The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Project Information Document (PID) Concept Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 21-Feb-2019 | Report No: PIDISDSC24751 Feb 21, 2019 Page 1 of 7 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data OPS TABLE Country Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Project Name Djibouti P166059 Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH Mar 25, 2019 Apr 30, 2019 Education AFRICA Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Republic of Djibouti Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (Ministere de l'Education Nationale et de la Formation Proposed Development Objective(s) To develop preschool education, to increase access to basic education, especially for vulnerable populations, and to improve learning conditions. PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY-NewFin1 Total Project Cost 25.00 Total Financing 25.00 of which IBRD/IDA 15.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 15.00 IDA Credit 10.00 IDA Grant 5.00 Non-World Bank Group Financing Feb 21, 2019 Page 2 of 7 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Other Sources 10.00 Education For All 10.00 Environmental and Social Risk Classification Concept Review Decision Moderate Track II-The review did authorize the preparation to continue Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. Djibouti is a small-state. The population, estimated at 1.02 million (DISED), is concentrated in and around Djibouti- ville (capital), where around 75 to 85 percent of the population lives. It is a highly urbanized region and public services are facing immense pressures to meet the growing demand. The country has a long history of accepting accepted refugees and economic migrants but has recently also committed to provide education services to them, exacerbating the pressure on public services: there are currently around 27,000 refugees (UNHCR) in addition to nomads and economic migrants. Djibouti has a young population—36 percent are less than 14 years old and 51 percent under 24. There is an urgent need to ensure that this demographic dividend is capitalized upon and translates into a resource for strong economic and social growth. 2. Djibouti has achieved steady growth over the past 15 years, mainly spurred by capital intensive activities in port and transport services. Despite relatively high per capita income of US$1,862 (2015), 30 percent of the population lives in poverty and 21 percent lives in extreme poverty (EDAM4). While the Gini coefficient improved by one point to 44.1 in 2013, it is still low. A strong focus on developing Djibouti’s human capital will leverage other economic investments and policies for boosting productivity and economic progress. Investments in human capital are also key to tackling inequality and promoting social mobility; it is the single most effective way of not just promoting economic growth but also distributing its benefits more fairly. Sectoral and Institutional Context 3. The sector faces four main challenges. In terms of access, shortage of infrastructure in urban areas results in the curtailing of enrollments at the beginning of each school year, large class sizes and double shifting. Out-of-school rates are much higher in rural areas than in Djibouti-ville due in part to insufficient numbers of schools. Distance from school, poverty, and opportunity costs deter young children from attending, especially for girls wanting to attend lower secondary education. 4. The quality of education is a central concern. Shortages of key quality inputs (learning materials, teacher guides, and development opportunities) impede education quality and teachers need to develop more appropriate pedagogical Feb 21, 2019 Page 3 of 7 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) practices. Also, the introduction of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the classroom requires guidance. Learning outcomes remain low: the 2018 Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) test results showed that grade 2 students were only able to solve 1 out of 6 mathematics problems, and almost 60 percent had zero scores. Although they represent slight improvements over the 2017 EGMA scores, such weak performance in mathematics remains a major concern, and it is therefore not surprising that the education system suffers from high drop-out and repetition rates1. 5. Early childhood education (ECE) provision is limited and, where available, at a nascent stage of development. It is constrained by a lack of classroom space and dedicated or qualified preschool teachers. For the few preschool classrooms that do operate, teacher preparation is extremely limited and appropriate learning materials are lacking. Recognizing the benefits, the Ministry of National Education and Professional Development (MENFOP) has begun to expand pubic preschool of one year for 5-year-olds. There are 20 classrooms – 10 in Djibouti-ville and two in each of the five rural regions but little is known about the quality of services provided in these preschools. 6. Lastly, service delivery across the sector is also weak with limited institutional effectiveness and governance. Accountability is not shared across levels (central regional and school-levels), and school leaders have little authority to make decisions. Part of the challenge is the lack of data especially related to student performance and teacher pedagogical and content knowledge skills that would allow providing targeted corrective measures. This lack of data also weakens the ministry’s ability to carry out evidence-based policy making. School-level accountability is further hampered by the limited involvement of communities in school management. Relationship to CPF 7. The Program aligns with three of the four reforms suggested for the education sector in the recent Systematic Country Diagnostic (2018)2, namely (a) promoting early childhood development and particularly preschool, (b) using teacher incentives and accountability tools and (c) adopting ICT-enabled education to serve remote and rural schools. It also squarely aligns with the World Bank Education Strategy ‘Learning for All’ to “invest early, invest smartly and invest for all� as well as the key policy responses outlined in the 2018 World Development Report on Education to “assess learning, act on evidence and align actors�. The Program also is aligned with Middle East and North Africa’s Regional Education Strategy focusing on early childhood development, early years learning and improved accountability. C. Proposed Development Objective(s) 8. Support the Government of Djibouti in increasing equitable access to, and strengthening the teaching and learning conditions in, pre-primary and basic education Key Results (From PCN) • Increase in enrollment rates in basic education (by vulnerable populations, gender, region) • ECE regulatory framework established • Expanded provision of quality ECE • Improved teacher practices (measured through time on task & teacher knowledge; assessments) • Education data dashboard being utilized for policy-making (measured through usage of ICT platform) 1 High drop-out and repetition rates are also likely causes of poverty and language of instruction challenges. 2 These include (1) promoting ECD and particularly preschool, (2) using teacher incentives and accountability tools, (3) strengthening tertiary education and TVET, and (4) adopting ICT-enabled education to serve remote and rural schools. Feb 21, 2019 Page 4 of 7 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) D. Concept Description 9. This Project aims to increase equitable access to improved teaching and learning in pre-primary and basic education through four interrelated strategies by: (a) supporting the establishment of a regulatory framework for ECE and developing ECE programs, (b) improving the learning environment through the expansion of school infrastructure, and (c) supporting teaching and learning by improving learning assessment data interpretation and sharing in all schools so the ministry can better support them while also providing continuous professional development support to teachers. The Project is expected to include the following components: Component 1: Establishing an enabling environment for delivery of high-quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) 1.1 Establishing legal/regulatory framework 1.2 Establishing quality framework/ minimum quality standards 1.3 Equipping preschool department with adequate material and human resources to fulfill its mandate 1.4 Creating preschool classrooms (could include construction of new/ repurposing of existing classrooms) and equipping them with necessary inputs (furniture and learning materials) 1.5 Establishing a system of initial training and continuous professional development for preschool teachers 1.6 Provision of learning materials Component 2: Improve access and retention to basic education 2.1 Increase schooling in disadvantaged areas and for vulnerable populations, and 2.2 Increase retention Component 3: Supporting teaching and learning 3.1 Strengthen learning assessments based on updated learning standards 3.2 Revise year 2 and 5 national exams and introduce formative assessments 3.3 Provide professional development to MENFOP staff to administer assessments, interpret results and adjust teaching 3.4 Strengthen teacher professional development quality and delivery 3.5 Support the development of a school-level coaching mechanism Legal Operational Policies Triggered? Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Screening of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts The Environmental and social risks of the project are deemed moderate. Project activities will be confined to small civil works interventions (rehabilitation of school classes and construction of school buildings) within the facilities of existing schools or on confined public land. Feb 21, 2019 Page 5 of 7 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Note To view the Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts, please refer to the Concept Stage ESRS Document. CONTACT POINT World Bank Samira Halabi, Simon Thacker Senior Education Specialist Borrower/Client/Recipient Republic of Djibouti Implementing Agencies Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (Ministere de l'Education Nationale et de la Formation Mohammed Abdallah Mahyoub Secretary General mohamedabdallahmahyoub@gmail.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Samira Halabi, Simon Thacker Approved By APPROVALTBL Practice Manager/Manager: Country Director: Feb 21, 2019 Page 6 of 7 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Feb 21, 2019 Page 7 of 7