Page 1 INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATASHEET APPRAISAL STAGE I. Basic Information Date prepared/updated: 08/18/2006 Report No.: AC2232 1. Basic Project Data Country: Guatemala Project ID: P089898 Project Name: EDUCATION QUALITY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION Task Team Leader: Joel E. Reyes Estimated Appraisal Date: July 25, 2006 Estimated Board Date: November 30, 2006 Managing Unit: LCSHE Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Sector: Secondary education (65%);Primary education (35%) Theme: Education for all (P);Rural services and infrastructure (P);Indigenous peoples (P);Decentralization (S) IBRD Amount (US$m.): 80.00 IDA Amount (US$m.): 0.00 GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 Other financing amounts by source: BORROWER 20.00 20.00 Environmental Category: C - Not Required Simplified Processing Simple [] Repeater [] Is this project processed under OP 8.50 (Emergency Recovery) Yes [ ] No [X] 2. Project Objectives The Objective of the Education Quality and Secondary Education Project is to improve primary education completion rates for over-age students, and increase access to a quality lower secondary education, especially for indigenous and low income non-indigenous students. The success of the project will be measured by the following Project Development Outcome (PDO) Indicators (the Impact Evaluation will compare 2006 baseline with the 2012 project impact data collection on beneficiary and control regions, schools and students): - 9th Grade Gross Completion Rates (nationally and in targeted regions); - Gross Enrollment rate in lower secondary education, grades 7--9 (nationally and in targeted regions); - Increased intake (access) in grade 7-in modalities supported by the Project; - Proportion of over-age students (13-15 year old) who complete primary education (in Integrated Basic Education Centers); and - 6th grade gross completion rate (nationally and in targeted regions). Page 2 3. Project Description The proposed Project will support three components with inter-dependent objectives: (i) Primary Education Completion and Quality, (ii) Lower Secondary Expansion and Quality, and (iii) School-Based Management focused on Education Quality. Component 1. Primary Education Completion and Quality (US$ 9.47 Million): This component would support an integrated strategy for Basic Education (primary and lower secondary cycles) to increase primary education retention and completion of over-age students, and promote their continued education at the lower secondary education level. To contribute to long-term quality improvements in primary education, the component will also support proposed reforms to the Pre-Service Teacher Training system. Component 2. Access and Quality of Lower Secondary Education (US$70.87 million): This component would support integrated strategies to increase the quality and access to lower secondary education (grades 7-9). It will include support for (i) the curricular reform of secondary education; (ii) strengthening and expansion of existing lower secondary education modalities; and (iii) strengthening education demand programs, such as scholarships and subsidies for enrollment, retention and graduation of low income students. Component 3. School Management in Support of Education Quality (US$ 20 Million): This component will advance the lessons learned on school management strategies implemented at the primary school level through the last decade in Guatemala. The focus will be on increasing the contributions of school-based management to the quality of learning. Also, the supportive and supervisory role of Education Departmental Offices (DDE, Direcciones Departamentales de Educacion) will be strengthened by improving their decentralized functions in pedagogical technical assistance, school planning, result evaluation support and supervision, and administrative procedures. 4. Project Location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis Project will be implemented in indigenous and poor non-indigenous areas of Guatemala. Inclusion and/or scope of infrastructure, investment has not been defined yet. 5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Ms Ximena B. Traa-Valarezo (LCSHH) Page 3 6. Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) X Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) X Forests (OP/BP 4.36) X Pest Management (OP 4.09) X Cultural Property (OPN 11.03) X Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) X Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) X Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) X Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) X Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) X II. Key Safeguard Policy Issues and Their Management A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: The Social Assessment and Indigenous Development Plan (IPP) preparation was completed, and contributed to the specific strategies to reach low income; rural and indigenous populations (see Annex 10). The 10 project-targeted regions-identified based on an index of education efficiency-have up to 70% of indigenous population. Indigenous specific-earmarked activities are detailed in Annex 10; in addition to earmarked investments, Indigenous Students will also benefit from other general Project investments. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: N/A 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. N/A 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. The intercultural and Bilingual Viceministry and DIGEBI (General Directorate of Bilingual and Intercultural Education) participated actively in the elaboration of the IPP and will support its implementation. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. The project design is taking into consideration recommendations and lessons learned from the Integrated Social Assessment carried out as part of project preparation in 2006, and other consultations carried out at the central, departmental and municipal levels since 2000. Page 4 1.1 Integrated Social Assessment An Integrated Social Assessment was carried out by a local independent consulting team under the coordination of the Technical and Bilingual Vice-Ministries of MINEDUC: DICADE, DIGEBI and DIGEEX. Results of the consultations were incorporated in the project design. A purposeful sample of 61 schools (28 primary, 22 lower secondary (basicos), and 11 upper secondary education schools (diversificados) were selected, to include both all-Spanish and Bilingual (Spanish-Indigenous language), public and private schools in 35 communities located in 7 Departments of Guatemala (Huehuetenango, Alta Verapaz, Totonicapan, Quiche, Jalapa, Suchitepequez and San Marcos). Some 608 students, 212 teachers, 81 parents, 44 graduates of primary and lower secondary schools, and 57 school principals were consulted through focus groups or interviews. The assessment explored (a) alternative pedagogical modalities such as Guate- Telesecundaria, Tutorial Learning System (SAT), School-home system (NUFED), the Association of Mayan Lower Secondary Education Centers (ACEM), Lower Secondary Technical school, and (b) alternative financing/ administration modalities: by central government (MINEDUC), by communal boards or COEDUCA (PRONADE), by cooperatives (tripartite financing: national-municipal-community), or by private financing (NGOs, Associations). The main objectives of the social assessment were: (a) mapping and social analysis of the education conditions of the rural and peri-urban primary, lower secondary and secondary schools, particularly of low-income over-aged youths of 13 to 18 years of age, at risk of desertion, multiple repetition, social or academic un-adjustment; (b) to analyze (i) the social feasibility of the strategies and modalities suggested by the project components for the non-Indigenous as well as the Indigenous schools taking into account the opinions, perceptions and preferences of stakeholders and beneficiaries, and (ii) the participation and social communication schemes for the project based on the present and potential social organization of the school communities in the different modalities being assessed. The main findings (conclusions) of the social assessment included: (i) Primary Education General conclusion The low level of education of parents impedes critical appreciation of academic deficiencies in Math and Language standards in primary school. Most parents think quality is acceptable, while reality shows that 40% of students fail these subjects in seventh grade. Additional reinforcement is recommended to avoid failure. Ethnicity - Indigenous self-identification and the identification by others may vary greatly, thus, the importance of including the ethnic variables in the information systems, so that information can be adequately disaggregated. For example, in Suchitepequez, while 96% Page 5 of students self-identified as Indigenous, the Principal and teachers identified the student body as non-Indigenous because students neither wear the Indigenous costume nor speak an Indigenous language at school. Overage, repetition, desertion, - Late entrance to preschool and overage is more common in Indigenous than in non-Indigenous areas. 58% of students in San Marcos, 37% in Quiche, 31% in Alta Verapaz, but only 4% in Japala (ladino) were over-aged. Some 6th graders interviewed in Alta Verapaz and Suchitepequez were 17-18 yrs old. Some of the parents' reasons to delay entrance to preschools are: (a) parents don't want young children walking to school alone; and (b) they don't like language shock at school. - Over-aged students tend to suffer from low self-esteem and social inadequacy. - Some of the reasons expressed by children for dropping-out or repeating a grade were: (a) poverty (they go to school without breakfast), (b) parents take children out of school for farming or migration to the lowlands, (c) some children do not have time for homework during seasonal agricultural work. - First grade teachers have embraced the message to improve the repetition indicator, but they require guidance to keep quality standards. - The highest repetition indicators were not found in the Indigenous communities, but in the East and Southern Coast of the country, where communities are non- Indigenous. - One of the biggest causes of desertion of school girls is teenage pregnancy. However, there is total absence of programs targeted to control the problem. (ii) Lower Secondary Education - Costs incurred, i.e. uniforms, transportation, books, deter access to schools. Given the choice of wearing or not wearing a uniform, ladino students opt for wearing it (as a sign of distinction and status) but Indigenous girls continue to wear their traditional huipil. - The gender gap of access to schools increases as costs in Lower Secondary school increase, making it more difficult for girls to finance LSS costs. Repetition and drop-out rates of those girls who attend LSS are lower for girls than for boys. - Conventional schools (public) seem to be favored by parents over all because costs are lower, they have their own building, and they have more teachers. Telesecundaria is the next favored option because of its affordability and evening hours of operation, although the existing ones are ill-equipped. - Most teachers are insufficiently trained. Only one third of teachers interviewed had a Teaching Diploma (high school) or three years of College approved. Cooperative Institutes are financially ill-prepared to attract specialized teachers. It is not uncommon to find primary school teachers teaching lower secondary, or a lower secondary school language teacher teaching sciences, or a secretary teaching a Language class (the latter are graduates from a 100-hours Training Program at the American Guatemalan Institute). - The 2005 standardized tests for ninth graders show big deficiencies in NUFED and IGER systems and better results for Telesecundaria. Page 6 Recommendations were provided both for the general education system, as well as for the specific project design; these include: General Sector Recommendations: (i) Ethnic and educational variables - Include the variables "pueblo (ethnicity)" and "mother tongue (L1)" in the information systems, so that data can be disaggregated. - School education statistics should be publicized and discussed with teachers and parents, using comparators at local, municipal or departmental levels. Otherwise, teachers have a myopic inward classroom-centered view. (ii) Preschools - In Indigenous areas, all the preschools should be bilingual, not Spanish, as children need the opportunity to make the transition from native language to Spanish in a non-traumatic fashion. Overage also occurs when parents delay preschool entrance until the child learns some Spanish before approaching the school. Project Specific: (i) Accelerated Primary Education Programs - Disseminate clear guidelines for the accelerated program: ages targeted, flexible schedules (to account for students who work), facilities needed (some schools will need to build an extra classroom), duration, and expected participation of teachers and parents commitment. - The demand of accelerated programs is uneven. Not all schools need it. Not all schools are ready for it. - Teacher recruitment and training should be voluntary on the part of the teachers. Consider training other unemployed teachers available in communities. - Teacher training should be paced: initial training plus follow-up in-service training to deal with local problems (bilingualism, students' lethargy after long absence from school). - Careful selection and elaboration of materials is crucial. (ii) Lower Secondary Education - Introductory reinforcement of remedial Math and Language courses at the beginning of seventh grade. - Scholarships and subsidies should be targeted for traditionally excluded students for costs that would deter them from accessing schools (inc. uniforms, transportation, books) - Telesecundaria is considered by parents as the best alternative to conventional schools with more potential to reach-out to isolated areas. It is recommended that, before opening new Telesecundarias, the existing ones be strengthened and equipped adequately. Page 7 B. Disclosure Requirements Date Indigenous Peoples Plan/Planning Framework: Date of receipt by the Bank 06/23/2006 Date of "in-country" disclosure 09/04/2006 Date of submission to InfoShop 08/09/2006 * If the project triggers the Pest Management and/or Cultural Property, the respective issues are to be addressed and disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment/Audit/or EMP. If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why: Note: The in-country disclosure of the IPP is being processed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Guatemala. C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) OP/BP 4.10 - Indigenous Peoples Has a separate Indigenous Peoples Plan/Planning Framework (as appropriate) been prepared in consultation with affected Indigenous Peoples? Yes If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Sector Manager review the plan? Yes If the whole project is designed to benefit IP, has the design been reviewed and approved by the Regional Social Development Unit or Sector Manager? N/A The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the World Bank's Infoshop? Yes Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? No All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included in the project cost? Yes Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? Yes Page 8 D. Approvals Signed and submitted by: Name Date Task Team Leader: Mr Joel E. Reyes 08/17/2006 Environmental Specialist: Social Development Specialist Ms Ximena B. Traa-Valarezo 08/11/2006 Additional Environmental and/or Social Development Specialist(s): Approved by: Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Mr Douglas J. Graham 08/18/2006 Comments: Sector Manager: Mr Eduardo Velez Bustillo 08/18/2006 Comments: