ISLAMABAD: In order to support Sindh Government’s efforts to increase school participation and measure student achievement by improving sector governance and accountability and strengthening administrative systems, the World Bank has approved a package of assistance worth $400 million.
“Improving school participation is a priority in Sindh as the government has underlined this further by passing Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act,” said Rachid Benmessaoud, Country Director for the World Bank Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Umbreen Arif, task team leader of the project said “We anticipate that the Second Sindh Education Sector Reform Program (SERP II) will contribute to substantial improvements in education sector service delivery and management over the next three years, by directly focusing improvement efforts on students, teachers and education managers.”
The SERP II will provide financial, technical, and advisory support through a results-based specific investment credit with the majority of disbursements contingent on the satisfactory achievement of pre-specified program implementation progress and performance targets in ten initiatives that aim to address gaps in and/or current poor practices in education sector management and governance.
The credit is financed from the International Development Association (IDA), and will be on standard IDA blend terms, with a maturity of 25 years, including a grace period of 5 years.
DND