 More significantly, each area will focus on four strategic axes which will aim at improving: (a) access and equity; (b) quality; (c) institutional and management capacity to carry out the reforms; and (d) diversification and rationalization of resource allocations.37 The contents of the Schma Directeur are briefly summarized below under the four axes. A critical assessment follows in Section VI. Access and Equity 59. While the two themes are re-grouped under one heading, it does not diminish the emphasis placed on each one by the Government. While the reform program stresses the increase in enrollments (at all levels), it also addresses gender and socio-economic disparities, but to a lesser extent. 60. Increasing enrollments. The Government's strategy targets increasing primary school enrollments by over 90 percent in 10 years. The strategy aims at absorbing all primary school graduates in lower secondary schools, eventually increasing the overall enrollment rate for basic education (primary and lower secondary) to 70 percent by 2010. The recently enacted education reform will reduce wastage by converting the competitive examination at the end of the primary cycle to an assessment for entry to the lower secondary schools. Although the emphasis in the Five-Year Action Plan is on basic education, the strategy and Action Plan address issues at all levels, including tertiary education (with the creation of a local university38), vocational education, and adult education (including literacy training). In addition, the teaching of Arabic will be enhanced at all levels in an effort to be more integrated in the Arabo-Islamic world. 61. The means used to achieve the above are: 36 These are: (a) basic education, (b) secondary education, (c) higher education, (d) teaching of Arabic, (e) literacy training, (f) physical education and (g) institutional and management capacity. The order of these 4 themes has been modified to reflect issues in Section IV; the combination of 'access and equity' under one heading is consistent with the Government's presentation. 3 A high school in Djibouti-Ville is temporarily being rehabilitated as a university (POle Universitaire), and will be opened to students in September 2001. A university is planned to be built outside the city of Djibouti, and is funded by a private donation from the United Arab Emirates. In the short term, students eligible for university admission will spend the first two years in the P6le Universitaire and then proceed overseas to complete their education. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 20 (a) rationalization of school mapping, taking into account the capacity needs of school districts, in order to address geographic access issues (rural districts); (b) construction and rehabilitation of new schools and classrooms; (c) maintaining the policy of double shifting to maximize the use of existing facilities; and (d) increasing the role of private education. 62. With respect to the first two points, very specific measures (essentially in the form of the construction and rehabilitation of schools and facilities) are included under this topic for the first five years of the reform program under the Action Plan. With respect to private education, the Government modified the law to increase the role of the private sector by expanding the pool of private schools to be recognized through MOE assessments, and assisting them in meeting Government standards. It will also provide incentives to private providers of education, such as teacher training, cash support and tax-free status. 63. Addressing gender and socio-economic disparities. The Government's document lists the reduction of these disparities as an important element in its long-term reform program. One of the more promising instruments in the short-term is the acceleration of literacy campaigns (run by the MOE, NGOs, and recently by the Ministry of Women's Affairs) targeting women but so far these have not been very effective in Djibouti though they are proven elsewhere. Unit costs in Djibouti per beneficiary are over US$5,000 (from the adult literacy component of an African Development Bank project) - thus before this option is expanded, cost effective ways need to be developed. Most of the activities financed under the Action Plan, however, are more timid - e.g., studies on the causes of low female enrollments, public information campaigns on the importance of girls' education, review of international best practices, etc. Quality 64. The Government proposes to improve quality through four sets of interventions: curriculum reform; textbook policy; teacher training; and evaluations. 65. Curriculum Reform. The development of a curriculum more suited to Djibouti's development needs is being conducted by a national team. It does not appear that much is envisaged under the Five-Year Action Plan, however, international experience shows that at the secondary level (where presumably most of the revisions would take place) best practices are quasi-universal - increasingly so in a global economy. It would, therefore, not be prudent for the Government to invest much in the work of national commissions at that level. 66. Textbook Policy. In this area, the Action Plan is more specific: for the 2001-2005 period, it envisages the definition and implementation of a national policy aiming at designing and producing textbooks locally - using the know-how developed by the CRIPEN. The policy is to stress cooperation with printing enterprises, and the Action Plan envisages supporting the acquisition of machines for the national printing enterprise. In addition, the program will be complemented by a teacher training module aimed at fostering the use of new textbooks in the classrooms. Finally the Government is committing itself to suppressing import duties on textbooks and other materials destined for schools and libraries. 67. Teacher Training. Efforts will be made in the field of pre- and in-service training, to increase the number of teachers and improve their quality. Particular attention will be paid to the hiring and training of sciences teachers, as well as contractuals. A key measure will be financial in nature - the payment of salary arrears and the elimination of financial backlogs. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 21 Institutional Capacity to Manage Proposed Reforms 68. Weaknesses identified in the previous section will be addressed through the (a) increased decentralization of decision-making by setting up reform implementation committees at the national, district and school levels; (b) improvement of the organization, planning, management and evaluation capacities of the education system; and (c) strengthening of the management and supervision functions of MOE staff. Costs and Finance 69. The 2001 - 2005 Action Plan covers the seven areas outlined above through 65 projects, the total costs of which are summarized in table 9. Total investment costs are DJF 22,100 million (approx. US$125.0 million), and total recurrent costs amount to DJF 6.1 billion (US$35.0 million). In order to finance this reform program, the Government will improve the efficiency of public resource use and increase education resources. 70. Improving the Efficiency of Public Resource Use. The Government aims to control the increase in recurrent costs that would result from these reforms by: (a) decreasing scholarship costs for higher education; and (b) increasing system efficiency by reducing repetitions and dropouts. Unit costs for higher education will be lowered by educating students in Djibouti for the first two years of a four-year program through the use of distance learning and other technologies. Efficiency will be improved by eliminating the examination at the end of the primary cycle and replacing it with an assessment of learning outcomes. Table 9: Total Costs of the Government's Reform Program, 2001 - 2005 (in millions of DJF) Investment Costs Recurrent Costs Sub-sector Total % Total % Basic Education 11,897 54.0 4,207 68.5 Secondary Education 2,661 12.1 1,397 22.8 Higher Education 3,555 16.1 280 4.6 Arabic Language 20 0.1 84 1.4 Literacy 901 4.1 24 0.4 Physical Education 449 2.0 22 0.4 Inst. Capacity Bldg. 2,564 11.6 126 TOTAL 22,046 100.0 6,141 100.0 Source: Computed from Schema Directeur et Plan d'action (2001-2005), Ministry of Education. 71. Increasing Education Resources. Finally, the Government will increase resources allocated to education by augmenting its own contribution to education, and seeking alternative sources of finance (i.e., external donors, etc.). There is strong support in the Government to increase resources for education, and the Government made a commitment to increase the share of the education budget from 16 percent of the total budget in 2001/02 to 20 percent in 2009/10. 72. In addition, financing will be sought from the private sector and from community participation, through a set of new legal frameworks. Community participation will be sought for school maintenance by implanting school management committees, which will include parents, teachers and administrators (and students at the higher levels). 73. Donor financing was sought during two main conferences: the first donors' meeting included all sectors and took place in Kuwait in May 2000. At that meeting the education sector received substantial pledges of assistance from the Arab Fund, the Islamic Development Bank and the Government of Abu Dhabi. This was followed by the Donors' Roundtable meeting held in Djibouti in October 2000, which aimed for pledges from bilateral and multilateral agencies to cover the overall gap of US$2.0 million for the Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 22 projected MOE budget 2001-2010. Technical pledges were made by UNESCO, LO, French Government, and the International Agency for Francophone Countries. Financial pledges were made by the African Development Bank, UNICEF and IDA. The extent of the latter's support is discussed in the next section. Assessment of the Government's Strategy 74. As seen in the previous section, a substantial amount of work has gone into the preparation of the Government's ten-year reform program, entailing detailed analysis and consultations with national stakeholders and international donors. The Government is to be commended for its participative approach and the thoroughness of its preparation process. Armed with the knowledge that education has a unique social and economic role to play in the nation's future development, the Government has set ambitious targets for the sector. The Government's strategy has correctly focused on key areas: educational capacity building, quality enhancement, institutional strengthening, and financial sustainability among others. 75. Yet there are three dimensions which have not been fully incorporated into the design of the Government's strategy. The first is the issue of demand for education. As discussed earlier, although the critical factors in Djibouti's low enrollment rates are related to insufficient capacity or supply, little is known about the demand for schooling in the country. A study looking at education demand would need to look at the social and economic incentives (or lack thereof) for parents to send their children to school, and keep them enrolled, the cost of construction in rural areas, school structure and whether schools offer the full cycle of basic education, and school location versus population density. Knowing more on the factors affecting the demand for schooling might help the Government leverage its policies and attain its enrollment targets more expeditiously. 76. The second dimension is related to Djibouti's economy and its potential sources of growth. As noted in Section II, the country has very few natural resources, and its growth strategy depends on its human resources and exploiting its strategic location. To increase the benefits from the port, and possibly from the service sector, Djibouti needs to become a cost-effective competitor, which requires increased productivity from its workforce and, therefore, increased investments in education. Another potential source of growth lies in remittances from Djiboutians living overseas, especially France and neighboring Gulf countries. These labor markets also require educated workers. 77. The third dimension concerns two groups of Djibouti inhabitants which have not been dealt with sufficiently: school dropouts (present and former) and refugees. Both are great in number, and the outcome of their education (or lack thereof) can have a profound impact on society. Certain dropouts may be covered under the vocational training system, or under the Government's literacy campaign program, but most are likely not to be part of any program. The important number of refugees and their future needs to be discussed, and the provision of basic social services, including education to this group, ought to be considered as part of any Government strategy. 78. There exists a clear rationale for the country to invest more in its human resources, but a framework for sound decision-making needs to be further developed to justify the investments made. Specific areas that come to mind are curriculum reforms, and the development of vocational training and tertiary education. With respect to all three, a clear and long-term strategy seems to be missing. No mention is made of international best practices in curriculum development for the global economy (particularly in secondary education). Vocational training streams tied to the labor market demand is unclear. The decision to create a university in Djibouti was not grounded on economic justification, and alternative means were not clearly analyzed. 39 Possible alternatives include distance learning, regional cooperation, etc. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 23 VI. PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR DONOR SUPPORT 79. The Government's education reform is being supported by several donors - this includes school construction and equipment: the Arab Fund is financing the construction of 163 classrooms for a total of US$11.3 million, mainly in basic and secondary/technical education; the Saudi Fund is financing 78 classrooms for a total of US$3.7 million primarily in secondary education in outlying areas; the Islamic Development Bank is financing 37 classrooms for a total of US$4.1 million primarily in secondary and technical education; the Agence Franqaise de Ddveloppement is financing 50 classrooms for a total of US$2.7 million, principally in basic education in rural areas; Japan is financing 80 classrooms; and the Coop6ration Franqaise is providing technical assistance to support secondary and post-secondary education, teacher training, and additional budgetary support for educational materials. 80. The IDA Supported Project. IDA has been involved in full partnership with the Government to build a program of support for the Government's strategy in the form of a ten-year Adaptable Program Lending (APL), approved by the Board in December 2000. The IDA School Access and Improvement Project focuses in the first phase on basic and secondary education to: (a) increase school capacity; (b) reduce gender and income disparities to access; (c) improve the quality of education through teacher training and greater access to books and teaching materials; and (d) support government capacity to manage the sector reforms. The Ten-year horizon and flexible nature of this lending instrument have enabled the IDA team to focus on priorities for support under phase I of the APL, and design the broad parameters (including triggers) of phases II and m. The project has four components, the objectives of which are summarized below. IDA financing for the first phase of the program amounts to less than 25 percent of the cost. 81. Increasing School Capacity. Both IDA and the Government have set a priority of increasing school capacity at the basic and upper secondary levels, in order to address the country's poor enrollment rates. More specifically, the IDA project (2001-2005) will finance 226 classrooms, of which 36 only require rehabilitation. On average, these classrooms will increase the enrollment capacity by over 20,000 students. The project will also finance school furniture and the rehabilitation of existing sanitation services. 82. Reducing Gender and Income Inequities. As enrollment rates increase, it will become necessary to eliminate the barriers at entry for the poorest segments of the population, as well as for girls. As gender gaps exist at all levels, an increase in overall enrollment rates will need to be accompanied by an increase in the share of girls' enrollments. The IDA education project contains triggers within the Adaptable Program Lending (APL) which will require a decrease of the Ten-point difference in enrollment rates in 2001 (45 percent for boys, and 35 percent for girls) to a 4 point difference (82 percent for boys, and 78 percent for girls) in 2010. 83. Specifically the project will finance a study to analyze the reasons why girls, children of poorer families and rural children do not attend school. The MOE will develop a specific action plan, based on the recommendations of the study, which will focus on implementing pilot programs in affected areas, starting with the areas with the poorest indicators. 84. It is also recommended that reducing socio-economic inequities in access will require an increase in non-salary recurrent expenditures. The project will finance books and teaching materials, to encourage poorer students to enroll, and to alleviate the household costs of enrollment. 85. Improving Quality. This component addresses seven basic elements of quality: (a) teacher training, through support for the expansion of CFPEN and the establishment of in-service training of contractual Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 24 teachers; (b) teacher motivation through gradually improving the timeliness of salary payments; (c) payment of contractual teacher salaries; (d) training of school principals in administration, pedagogic supervision, and improving community relationships; (e) supporting CRIPEN's capacity to develop a more relevant Grades 1-9 curriculum and increasing availability of relevant books and education materials, (f) increased role of parents and the local community in the running of schools; and (g) increasing effective instructional time. 86. Supporting Government Capacity to Manage Sector Reforms. These issues will be addressed by (a) support to the activities of the National Reform Steering Committee (CNOSEGE) in its effort to coordinate the reforms and raise resources to support the reform; (b) strengthening the capacity of the MOE (Planning Unit, and the Education Projects Unit) through provision of staff training, consultants and equipment; and (c) support for strategic studies as necessary, similar to those done by the ACCC on teacher motivation, or the ministerial institutional audit. 87. The three-phase APL is summarized in box 6. More details on the program and its triggers from one phase to the next can be found in Annex 5. Box 6: School Access and Improvement Project IDA will support the Government's program with a credit of approximately US$30.0 million through an Adaptable Program Lending (APL) approach, broken down into three phases. Phase I will support the immediate needs of increasing capacity and quality in primary schools, and finance recurrent costs such as contract teacher salaries. Phase II will continue to support classroom expansion but with greater attention paid to middle school construction, to take into account the number of places needed for the new nine year compulsory education and the increased flow of students from the primary to the middle school cycle. The demand for lower secondary school places is expected to increase sharply around 2007. Books and educational materials will also be financed. In addition, the second phase will look at the outcome of pilot studies, strategies that were financed under phase I for further development and/or implementation. It is expected that about 40 percent of resources from this tranche will go to support contract teacher salaries. Phase III will concentrate on expanding capacity, with far less attention to salaries as public finance and macroeconomic reforms free up more budget resources to help pay for teacher salaries. 88. Fiscal impact. Table 10 summarizes the potential fiscal impact of the program.4 The required cost estimates include all levels of education, MOE overheads and potential grants to the private sector. The Government projects the most likely scenario for Djibouti's growth to be 2.4 percent per year during the period 2000-2010 and expects the budget to grow slightly slower at 2.2 percent. Under this scenario, the education sector will require just under 26 percent of the budget by 2010. Should GDP grow at 3 percent per year and the budget at 2.8 percent, then the budget share required for education will be under 25 percent. These shares are in line with other countries in a similar situation. 89. There are, however, two areas of caution when examining the long-term fiscal sustainability of the reform program. The first is endogenous to the reform objectives. For example, during project discussions project with the Government, the IDA team pointed out the over-ambitious nature of the Government's initial enrollment targets. This is illustrated by table 11, which builds on the previous simulations to outline a detailed ten-year expenditure and financing plan, including recurrent and investment cost needs. Although the Government target was initially to reach 97 percent primary enrollment by 2010, the IDA team estimated this target to be too ambitious, and projected an 85 percent target for 2010 instead. Table 12 shows that the Government would still be unable to finance the recurrent costs necessary to reach even these less ambitious targets underlying its reform. Donor support will, therefore, be required for recurrent costs. In the long run, as the Government redirects its expenditures to priority areas such as education, it 4 See the Djibouti School Access and Improvement Program Project Appraisal Document (Report No. 20803-DJI, November 2000) Annex 4 for details. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 25 can finance the recurrent cost required. There is strong support in the Government for increasing resources for education, as both the President and the Minister of Finance assured the Donors' Round Table of their full support for the sector and made a commitment to increase the share of the education budget from 16 percent in 2000 to 25 percent in 2010. Table 10: Djibouti Ten Year Expenditure Plan in DF Millions to achieve Enrollment Targets 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Education Recurrent Expenditure 4,744 5,146 5,622 6,055 6,265 6,865 7,571 8,013 8,952 9,956 Requirement to Finance Universal Basic Education and other parts of the Education Reform Agenda Primary Enrollment Target Rate 39% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% Scenario 1: GDP grows at 2.4% per year and Budget at 2.2% per year GDP 90,766 92,944 95,175 1 97,459 99,798 102,194 104,646 107,158 109,729 112,363 Total Recurrent Budget 31,487 32,189 32,907 33,641 34,392 35,159 35,943 36,745 37,564 38,402 Budget as % GDP 34.7% 34.6% 34.6% 34.5% 34.5% 34.4% 34.3% 34.3% 34.2% 34.2% Required Education Expenditures as % GDP 5.2% 5.5% 5.9% 6.2% 6.3% 6.7% 7.2% 7.5% 8.2% 8.9% RequiredEducationExpendituresas% 15.0% 16.0% 17.1% 18.0% 18.2% 19.5% 21.1% 218% 23.8% 25.9% Budget Scenario 2: GDP grows at 3% per year and Budget at 2.8% per year GDP 90,766 93,489 96,294 99,182 102,158 105,223 108,379 111,631 114,980 118,429 Total Recurrent Budget 31,487 32,369 33,275 34,207 35,164 36,149 37,161 38,202 39,271 40,371 Budget as % GDP 34.7% 34.6% 34.6% 34.5% 34.4% 34.4% 34.3% 34.2% 34.2% 34.1% Required Education as % GDP 5.5% 5.5% 5.8% 6.1% 6.1% 6.5% 7.0% 7.2% 1 7.8% 8.4% Expected Education Expenditures as % Total 15.0% 15.9% 16.9% 17.7% 17.8% 19.0% 20.4% 21.0% 22.8% 24.7% Source: Djibouti School Access and Improvement Program Project Appraisal Document, Report No. 20803-DJI, November 2000. 90. Conversely, if the Government were to shift another of its reform objectives to a more ambitious target, this would add expenditures and stress to the fragile financial sustainability of the reforms. For example, if the Government were to decide to accelerate its program of increased female enrollments, it could do so by paying a stipend to poorer families for the enrollment of girls (Section IV). The added expenditure would need to be included in the simulations to assess the feasibility of this new reform objective. 91. The second reason for caution lies in the possibility of exogenous shocks. If GDP growth rates are lower than those assumed in tables 10 and 11, or if other circumstances were to downshift Government's financial commitment to the education sector, the financial sustainability of the reform program would also be jeopardized. 92. These considerations add urgency to the Government's efforts to improve internal efficiency and develop alternate sources of finance. They also suggest that the fiscal situation needs to be closely and regularly monitored, both by MOE staff and IDA supervision or other sector missions. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 26 Table 11: Ten-Year Expenditure Plan in Millions of DJF to achieve Enrollment Targets 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Official Target Primary Enrollment Rate 390/ 520 55% 590 65% 73% 750 800 870 9701 Education Recurrent Expenditure Requirent 4,744 5,1461 5,622 6,055 6,265 6.,65 7,571 8,013 8,952 9,95 Total Recurrent Budget 31.48 32,18 32,90 33,641 3 35,15 35,94A 36,744 37,564 38,40A GDP 90,76d 92,944 9517l 97455 99,79 102194 104,64 107,15 109,72 11236 Budget as % GDP 34.70 34.60 34.60 34.59 34.501 34.40 34. 34.30 34.20 34.20 Reqd Educ. as % GDP 5.200 . 5. 5.900 620 6309 670 7.2 7.50 8.20 & 900 APL Target Primary GER 400/ 450O 50 55 6 00 650 700/ 750 80 APL Target Primary GER for Boys 45% 49% 540/ 580/ 64 67 720/ 770/ 820/ APL Target Primary GER for Girls _____________350 410 460 520 560 630 680 730 78/ APL Target Basic GER 300/ 340 390/ 43 470O 540/ 590/ 64 69t7 APL Target Basic GER Male 340/ 38% 430/ 46 51Ol 560/ 62% 67 720/ APL Target Basic GER Fernale 260/ 310/ 350/ 400/ 430/ 510/ 560/ 610/ 670O Expected Education Expenditurps as % Total 15.00 15.80 16.69 17.4q 17.80 18.8 20.3q 21.10 23.00 25.29/ Expected Education Allocation in DJF nillions 4,72 5,084 5,46 5, 6, 6,61( 7,2 7, 8,64( 9,67 Shortfall in Recurrent Budget in DF millions 21 6 1 201 1 25; 27! 3 27 Shortfall in Recurrent Budget in DJF millions - IDA (teacher salaries) 3# 10d 10( 71 170 17( 17Z 17A 17 - Other Donor 2] 21 5A 91 75 75 94 84 13t 10 Shortfall in Recurrent Budget in US$ millions - IDA (teacher salaries) 0 .(0 . 0A .d 0.( 0.4 1. 1.( 1.d 1. 1. - Other Donors 0. 0.1 0.A 0Ao1 0.4 0.4 0.( 0.4 0.4 0.( Footnotes: 1. Recurrent costs include all levels of education in addition to Mlnistry overheads and cost of other related bodies. 2. Data in Italics are based on Governmrnt simulations as presented to donors. 3. Mission estimates are in bold and are more conservative than Government similations. 4. Among other donors France provides a significant anunt of support for Lycees, Teacher Training and Higher Education. Source: Djibouti School Access and Improvement Program Project Appraisal Document, Report No. 20803-DJI, November 2000. Proposed Analytical Agenda 93. The IDA-supported project tackles the key priorities, and the APL format provides a framework with sufficient flexibility to adapt to emerging changing conditions. In order to define critical areas in the Government's reform path, it is useful to compare sector issues with interventions supported by the Government's strategy and those supported by the APL. Table 12 summarizes this comparison in terms of the Government's strategic objectives, its Action Plan (2001-2005) and the 3 phases of the project APL as well as their triggers. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 27 94. The discussion above (Sections IV, V, and VI), as well the comparisons from Table 12, suggest that the following items should be considered for further analytical work as the Government's reform program unfolds: * Demand for education. Study on the factors affecting family incentives to send their children to school - for each education level (including VT). * Factors affecting the quality of education. Teaching methods, teacher-student contact hours. * Curricula. Much was made of the curricula not being adapted to Djibouti's circumstances. While this is particularly true for basic education subjects such as history, geography, etc., international experience has shown that "best practice" core curricula, particularly at the secondary level, have many common traits - mainly because they focus on skills and "learning to learn," rather than on rote learning. To the extent possible, Djiboutian national commissions working on curriculum reform will gain more by consulting international best practice. Education authorities may also wish to consider experimenting with local languages of instruction during the early years of basic schooling. * Teachers. In light of the acute shortage of teachers, further thought would be useful on this subject, as would selected experimentation - such as decreasing the qualifications required to teach the first two years of primary school in rural areas (pilot action). * Gender equity. The Government's reform program clearly mentions this as one of its objectives, yet the measures proposed are rather timid. With respect to female enrollments, it would be useful for the Government to consider the preliminary conclusions of the present strategy note when developing the Terms of Reference of the study to be financed by the project towards an Action Plan. If the study bears out the following issue, higher female enrollments can be achieved by increasing the number of female teachers. Increased enrollments can also be achieved by educating mothers, through an increase in the number and quality of adult education centers. As the most important reason for girls not to enroll is household chores, it is recommended that an intensive campaign be conducted for women and girls which highlights the benefits of education and different career goals open to the female gender. Last, and perhaps most important, a scholarship program for girls could help increase enrollment. Questions of scholarship amounts, and family targeting, ought to be addressed by the study. * Socio-economic equity. A study on potential scholarship programs to encourage the schooling of children from poor families: targeting, amounts, modalities. * Vocational training. A study on the rationale for VT reform, with recommendations based on the economic environment and international best practice. * Higher education. While secondary education is supported under the IDA project, higher education is not. The Government, however, is intent on implementing a number of key reforms in the sector, and has earmarked resources to that effect. As reforms in basic and secondary education take hold, they will combine with demographic factors to increase social demand for higher education. Since no analysis of alternative means has preceded the Government's decision to create a university in Djibouti (Section VI.A), a thorough discussion of these alternatives (e.g. regional cooperation, distance learning) is warranted before the Government proceeds further. Also to be considered are elements of a financial scheme - e.g., cost-recovery, and obligation for students sent abroad to either return or send remittances during a certain period of time. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 28 * Literacy and other adult education. Both programs are important to help correct the effects of past low enrollment and high dropout rates. International best practice will be useful to help guide the Government in these fields. * Refugee education. As Djibouti has been overwhelmed by social problems of its own, it is perhaps not surprising that addressing the social needs of its large refugee population was not a priority until now. It would be useful for the Government to consider accelerating the provision of social services for refugees, including the provision of basic education adapted to refugees conditions Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 29 Table 12: Government Strategy, IDA Project and Proposed Analytical Agenda Issue Government Strategic Objectives, And IDA Project Proposed Analytical Agenda Policies and Actions Access Urban Primary GER increased to 73% in 2005, and Phase 1: Finance new and rehabilitate 90% in 2010. Girls GER expected to rise from used classrooms (mostly) in primary and 39% in 2000 to 52% in 2005 to 80% in 2010. lower secondary schools Note: no separate targets given for urban and Phase II: Finance and rehabilitate rural areas. Urban areas dominate with close to classrooms mostly in lower secondary 80% of the population. schools For all general education and VT levels: Build Phase m: Additional lower secondary and rehabilitate public schools and classrooms; schools financed hire and train new teachers (specific numbers for affecting the demand for each level) schooling, in urban and in rural areas. _ _ _ Improve private education framework Rural Note: no separate targets given for urban and Phase 1: as above rural areas. Trigger 4 Phase 11: Action plan to Build rural schools and libraries ices ua nolet Phase 1: Implement action plan above Trigger -4 Phase IFa: Action plan implemented Phase E: Additional lower secondary schools financed Equity Socio- Build and rehabilitate libraries; provide free Trigger 4 Phase II: Action plan to Factors that can encourage school economic meals and school supplies to 12,000 increase enrollments from poor families enrollments of the poor disadvantaged students Phase 1H: Finance incentives to attract poor children to school Phase II: Implement action plan above Trigger 4 Phase III: Action plan implemented Gender Girls' Increase girls' enrollments Phase I: Pilot study to reduce gender gap Factors that can encourage the promotion enrollments (targets at the primary level not Trigger - Phase II Action plan to of girls'education specified; 43% of the total at the increase girls' enrollments lower secondary VT level in Phase H: (a) Finance incentives to 2005) increase girls' enrollments; (b) Information campaigns, and Implement action plan above other unspecified actions. Triggers -; Phase III: (a) Action plan implemented; (b) Primary school GER of _________ _____________________50-56% for girls and 60-64% for boys Low Not addressed Not addressed Gender models of teaching number of female porchldentoscooteachersl Dj ibouti Education Sector Strategv Nc e 30 Issue Government Strategic Objectives, IDA Project Proposed Analytical And Policies and Actions Agenda Quality and Teachers Numbers 1,200 new primary school teachers Phase I: provide pre-service training and relevance and quality recruited and trained; 1,000 current stipend for newly recruited contractual Impact of teacher- teachers re-trained teachers student contact hours Absenteism Aiming for "on time" salary payments Phase I: Pay contractual teachers on time Teaching quality Improve inspection framework and Phase 1: Increase CFPEN capacity Factors affecting the facilities Pilot study on innovative teaching quality of education Upgrade CRIPEN's evaluation and methods media coverage capacity Trigger -7 Phase II: Revise calendar to increase teaching hours Phase III: Finance teacher training for middle schools Learning materials Develop a framework for the design, Phase I: Finance textbooks for the production and distribution of high primary and lower secondary levels quality and relevant textbooks. Phase II: Continue financing textbooks, Launch study to develop framework. particularly for lower secondary schools In the meantime purchase specified numbers of school books for all levels Curriculum Upgrade of curricula Phase I: Help CRIPEN design new curriculum for grades 1-9 Internal efficiency Primary school exam to enter lower Trigger -: Phase II: Replace competitive secondary is suppressed. But strict exam at end of primary with non- 40% admission rate into upper competitive assessment secondary is maintained to address Trigger 4 Phase III: Expanded 9 year overcrowding. structure of basic education operational Relevance and external Overhaul all streams of VT Not directly addressed (indirectly The labor market efficiency (curriculum, including on-the-job addressed in curriculum reform). outcomes of schooling training, and teacher training) and Options for VT reform expand capacity accordingly. Create a National Employment Observatory to monitor and disseminate labor market information Options for higher Create a Djibouti University education reform Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 31 Issue Government Strategic Objectives, IDA Project Proposed Analytical And Policies and Actions Agenda Institutional and National Create national MIS, planning Phase 1: Finance CNOSEGE Secretariat, procedures, school mapping capacity; provide TA to MoE Planning Unit aagety train MoE staff a yDistct Encourage community participation in Phase I operations and maintenance activities Triggers -& Phase II: (a) Decree on modalities of community participation in school operations and maintenance; (b) community participation in school management operational School New school directors hired and trained Phase I: Finance management training for primary school principals Costs and finance Efficiency of resource Improve efficiency of resource Phase I: Pilot studies to develop more allocations allocations cost effective strategies, including public- Support various actions described private partnerships. elsewhere (quality, management, ...) Trigger 4Phase II: At least 16% of Gov. recurrent expenditure allocated to education Trigger 4 Phase II: Decree on modalities of community participation in school operations and maintenance Trigger -9 Phase III: At least 20% of Gov. recurrent expenditure allocated to education Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 32 Issue Government Strategic Objectives, IDA Project Proposed Analytical ________________________ And Policies and Actions Agenda Diversification of finance Increase the share of private Trigger 4Phase II: Decree issued education through special law facilitating establishment of private schools Trigger -O Phase III: Private sector share increased to 5-8% in primary and 9-12% ein lower secondary education Donor coordination Action Plan Phase : Support CNOSEGE in donor coordination activities Other Illiteracy Reduce by 17% the national illiteracy Not addressed rate every 5 years until 2015. 3 literacy centers built; teachers hired and trained; learning materials produced and distributed; and financial support given to NGOs. National study on illiteracy launched. oNational coordination unit created. Dropouts Not addressed Not addressed Possibilities of remedial training of dropouts Language of instruction Not addressed Not addressed Impact of the language of instruction of primary ______________________________school outcomes Refugee education Not addressed Not addressed Arabic language Increase Arabic language proficiency Not addressed None Finance feasibility study, teacher training, curriculum development and textbooks Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 33 Issue Government Strategic Objectives, IDA Project Proposed Analytical And Policies and Actions Agenda Physical education Increase access to physical education Not addressed None Expand and rehabilitate playgrounds and facilities Train teachers Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 34 ANNEXES Annex la- Organization of Studies The following organization of studies has resulted from the August 2000 Education Law: > Basic education (enseignementfondamental): 1) Primary level (Niveau Primaire) comprises two cycles: a) The first cycle: * Two years (CP and CEI - equivalent to 1V and 2nd grade) for children having gone to preschool, 6 years of age minimum, to 9 years of age maximum; * Three years (CI- equivalent to preschool, CP and CE1), 5 years old minimum, and 9 years old maximum. b) The second cycle: * Three years (CE2, CMI, CM2- equivalent to 3rd, 4d, and 5h grade) for children of 8 to 12 years old. This cycle is taught in French and Arabic. Transition to higher grade is automatic within one cycle if the pupil participates in 75 percent of the time and activities of the curriculum; * The end of the Niveau Primaire yields an examination which is no longer required for entry in Lower Secondary School (CEFEB: certificat de fin d'6tudes de base - certificate of completion of basic studies). This exam serves as a proof of literacy for students who do not pursue further education. 2) Lower secondary level (Enseignement Moyen). This stage of education prepares students to either follow a professional Upper Secondary School, or to follow a general Upper Secondary School education. It is itself divided in technical or general curricula. This educational stage is obligatory. It is open to children between 12 and 16 years of age with grades 6, 7, 8 and 9 (in French 66me, 56me, 4 me and 36me). * General Lower Secondary School is taught in Collges d'Enseignement General (colleges for general education). It yields an examination entitled BEF (Brevet d'Enseignement Fondamental- certificate of fundamental education); * Professional Lower Secondary School: is taught in Centre d'Apprentissage (training centers) which prepares students for the CAP (Certificat d'Apprentissage et de Perfectionnement- certificate of apprenticeship and perfecting). > Upper secondary education (Enseignement Secondaire): * General Upper Secondary School education is offered by general education Upper Secondary Schools (Lycges d'enseignement g6niral). It comprises grades 10, 11 and Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 35 12 (in French 2nde, 16re and Terminale). The 12'h grade examination is the Baccalaurgat. * Technical and Professional Upper Secondary Schools offer education in technical and professional areas such as agriculture, fishing, artifacts, industry and trade. a) Professional Upper Secondary Schools (Lyc9e d'Enseignement Professionnel or LEP) offer a two-year program for students who have passed the Brevet d'Enseignement Fondamental. The LIP cycle is completed by passing the BEP (brevet d'6tudes professionnel or diploma of professional studies). b) Technical Upper Secondary Schools (Lycge d'enseignement technique or LIC: Lyc9e Industriel et Commercial) i. offer a three-year program for students having passed the Brevet d'enseignement fondamental. This cycle is completed by passing the Baccalauriat Technique; ii. offer a two-year program for students having passed the BEP. This cycle is completed with a Baccalaurgat Professionnel. > Tertiary education (enseignement sup4rieur): Upon completion of the Baccalaur6at: a) University: There is none in Djibouti at this time, but there are laws regarding them, which are those of the French academic system. Djibouti students are forced to go abroad to pursue a university education (France, Tunisia, etc.) b) A student can clear the selection process for entrance into the Centre deformation du personnel de l'Education Nationale (CFPEN) (Center for personnel training to the National education system) in order to pursue a two-year Dipl6me d'Etudes Universitaires Gngrales (DEUG). This is the only training school for teachers. c) OR clear the selection process for a two-year diploma (Brevet de Technicien Supgrieur, BTS). Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 36 ANNEX 1.b- Education Structure Diagram DIlbouti Education Structure Boxes In Bold, compulsory education under new reform Boxes with Shadows transitional examination Boxes In Grey self-contained examination Baelc Education CI - optional CP, CE1, CE2 CM1,. CM2 Vocatioal Eduction an TrailAssessment Eem to opttv Examination years 1, 2, and 3 for Entrance In Lower SecondaryAdlPrfsinlTaig Lower SecondaryYerIan2 6ibmen, 56me Technical Education General Lower Secondary Competitive ExCompetitivevExaminato pttveEa FAdul Profesiona TrainingYCE 2ndelbreand ermialsYears 1 and 2 Comeitive ExaUiest Selective Exam CopeIieEa ~~~~~Year1GnrlUr Seondar T ehniCand permeonar For Teacher Training LYCE InusralanbomeriluYCE(LC 2nde6enderInale Yeare 1 and2 Yearr SlcI Eam Uivearsit Se4Tcnclectivher EatLIC for Teacher Training Abroad Years land 2 e CFPEN France, Madagascar Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 37 Annex 2- MOE Organizational Chart Organizalional Chart of the Mnistry of Education Minster Mhinta Cabinet General Director Secreariat Planning Service Administrative Service Personel and Materials Rnancial Services Prinary Secondary CFPEN CRIPEN Service Level Services Level Services TeacherTraining Information and Research Center Bureau Bureau Bureau Bureau School Intendance Teacher Training Printing works oforganation of Orientation ofPersonnel of Archives Schoo and Intounation Bureau Bureau Bureau Bureau Inspectorates Lower Secondary Secondary Pedagogial School Radio of Evaluation of Scholarships of Teaching Materiab of Accountancy Bureau and Studies Bureau Pedagogical Bureau Hgh School of Examination Technical High School Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 38 Annex 3- Household Survey and Other Data Table 1: Level of School Participation, 1996 Household Survey-1996 School Participation (%) Total Currently in school No longer enrolled Never enrolled TOTAL 6-50+ 100 28.8 30.7 40.5 6 100 38.3 61.7 7 100 74.6 0.9 24.6 8 100 84.6 0.6 14.8 9 100 86.1 2 11.9 10 100 85.8 3.5 10.7 11 100 85.1 5.2 9.7 12 100 78.4 10.2 11.4 13 100 76 12.3 11.7 14 100 64.5 23.8 11.7 15-19 100 41.9 37.8 20.3 Source: Etude Djiboutienne Aupr s des Mgnages (EDAM)CD-ROM 1996 (Djibouti Household Survey), World Bank, May 1999. Table 2: Percentage of schools, with facilities per district, 99/00 Percentage of Schools with the following facilities Districts Reading Rooms W.C. Access to Water Cafeteria Dormitory within 500m Djibouti Ville 36% 96% 96% 0% 0% DIi- District 25% 38% 88% 100% 0% Ali Sabieh 38% 63% 88% 88% 13% Dikhil 29% 43% 86% 86% 29% Tadjourah 33% 33% 67% 92% 25% Obock 17% 17% 83% 10% 50% Djibouti District excludes Djibouti Ville Source: Annuaire Slatistique, Djibouti 2000 Table 3: Official Number of Teachers and Student Teacher ratios, 1998/99 and 1999/00 Academic Year Academic Year Student/Teacher Student/Teacher 98/99 99/00 Ratio 98/99 ratio 99/00 Prinmary 1072 1108 32.6 32.1 Lower Secondary 294 323 33.0 33.4 Upper Secondary 110 128 20.5 18.4 School Vocational 111 119 11.5 11.9 Vocational: LEP, and LIC (excluding enseignement Prof. Et M6nager) Source Annuaire Statistique, Djibouti 2000 Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 39 Table 4: Transition rate from academic year 1998/1999 to 1999/2000 5 to 6 Grade 9 to 10 Grade Male 52.49% 8.79% Female 48.46% 7.44% Source: calculated from enrollment, and repetition rates, Annuaires Statistiques, 1998/9 and 99/00, MEN, Djibouti Table 5: Evolution of Numbers of Primary Teachers, 1990-2000 Number of Primry Teachers (1990-2000) 90/91 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 97/98 99/2000 Qualified Teachers 469 515 148 595 604 648 141 Assistant Teachers 469 515 523 595 604 648 663 Contractual Teache 190 140 171 252 274 318 301 Total 1,128 1,170 842 1,442 1,482 1,614 1,105 Source: Schima Directeur, Ministry of Education, October 2000 Table 6: Evolution of Education Budget Allocations, 1998-2000 Budget Shares (%) 1998 1999 2000 Salaries 75.8 74.4 65.1 Non-Salaries 1.5 4.5 9.61 Scholarships 18.7 17.3 22.2 Private Education 4 3.75 3.1 Total Education Budget (000's of DF) 3,493,036 3,731,670 4,503,821 Education Budget/ National Budget 15 12.6 14.3 Source: Schina Directeur, Ministry of Education, October 2000 Table 7: Recurrent Budget Allocation, 1998-2000 in DJF Education level 1998 1999 2000 Primary 1,868,594 1,864,929 1,977,754 Salaries 1,827,792 1,763,148 1,745,464 Teaching materials 40,802 101,781 232,290 Secondary 816,682 1,063,324 1,327,347 Salaries 807,393 998,089 1,170,524 Teaching materials 9,289 65,235 156,823 Higher 654,046 645,604 1,042,200 Scholarships 654,046 645,604 1,000,200 "P61e Universitaire" 42,000 MoE Central Administration 13,734 17,813 16,519 Salaries 12,555 15,956 14,809 Materials 1,179 1,857 1,710 Private school subsidies 140,000 140,000 140,000 Total 3,493,056 3,731,670 4,503,820 Source: Schima Directeur (2000) Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 40 Annex 4- Recommendations of the National Education Forum41 General Report: Recommendations from the Ministry of Education. A) Concerning Educational Goals: 1) To make the educational system a means of creating a Djibouti identity for citizens belonging to one state, and not a tribe 2) To keep French as the official language of education 3) To introduce the study of Arabic from 2" grade onwards (CE2) 4) To introduce the fundamental principals of Islam in civic education 5) To add new disciplines 6) To introduce national languages: - in the short term: in preschool and as optional in secondary school - in the long term: as an option at all levels of education 7) To give more value to the professional and technical aspects of education starting in elementary school 8) To reorganize the system as a whole so that it yields students adapted to the labor market B) Concerning the Organizational Structure: 1) Obligatory schooling for children between 5 and 16 years of age: - Preschool: for 2 years - Primary: for 5 years - Secondary (Lower Secondary): for 4 - Secondary (Upper Secondary School): for 3 - As well as the introduction of a pre-professional education of two years after 5 grade 2) The progressive development of higher education until creation of an actual university 3) The suppression of part time school (double flux: whereby students have class only in the morning or afternoon in order to leave room for other students) and bottle necks in 51b grade and 9 grade 4) New time schedule for primary schools to respect the biological cycle of children 5) New year calendar taking into account the .Muslim religious festivities 6) To reduce the student/teacher ratio C) Concerning the Management and Administration of the Educational System (Amongst other recommendations) - The decentralization of the management of the Central Administration and the Education Administration. D) Concerning the Teaching staff (Amongst other recommendations) - To hire teachers at the Baccalaureat level - To give value to the teaching profession, and to the career development possibilities for teachers - To give more incentives to teachers: in improving their working conditions, and in offering social accommodation E) Concerning the financing and costs of education (Amongst other recommendations) - To put in place strategies to lower the costs of teaching materials - To incite parents to take part in maintaining education facilities 41 Etats Ggndraux, December 1999. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 41 - To create a tax on khat, alcohol and tobacco in favor of the National Education - To create a coordinating body within the MOE to inform, evaluate and follow up in the education sector development to help transparency for all external involvement. F) Concerning Governmental involvement (Amongst other recommendations) - To recognize private schools as part GERs to public schools - To help expand technical and professional education in the private sector - To create bridges between public and private schools - To make French and Arabic obligatory languages for education in private schools - To instill an enlarged policy encompassing NGO in the fight against illiteracy - To create a national fund for literacy G) Concerning Quality (Amongst other recommendations) - To improve the access and security of schools in Djibouti as well as in the District of the Interior - To incite parents to enroll their daughters - To create a means of helping children coming from poor backgrounds - To create municipal and school libraries, to insure that every student has one book per subject. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 42 Annex 5- The School Access and Improvement Program The APL will support the Government's ten-year program to increase enrollment at the primary level. The support will be in the context of the medium- to long-term expenditure estimates outlined in table I and will include support for investment and recurrent costs. > Phase I (US$10.0 million over three years starting in March 2001) will support the immediate response to the unmet demand by increasing capacity in primary schools. It will also finance books and educational materials, the purchase of which has been deferred due to the lack of recurrent budget resources. Some attention will be given to increasing the number of places in middle schools because this is an essential precondition for converting the competitive examination at the end of the primary cycle to a non-competitive assessment. Phase I will finance teacher training, and the development of new curricula for the reformed grades 1-9 basic education cycle. Phase I will also address the recurrent cost constraints by financing teacher salaries, books and educational materials. Phase I to Phase II triggers will be: 1. Over 75 percent of primary schools will have provided 32 weeks (an average of 27 hours of instruction per week) of effective schooling, i.e., actual teaching, in the period between September I and May 15 of the previous academic year under review. 2. At least 16 percent of government recurrent expenditures in the previous fiscal year are allocated to the education sector including scholarships, housing and other allowances for teachers. 3. Issuing a decree (D6cret d'application) for Law No. 96, dated July 10, 2000 on Education Reform, establishing private schools, simplifying procedures for recognition and providing incentives has been issued. 4. The preparation of an action plan, acceptable to IDA, to increase school enrollments among girls and children from poor families and from rural areas. 5. Issuing a decree (D6cret d'application) for Law No. 96, dated July 10, 2000 on Education Reform, setting up community participation in school management and school operations and maintenance. 6. Replacing the competitive examination at the end of the primary cycle by a non- competitive assessment. 7. Operationalizing community participation in school management and maintenance. > Phase II (tentatively US$10.0 million over four years starting July 2005) will continue to support classroom expansion especially at the middle school level and procurement of books and educational materials. It will also finance the implementation of any specific steps needed to reduce gender and income inequity in school attendance. As enrollments increase, the Government is expected to have more and more difficulty in meeting its recurrent costs obligation and almost 40 percent of the second phase credit will be set aside for financing recurrent costs including the possibility of incentives to attract girls and children from poorer families to school. Djibouti Education Sector Strategy Note 43 Phase II to Phase III Triggers will be: 1. The new expanded structure of nine year compulsory basic education has become operational. 2. At least 20 percent of government recurrent expenditures in the previous fiscal year were allocated the education sector including scholarships, housing and other allowances for teachers. 3. Reaching a primary school enrollment rate of about 50-56 percent of 6-10 year old girls, and about 60-64 percent for 6-10 year old boys. 4. Private sector share of school enrollments has increased to about 5-8 percent in primary schools and about 9-12 percent in middle schools. 5. Implementation of the action plan aiming at increasing school enrollment among girls and children from poor families and from rural areas. > Phase III (tentatively US$10.0 million, over three years starting July 2008) support will shift away from recurrent costs. It is expected that by this time the Government would have addressed its most pressing budget constraints and have implemented difficult public expenditure choices freeing up more resources for priority sectors such as education. Phase In will finance more of the middle schools as well as focus more on the teacher training for middle schools. Given the high population growth rate, additional primary schools will also be financed.     IMAGING Report No.: 24204 DJI Type: SR