ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK RRP:VIE 31039

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

OF THE

PRESIDENT

TO THE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ON A

PROPOSED LOAN

TO THE

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM

FOR THE

TEACHER TRAINING PROJECT

November 1999

CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS(as of 14 November 1999)

Currency Unit – Dong (D)D1.00 = $0.000071$1.00 = D14,008

For the purpose of calculations in this report, a rate of $1.00 = D13,890 has been used. This wasthe rate prevailing at the time of project loan appraisal.

ABBREVIATIONS

ADB - Asian Development BankBME - benefit monitoring and evaluationCSC - curriculum steering committeeDOET - provincial department of education and trainingEA - Executing AgencyGDP - gross domestic productGER - gross enrollment rateHCMC - Ho Chi Minh CityISP - internet service providerLCB - local competitive biddingMA - Masters of ArtsM.Ed. - Masters of EducationMOET - Ministry of Education and TrainingMOF - Ministry of FinanceMPI - Ministry of Planning and InvestmentNER - net enrollment rateNIES - National Institute of Educational ScienceO&M - operations and maintenancePIU - project implementation unitPPIU - provincial project implementation unitPSC - project steering committeeQA - quality assuranceSBV - State Bank of Viet NamTA - technical assistanceTTC - teacher training collegeTTS - teacher training schoolTTU - teacher training university (university of pedagogy)TVET - technical and vocational education and training

NOTES

(i) The fiscal year (FY) of the Government ends on 31 December.(ii) In this report, “$” refers to US dollars.

CONTENTS

Page

LOAN AND PROJECT SUMMARY ii

MAP vi

I. THE PROPOSAL 1

II. INTRODUCTION 1

III. BACKGROUND 1

A. Socioeconomic Context and Poverty Issues 1B. The Education Sector 2C. Issues in Lower Secondary Education 5D. Government Policies and Plans 7E. External Assistance to the Sector 8F. Lessons Learned 9G. The Bank’s Sectoral Strategy 9H. Policy Dialogue 10

IV. THE PROPOSED PROJECT 11

A. Rationale 11B. Objectives and Scope 12C. Cost Estimates 20D. Financing Plan 21E. Implementation Arrangements 21F. The Executing Agency 24G. Environmental and Social Measures 25

V. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION 27

A. Socioeconomic Analysis 27B. Social Dimensions 30

VI. ASSURANCES 30

VII. RECOMMENDATION 32

APPENDIXES 33

LOAN AND PROJECT SUMMARY

Borrower The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

Project Description The Project will assist the Government in improving the quality andefficiency of the lower secondary education subsector by improving thepreservice teacher training system for lower secondary education interms of quality, access, and institutional capacity. The Project willcomplement the ongoing Bank Loan 1537-VIE: Lower SecondaryEducation Development Project, aimed at improving the lower secondaryschool curriculum and in-service teacher training system, as part of thecountry’s lower secondary education reform process. The Project willalso create synergies with the ongoing project by revising the preserviceteacher training curriculum to match the new lower secondary schoolcurriculum. While the Project will contribute to improving the quality andinstitutional capacity of the preservice teacher training system for lowersecondary education nationwide, it will focus on 10 selecteddisadvantaged provinces in upgrading facilities and increasing access toteacher training colleges (TTCs) among the poor, especially ethnicminorities who are the poorest of the poor.

Classification Primary: Human developmentSecondary: Poverty reduction

EnvironmentalAssessment

Category CEnvironmental implications were reviewed, and no significant adverseenvironmental impacts were identified.

Rationale The increasing market orientation of Viet Nam's economic activities,together with the growing number of graduates of primary education, iscreating substantial social demand and manpower requirements for abetter educated workforce beyond primary school. While primaryeducation provides basic cognitive skills, lower secondary educationprovides the solid foundation for producing an adaptive and competitiveworkforce to sustain high economic growth. Accordingly, lower secondaryschool enrollments increased significantly from 3.1 million students in1993 to 5.3 million in 1997. The Government projected that enrollmentswill reach 7.9 million students by 2005. Because of the rapid expansion,the quality of lower secondary education has deteriorated. The poorquality is due mainly to an unsuitable curriculum and shortages ofphysical facilities and human resources (including qualified teachers).The lack of adequately trained teachers is also a major cause of lowinternal efficiency, as indicated by the high dropout and repetition rates of8.1 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, in 1997.

Poor teaching quality stems from the outdated teacher training curriculumand teaching methods, and overcrowded facilities. Teachers are trainedin one major subject and one minor subject. The result is bothoverspecialization and inefficient utilization of teachers since they aregenerally unable to teach their minor subjects. While in-service teachertraining can improve the teaching performance of existing teachers, thetraining of new teachers through an improved preservice system will be a

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long-term solution to the problem of low teaching quality. It will enhanceoverall teachers’ performance and their ability to handle the new lowersecondary school curriculum. It will also prepare a sufficiently largenumber of qualified new lower secondary school teachers in the nearfuture to improve the existing student/teacher ratio of 29:1 and preventfurther deterioration in teaching quality. The Government has requestedthe Bank to continue its lead role in the development of lower secondaryeducation. The Project is in line with the Government’s priority in theeducation sector and with the Bank’s Country Operational Strategy,which emphasizes efficient economic growth with equity, povertyreduction, and environmentally sound development.

Objectives and Scope

The overall objective of the Project is to assist the Government inimproving the quality and efficiency of the lower secondary educationsubsector by providing lower secondary students with a sufficient numberof qualified teachers. The specific objectives of the Project are to improvethe quality, access to, and institutional capacity of the preservice teachertraining system for lower secondary education. The Project has threecomponents to meet the objectives: (i) improve the quality of thepreservice teacher training program for lower secondary education byrevising the curriculum, student textbooks, and teacher manuals of TTCs;providing these materials to TTC libraries and to poor students through atextbook lending scheme; upgrading the knowledge of TTC teachers;providing support for the development of three model TTCs in threeselected cities where the new curriculum and materials will be piloted;and reestablishing an external assessment system for TTC; (ii) improvefacilities and access to TTCs in 10 selected disadvantaged provinces byproviding facilities and a transition program to improve pre-entrancequalifications to TTCs for ethnic minorities; and (iii) strengthen thecapacity of institutions involved in preservice teacher training by providingtraining in management and technical skills to relevant staff of the centraland provincial institutions to support and sustain the reforms.

Cost Estimates The total cost of the Project is estimated at $35.4 million equivalent,including taxes, duties, and an interest charge on the Bank loan, andphysical and price contingencies. The foreign exchange cost is estimatedat $18.5 million (52 percent of the total cost) and the local currency costis estimated at $16.9 million equivalent (48 percent of the total cost).

Financing Plan ($ million)Source Foreign Local Total Percent

Exchange Currency CostBank 18.1 6.9 25.0 70.6Government 0.0 10.0 10.0 28.3Cofinancing (New Zealand) 0.4 0.0 0.4 1.1

Total 18.5 16.9 35.4 100.0

It is proposed that the Bank provide a loan of $25 million (70.6 percent ofthe total project cost) to finance $18.1 million of the foreign exchangecost and $6.9 million equivalent of the local cost. The Government willprovide $10 million equivalent (28.3 percent of the total project cost) as

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counterpart financing. The Government of New Zealand has agreed toprovide grant cofinancing on a tied and parallel basis, of about $400,000equivalent (about $133,333 equivalent per annum over the first threeyears of the project period), with a possibility of providing additional grantcofinancing after the first three years of the project period.

Loan Amountand Terms

It is proposed that the Bank provide a loan of Special Drawing Rights(SDR) 18,106,000 ($25 million equivalent) from its Special Fundsresources, with a term of 32 years, including a grace period of 8 yearsand an interest charge of 1 percent per annum during the grace periodand 1.5 percent per annum thereafter, and equal amortization.

Period ofUtilization

Until 30 September 2006

ImplementationArrangements

The Project will be implemented by a project implementation unitestablished within the Executing Agency and by provincial projectimplementation units established within the provincial departments ofeducation and training (DOETs) of the 10 selected disadvantagedprovinces and the three selected cities where model TTCs will bedeveloped. Overall guidance will be provided by a project steeringcommittee, chaired by the relevant Vice Minister of the Ministry ofEducation and Training (MOET), with representation from MOET,Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and Investment, and State Bankof Viet Nam.

Executing Agency Ministry of Education and Training

Procurement All Bank-financed procurement for the Project will be in accordance withthe Bank’s Guidelines for Procurement. Civil works under the Project aresmall and scattered throughout the country and are not likely to attractthe interest of international contractors. Thus, it is proposed that civilworks contracts be awarded on the basis of local competitive bidding(LCB) procedures acceptable to the Bank. For minor rehabilitationcosting less than $50,000 equivalent, the civil works contracts will beawarded on a direct purchase basis. Contracts for the supply of goodsand services (including equipment, furniture, and instructional materials)are expected to be small and are not expected to attract the interest ofinternational suppliers. Contracts are expected to be less than $100,000but some will be grouped together to form larger packages. Contracts of$500,000 or less will be awarded on the basis of international shoppingprocedures. Contracts of $100,000 or less will be procured on localcompetitive bidding (LCB) or direct purchase basis acceptable to theBank. Where many suppliers are locally available, procurement will be ona LCB basis; where provinces are remote, and there are a limited numberof suppliers, procurement will be on a direct purchase basis from thelocal supplier within the province, or from a regional supplier in a nearbyprovince.

ConsultingServices

About 75 person-months of international and about 336 person-months ofdomestic consulting services will be provided to support various aspectsof the Project, including curriculum redesign, materials development,

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textbook lending scheme design, model TTCs development,development of an external assessment system, design of a transitionprogram to improve TTC pre-entrance qualifications for ethnic minorities,and staff development (both in the cited aspects and in institutionalcapacity building in management and other technical skills to underpinthe teacher training reforms). All consultants financed under the loan willbe selected and engaged in accordance with the Bank’s Guidelines onthe Use of Consultants and other arrangements satisfactory to the Bankfor the engagement of domestic consultants.

Estimated ProjectCompletion Date

31 March 2006

Project Benefitsand Beneficiaries

The major project benefits are the contributions to improvements in theinternal efficiency of lower secondary education, as reflected in reduceddropout and repetition rates, since better qualified teachers to beproduced by the Project will have better knowledge of the new curriculumand will be able to deliver teaching more effectively. The new teachingmethodologies to be introduced in the Project, which will be based onstudent-centered approaches, will enable the newly produced teachers tointeract more with students, thus helping improve the performance oftheir students. Moreover, the double major system to be instituted atTTCs will enable the newly produced teachers to teach more than onesubject, thereby increasing the utilization of teachers. These internalefficiency gains are captured by the high economic internal rate of returnestimated at 23 percent.

By the end of the Project (2006), the beneficiaries will include (i) around26,000 TTC students (about 80 percent females) who will complete theirthird year teacher training courses under the new curriculum by the endof the project period, and their successors; and (ii) around 8 million lowersecondary school students (about 50 percent females) enrolled at theend of the project period, and their successors, who will benefit frombetter qualified teachers.

The beneficiaries during the project period (2000-2006) will include(i) around 12,000 students (about 80 percent females), who are thepoorest 50 percent of TTC students in the 10 selected disadvantagedprovinces and in the three cities selected as model TTCs (inclusive of allethnic minority students), will be provided with textbooks under theProject’s textbook lending scheme; (ii) around 4,000 (800 per year for fiveyears) prospective ethnic minorities (about 60 percent females) in the 10disadvantaged provinces who will be recruited to upgrade their pre-entrance qualifications so as to subsequently gain access to TTCs underthe project’s transition program, after which they will become teachers oflower secondary schools in their own communes; and (iii) around 1,500administrative staff from MOET, DOETs, and TTCs (300, 700, and 500respectively), and 5,000 TTC teachers (about 80 percent females), whowill benefit from staff development (mainly in-country short-term training)related to various aspects of teacher training program improvements andto institutional capacity building in management and in other relevanttechnical skills to support and sustain the teacher training reforms.

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I. THE PROPOSAL

1. I submit for your approval the following Report and Recommendation on a proposed loanto the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the Teacher Training Project.

II. INTRODUCTION

2. As requested by the Government, the Bank provided technical assistance (TA)1 betweenAugust 1998 and February 1999 to assist the Government in preparing a teacher training projectto improve the preservice teacher training system for lower secondary education in terms ofquality, access, and institutional capacity. This will be part of Viet Nam’s lower secondaryeducation reforms assisted by the Bank’s ongoing Loan 1537-VIE: Lower Secondary EducationDevelopment Project2 to improve the lower secondary school curriculum and the in-serviceteacher training system. The proposed Project will create synergies with the ongoing project byrevising the preservice teacher training curriculum for lower secondary education to match thenew lower secondary school curriculum. While the proposed Project will contribute to nationwidequality and institutional capacity improvements, it will focus on 10 selected disadvantagedprovinces for increasing facilities and access to teacher training colleges and schools (TTCs,TTSs) among the poor, especially ethnic minorities who are the poorest of the poor. The Bankundertook loan fact-finding in April 1999 and appraisal in July 1999.3 Throughout projectpreparation and appraisal, there were close coordination and consultation with Governmentofficials at the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the provincial departments ofeducation and training (DOETs); Ministry of Finance (MOF); Ministry of Planning and Investment(MPI); State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV); TTCs/TTSs; funding agencies; and expected beneficiariesof the Project (e.g., TTC/TTS teachers and students, lower secondary school teachers andstudents, parents, community representatives, and representatives of ethnic minorities). Theproject framework is in Appendix 1.

III. BACKGROUND

A. Socioeconomic Context and Poverty Issues

3. The population of Viet Nam was estimated to be about 77 million at the end of 1997, witha concomitant high population density of 235 persons per square kilometers. The high annualpopulation growth rate of more than 2 percent in the past—it recently declined to 1.9 percent—resulted in a large proportion of children (23 percent) in the basic education age cohort (aged 6-14). About 80 percent of the population live in rural areas. Of the total population, 87 percent areethnic Vietnamese (Kinh), and the rest consist of 53 ethnic minority groups, with distinctlanguages and cultural practices. Although the ethnic minorities are concentrated in the northernmountainous borderlands, they are found in practically all provinces, comprising less than 1percent to over 90 percent of the population in the provinces.

4. Viet Nam remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita income of$330 in 1997. About 51 percent of the population live below the poverty line,4 which wasestimated to be about $100 per head per year (1992/93 prices).5 However, about half of these

1 TA 2970-VIE: Teacher Training Project, for $600,000, approved on 24 December 1997.2 Loan 1537-VIE: Lower Secondary Education Development Project, for $50 million, approved on 16 September 1997.3 The Mission comprised S. Hutaserani, Project Economist/Mission Leader; C. Wee, Counsel; and E. Sison, Education

Planning and Costing Specialist/Staff Consultant.4 World Bank. 1995. Viet Nam Poverty Assessment and Strategy Report. Report No. 13442-VN. East Asia and Pacific

Region, Country Department I, Washington, DC.5 Poverty incidence estimated by the Government is lower because lower poverty line is used.

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poor people (25 percent of the population) live in hard-core poverty, unable to afford the minimumdaily food requirements of 2,100 calories. Most of them live in the northern mountainousprovinces, the mountainous and coastal areas of the central provinces, and the flood-proneMekong delta of the southern provinces. Viet Nam’s social indicators are relatively good for itsincome level due to the emphasis on social well-being under the past socialist regime. Forexample, it has a moderate Human Development Index of 0.664.6 It has achieved very low levelsof mortality—life expectancy is 67 years and infant mortality rate is 30 per 1,000 live births. Adultliteracy rate is high at 97 percent. The Government adopted the Doi Moi Policy or market-orientedpolicy in 1986, with actual implementation in 1991, to transform the economy into a market-basedsystem through various reform measures such as abolition of price controls, progressive removalof price subsidies to public enterprises, expansion of foreign direct investment, reduction of tradebarriers, and liberalization of foreign exchange controls. The annual growth rate of the grossdomestic product (GDP) has averaged more than 8 percent for most of the 1990s, peaking at 9.5percent in 1996 before slowing down to 7 percent in 1998. Inflation has been kept to a singledigit. Sustained economic growth will, however, depend on an efficient basic education system toproduce quality human resources.

B. The Education Sector

1. Structure

5. The Vietnamese education system consists of five years of primary education, followed byfour years of lower secondary, three years of upper secondary, and four years of highereducation. Since the primary and lower secondary levels are considered as basic education, theywere offered in the same schools. Only in 1991, when the Government wanted to focus first onmaking primary education universal, were most schools for basic education split into separateprimary and lower secondary schools. However, due to the shortage of school buildings, asubstantial number of these separate schools still share the same premises. Upper secondaryeducation and technical and vocational education are offered as three-year courses after lowersecondary education. Short vocational training courses of up to two years are an alternative.University education is offered in four- to six-year courses after upper secondary education.There are also special education courses, namely, complementary education offered to adultscompleting lower secondary education, and continuing education offered to those completingupper secondary education. Professional education, such as teacher training for primaryeducation, is offered at TTCs/TTSs in three-year courses after lower secondary education or intwo-year courses after upper secondary education. Teacher training for lower secondaryeducation is offered at the same TTCs/TTSs as those for primary education in three-year coursesafter upper secondary education. Upper secondary teachers are trained in four-year courses atteacher training universities (TTUs) or universities of pedagogy.

2. Size

6. Primary schools totaling 13,000 in 1997 are found in almost all villages throughout thecountry. In the same year, there were about 7,000 lower secondary schools, 3,000 basic schools(offering both primary and lower secondary education), 800 upper secondary schools, and 800combined lower and upper secondary schools. With the emphasis on social development in thepast regime, gross enrollment rate (GER) for primary education has been high (over 100) evenprior to primary education was made as compulsory in 1991.7 During 1993-1997, enrollments at

6 Based on the most recent Human Development Index developed by the United Nations Development Programme,

Human Development Report, 1999, Viet Nam ranked as 110 among 174 countries (1997).7 GER is the total enrollment in a grade level, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage (sometimes exceeding

100 percent) of the population in the officially defined school-age group for the level.

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the primary level increased from 9.7 million to 10.6 million (with GER of 117 percent). During thisperiod, enrollments at the lower secondary level expanded even faster at an average annualgrowth rate of around 14 percent, from 3.1 million to 5.3 million (with GER of 64 percent) toabsorb the growing number of primary school graduates. The major characteristics andperformance indicators of primary and lower secondary education are in Appendix 2. Enrollmentsat the upper secondary level also expanded rapidly at an average annual growth rate of around18 percent, from 724,369 to 1.4 million (with GER of 25 percent). Females accounted for almost50 percent of the total enrollments at both primary and lower secondary levels, and for 46 percentat the upper secondary level.

7. The rapid increases in secondary enrollments have led to facility shortages (classroomsand teachers). In 1997, the number of classes at the primary, and lower and upper secondarylevels were 323,353, 125,456, and 28,747 respectively, resulting in class sizes of 33, 42, and 48,respectively. About 80 percent of secondary schools have to operate more than one shift. Withthe teachers for the three education levels numbering 325,777, 179,512, and 46,979, theresulting student/teacher ratios were 32.4, 29.3, and 29.6, respectively. Although the ratios of lessthan 30 for the lower and upper secondary levels are not considered too high, they represent arapid increase from 23.4 and 21.2, respectively, in 1993, and are expected to increase rapidly inthe future unless the number of teachers at both levels can be expanded enough to keep pacewith the rapid enrollment growth. For lower secondary education, the Government has come upwith an expansion plan to produce more teachers under the so-called Program-IV (para. 24) byincreasing the physical facilities of TTCs/TTSs and almost doubling TTC/TTS enrollments fromthe average of about 15,000 students in 1997 to about 28,000 students per year. This will almostdouble the total TTC/TTS enrollments during the three-year program for lower secondaryeducation from 44,000 students to about 84,000 students.

8. Teacher training for primary and lower secondary education is provided under differentprograms in the same TTC/TTS in each of the country’s 61 provinces. The teacher trainingprogram for primary education takes three years after completing lower secondary education ortwo years after completing upper secondary education, whereas that for lower secondaryeducation takes three years after completing upper secondary education. Each province has itsown TTC/TTS, which is operated by its provincial DOET under the supervision of MOET. The 61provinces have 45 TTCs and 16 TTSs. TTSs differ from TTCs in that their teaching staff andphysical facilities are insufficient to meet the minimum requirements for becoming TTCs.However, with the Government plan to expand TTC/TTS enrollments under Program-IV, bothTTS teaching staff and physical facilities have been expanded to upgrade the remaining TTSs toTTCs by 2001.8 At present, TTS students receive certificates from TTCs in nearby provinces aftergraduation. In addition to the 61 TTCs/TTSs under DOETs, there are six TTCs operated byMOET (two in Hanoi, two in Ho Chi Minh City [HCMC], one in Nha Trang, and one in Tay Bac).The six are specialized TTCs at the regional level, offering training only in physical education orart and music, or both. Teacher training for upper secondary education is provided in a four-yearprogram at nine TTUs.

9. The 61 TTCs/TTSs have a total enrollment of about 75,000 students: about 31,000students are in the primary education program and 44,000 students (about 15,000 students peryear) in the lower secondary program. The enrollments for both programs have been targeted forexpansion under the Government’s Program-IV. That is, the lower secondary programenrollments are expected to almost double to around 84,000 students (28,000 students per year)to keep pace with the rapidly growing lower secondary enrollments, which are expected to reach8 million by mid-2000s. In the 61 TTCs/TTSs, there are about 7,300 teachers, of which about 8 Since the Government has a plan to upgrade all TTSs to TTCs by 2001, the remaining sections of this report will

refer to TTCs/TTSs as TTCs to avoid confusion.

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2,300 belong to the primary education program and 5,000 to the lower secondary program,although many teachers teach both programs. The TTC/TTS student/teacher ratios are about13:1 for the primary education program and about 9:1 for the lower secondary program. Only 13percent of TTC/TTS teachers have master’s degrees (MA/M.Ed.).

3. Administration

10. The administration of education and training is shared among the central, provincial, anddistrict governments and the communities, with centralized decision making and decentralizedimplementation. While primary education is administered by district governments andcommunities, secondary and professional education (including teacher training) are administeredby provincial governments (DOETs) under the supervision of MOET and the provincial People’sCommittees. Each DOET is headed by a director, with some vice directors.

11. Although MOET is more involved in administering higher education and some specializedupper secondary technical institutions, basically it is responsible for all education and training inthe country in terms of policy formulation, guidance, and supervision. It is headed by the ministerof Education and Training, with four vice ministers. MOET has 16 departments, two researchinstitutes, and associated service units. Secondary education and teacher training are theresponsibility of the Department of Secondary Education and the Department of TeacherTraining, respectively. The National Institute of Educational Science (NIES) develops curricula,and the Education Publishing House develops and publishes textbooks. The Institute for SchoolDesign is in charge of school building design and civil works supervision. School equipment is theresponsibility of the two Education Equipment Companies.

4. Financing

12. Concomitant with the Government’s national priority set in 1993, which accorded toppriority to the education sector, the share of public recurrent expenditure allocated to educationhas been increasing from less than 15 percent to around 19 percent recently. It is expected toincrease more during the next decade. Given the target of achieving universal primary educationby 2000, the largest education share of about 30 percent has been allocated to primaryeducation, followed by lower secondary education (20 percent), university and college education(13 percent), upper secondary education (8 percent), technical and vocational education (8percent), and preschool education (6 percent). The remaining 15 percent goes to other categoriesof education and research. As lower secondary enrollments are estimated to reach 8 million bythe mid-2000s, the lower secondary budget share is expected to increase slightly to reflect theGovernment’s target of achieving universal lower secondary education in urban areas by 2010.The increase after 2005 is expected to be faster as the target of universal primary education willhave been fully achieved, even in remote mountainous areas, so that some resources can bereleased to focus on lower secondary education.

13. There exist cost-sharing mechanisms in the public education financing system, whichfollow the structure of administration. That is, for primary education, district governments pay forthe salaries of teachers, communities pay for investment costs of building construction, andparents’ associations for operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. For secondary education,provincial governments share the responsibility with communities and parents’ associations. Thecentral Government finances higher education. Cost recovery also exists in the public educationfinancing system: tuition fees were introduced in 1989 at the postprimary levels, with the officialfee structure introduced in 1993. Monthly tuition fees for lower secondary school students areD3,000-6,000 (about $0.22-0.43) in urban areas, depending on grade, and D2,000-5,000 (about$0.14-0.36) in rural areas. Students also pay annual contributions of D10,000-25,000 (about

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$0.72-1.8), depending on the region, and pay around D47,600 (about $3.4) for textbooks peryear. The annual contributions are waived for needy students. All fees are waived for ethnicminority students. Scholarships are available to gifted and poor students (including all ethnicminorities). Although the tuition fees were recently abolished to attract more TTC students, TTCstudents also pay annual contributions and pay for textbooks as do the lower secondary schoolstudents. There are few private schools in Viet Nam since all private schools were absorbed intothe public education system during the 1950s. Greater flexibility was introduced recently,particularly at higher levels of education. Private providers now account for only 4 percent ofstudents at the lower secondary level.

C. Issues in Lower Secondary Education

1. Access

14. Since primary education became compulsory in 1991, the country has made goodprogress in achieving almost universal primary education, with a net enrollment rate (NER) ofover 90 percent and GER of 117 in 1997.9 While primary education is still short of being universalonly in highly inaccessible mountainous and delta areas, access to lower secondary education,though increasing significantly, is still limited to only half of the age cohort. For lower secondaryeducation, NER was 48 percent and GER 64 percent in 1997. Limited access to lower secondaryeducation, especially by ethnic minorities, remains a problem. Ethnic minority enrollments wereonly 5 percent of the total lower secondary enrollments in 1997.

15. Inadequate access to lower secondary education is caused by both the demand- andsupply-side factors. On the supply side, unlike primary schools, which are available in allcommunes, only about 85 percent of the communes have lower secondary schools. Distance toschool poses a serious problem. Although many lower secondary schools provide board speciallyto ethnic minority students, the desire of ethnic minority parents to send their children, especiallygirls, to boarding schools is suppressed by cultural values. The situation is compounded by thehigh opportunity costs of schooling as opposed to working on the farm. Another supply-side factoris the shortage of physical and support facilities. The rapid increase in lower secondaryenrollments has put a pressure on classrooms. Average class size increased from 39 to 42 during1993-1997 (Appendix 2). The problem has been aggravated by the separation of basic schoolsinto primary and lower secondary schools but without the provision of additional space. Manyschools have resorted to double or even triple shifting. While the former can be considered as anefficient way to use scarce classrooms provided that curriculum, teaching methods, andmanagement systems are appropriate, the latter will reduce teaching quality through inadequateteacher contact time. Other physical facilities (library and laboratory spaces), together withsupport facilities (lavatories and water), are also inadequate.

16. Access to TTCs is also limited, particularly for ethnic minorities in remote andmountainous areas, by both the demand and supply sides. On the supply side, although eachprovince has its own TTC, this is usually located in the center of the province, far from the ethnicminority areas. Inadequate physical facilities (classrooms, library and laboratory space, and studyareas) also limit the enrollment capacity of TTCs. On the demand side, although boardingfacilities are provided for ethnic minorities and other poor students at all TTCs, ethnic minorityparents are reluctant to send their teenage daughters to boarding schools. Coupled with the highopportunity costs of schooling, ethnic minority enrollments at TTCs are low, especially for girls. Inthe 10 disadvantaged provinces selected in this Project to increase ethnic minorities’ access toTTCs, ethnic minority enrollments are only 8 percent. However, in an attempt to meet the target 9 NER is the number of pupils in the official school-age group expressed as a percentage of the total population in that

age group.

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of universal lower secondary education in urban areas by 2010, the Government has beenexpanding the physical capacity of both lower secondary schools and TTCs. Loan 1537-VIE(para. 2) also assists in improving physical and support facilities in 234 lower secondary schoolsin the 10 disadvantaged provinces. This Project will assist in improving facilities and access toTTCs in those provinces.

2. Quality

a. Internal Efficiency

17. Poor quality and low internal efficiency are major problems in the basic education system(primary and lower secondary education combined). Poor quality is due to poor curricula andinsufficient quality-enhancing inputs (textbooks, instructional materials, and qualified teachers).Resulting largely from poor quality, low internal efficiency is reflected in high dropout andrepetition rates, which waste scarce resources. In 1997, the average dropout and repetition ratesin primary education were 6 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively; in lower secondary education,the figures were 8 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively. The result is a low completion rate of 69percent in the primary and lower secondary cycles. The internal efficiency measures for bothlevels are expected to improve during the 2000s (Appendix 2) as the Government’s primaryeducation reforms (part of which is supported by the World Bank) and lower secondary educationreforms (part of which is supported by Loan 1537-VIE and another part by this Project) takeeffect.

b. Curriculum

18. The existing lower secondary curriculum is not suited to the demand of the marketeconomy since it is too extensive for the length of time available, too structured, and inflexible. Itcovers 16 subjects over a 40-week period. With the need in many schools to reduce school hoursto accommodate double or even triple shifting, the breadth of the curriculum cannot be completedeasily. The complexity of the curriculum also requires a greater number of teachers, thusimposing a heavy financial burden on the Government. The World Bank has been providingsupport for curriculum reforms at the primary level. The Bank has taken the lead role insupporting curriculum reforms at the lower secondary level through TA 2690-VIE10 and Loan1537-VIE (para. 2). The TA proposed a new curriculum framework for lower secondary schoolsby combining the many subjects into 10 subject groups (mathematics, science, history,geography, civics education, Vietnamese language/literature, foreign languages, technology, artand music, and physical education) and providing a new syllabus outline for each subject group.It also developed a new curriculum framework for in-service teacher training to be consistent withthe new lower secondary school curriculum. Loan 1537-VIE developed the new curriculum andsubject syllabi as the basis for writing student textbooks and workbooks as well as teachermanuals, which will be pilot-tested for grades 6-9 during school years 2000/01-2003/04, startingwith grade 6 in 2000/01.

c. Teachers

19. Although the student/teacher ratio of 29.3 for lower secondary schools in 1997 was notexcessive compared with 35-40 in other countries in the region, many teachers have had tohandle double or even triple shifts due to inadequate classrooms. This is one reason for the lowteaching quality. Moreover, almost 20 percent of lower secondary education teachers remainuntrained as teachers. Trained teachers can normally teach only one subject because of the 10 TA 2690-VIE: Lower Secondary Curriculum and In-Service Teacher Training Systems Development Project, for

$1,000,000, approved on 20 November 1996.

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excessive specialization of the curricula in the secondary schools and TTCs. Thus, teachershortages in some specialized subjects (including art and music) remain a problem. There are 15subject areas taught in TTCs (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history, geography,civics education, Vietnamese language/literature, English, French, agricultural technology,industrial technology, art, music, and physical education), with one major and one minor subject.Given the major-minor time allocation of 70:30, the time for the minor subject is too limited toallow TTC students to specialize in the minor subject. Moreover, teaching methodologies do notencourage active participation by students.

20. This Project will contribute to the Government’s lower secondary education reforms byrevising the existing TTC preservice curriculum (including teaching methodologies) to be in linewith the new lower secondary school curriculum developed under Loan 1537-VIE. A system ofdouble major will also be considered. The revised TTC curriculum will be used as the basis inrevising TTC student textbooks and teacher manuals.

D. Government Policies and Plans

1. Policies and Plans for Poverty Reduction

21. Viet Nam being one of the poorest countries in the world, with poverty incidence of about51 percent (1992/93 prices) and hard-core poverty incidence of 25 percent, the Government hasidentified three strategies for reducing poverty: (i) sustaining rapid economic growth to expandemployment opportunities, increase efficiency in resources use, and thus significantly reducepoverty; (ii) providing adequate social services (especially basic education, basic health care,family planning, and nutrition) to equip the poor with basic skills for taking full advantage of newemployment opportunities, thus attacking one of the principal causes of poverty; and(iii) reorienting social safety nets or antipoverty programs (including pensions and social reliefs) toprovide more benefits to the poorest 20 percent of the population, who are currently receivingonly 7 percent of the benefits of these programs compared with 40 percent received by therichest 20 percent.

2. Policies and Plans for Promoting Education

22. The Government’s and the Party’s general policies on education have been presented ina number of documents, including the Education Development Policy (ratified in January 1993);the five-year plan for 1996-2000 (endorsed by the July 1996 Party Congress); guidelines for adevelopment strategy for education (approved in December 1996); and the Education Law(approved in December 1998). On the basis of these policies and plans, the development ofeducation was accorded top national priority as the key instrument for facilitating socioeconomicreforms and sustaining the favorable economic performance of the last decade. Education isconsidered a prerequisite for the realization of other socioeconomic goals, including reducingpopulation growth and improving primary health care. The goals of education are to enhanceexcellence, efficiency, and equity. However, with cost recovery as a requirement, the Governmentwill retain equity policies to create favorable conditions that will enable the poor to study.

23. The Government’s broad education sector targets for the next decade are (i) elimination ofilliteracy, (ii) universal primary education by 2000, (iii) universal lower secondary education inurban areas by 2010, and (iv) gradual expansion of upper secondary education to promoteindustrialization and economic modernization. Broad strategies to achieve these targets includeredesigning the curricula of basic education (for both students and teachers), improving teachingmethodologies, increasing learning facilities and access in disadvantaged areas, strengtheninginstitutional capacity, and identifying external sources to finance the reforms. With primary

8

education close to being universal, the Government has shifted its attention to lower secondaryeducation, alongside primary education, by focusing on physical capacity expansion and qualityimprovements with external support from funding agencies.

24. The policy shift is demonstrated in the pattern of Government investments since 1995.Provinces have been supported by increased subventions to expand their physical facilities forlower secondary education, alongside those for primary education, under the Government’sProgram-IV, a special multi-million dollar Teacher Training Upgrading and StrengtheningProgram. This program was initiated in 1994 and has been cofunded by the central and provincialgovernments on a 50:50 basis, with higher central Government subsidies for the mostdisadvantaged provinces. A master plan, designed for the implementation of this program, aimedat putting in place sufficient basic infrastructure by expanding TTC classrooms, and boarding andadministrative facilities threefold and by establishing a TTC in every province to meet theprovincial demand for primary and lower secondary education teachers. Most facilities had beencompleted and commissioned by late 1998. Toward the end of the 1990s, with the basicinfrastructure in place, the Government will focus attention on the quality aspects of teachertraining. Given the high priority on education, especially basic education, and the continuing higheconomic growth of 6-7 percent per annum, the necessary resources will be available for theGovernment to achieve the Program-IV target of physical capacity expansion. This will lay thefoundation for quality improvements of teacher training to be supported by this Project.

E. External Assistance to the Sector

25. Since 1991, external assistance to the education sector from multilateral and bilateralfunding agencies has focused on primary education. The United Nations Children’s Fundprovided support for the development of primary and preschool education ($7 million). Australiaassisted in the establishment of an English language center, with training and scholarshipprograms ($12.5 million). Belgium has provided assistance in distance training for primaryeducation teachers in five disadvantaged provinces ($2.5 million) and teacher training for basiceducation in seven disadvantaged provinces ($1.3 million). Canada has contributed to improvingthe capacity of the National Institute for Education Development in strategic planning for primaryeducation ($0.5 million). The European Union has supported improvements in MOET capacity ineducation management and an information system ($7.5 million). Japan provided assistance forprimary schools in flood-prone areas ($51 million). The World Bank gave the largest support toprimary education–$70 million for curriculum development, textbook writing, provision of teachingaids, and rehabilitation of primary schools in selected provinces. The World Bank is currentlypreparing another project on teacher training for primary education, focusing on improvingprimary school teachers’ quality, utilization, and remuneration system. The project will becofinanced by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.

26. The World Bank is also providing assistance to higher education ($83.3 million), with thefocus on quality improvements for universities and building the capacity of institutions for highereducation. Earlier, the sources of support for higher education included Canada for institutionallinkages between Canadian and Vietnamese universities ($8.2 million), Japan for upgrading CanTho University ($20.5 million), and the Netherlands for strengthening university researchcapabilities ($5 million).

27. The Bank is a key funding agency for technical and vocational education and training(TVET), with a project for $54 million aimed at improving the quality of 15 key TVET institutions toserve as demonstration schools in disseminating nationwide TVET reforms.11 The project is

11 Loan 1655-VIE: Vocational and Technical Education Project, for $54 million, approved on 11 December 1998.

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cofinanced by France and the Nordic Development Fund, and probably Japan. Earlier assistanceto TVET came from Germany for vocational teacher training schools ($12 million) and theRepublic of Korea for renovating two vocational training schools ($5.3 million).

28. The Bank has taken the lead role in providing assistance to lower secondary education,initiated by Loan 1537-VIE (para. 2), for $50 million, focusing on the development of a newcurriculum, textbooks, and teacher manuals for lower secondary schools as well as for lowersecondary in-service teacher training; provision of teaching aids; and rehabilitation of lowersecondary schools in selected provinces. The Project is cofinanced by Belgium. With the growingnumber of funding agencies actively involved in the education sector, there is a need for aidcoordination. This Project has taken the initiative to coordinate a round table meeting in January1999 to increase coordination among funding agencies, avoid duplicating efforts, and explorecofinancing possibilities for the Project. Continuing dialogue between the Government andfunding agencies has helped shape the Government’s education policy and planning directions.Detailed external assistance to the education sector is in Appendix 3.

F. Lessons Learned

29. None of the Bank education projects in Viet Nam has been completed yet. However, Bankprojects in other sectors and education projects of bilateral funding agencies in Viet Nam indicatethat the inadequate experience of executing agencies (EAs) in international competitive biddingand accounting procedures have delayed project implementation. The situation has improved inthe past two years due to the Bank’s assistance in preparing the Project Accounting Manual. Thelessons learned from postevaluated Bank education projects in other countries are as follows:(i) insufficient assessment of institutional capacity during project preparation, leading to excessiveinvestments in hardware and inadequate provision of software to ensure quality improvements;(ii) insufficient provision of physical infrastructure, which has made it difficult to ensure qualityimprovements; (iii) poor coordination among concerned institutions at various levels; (iv) lack ofthe benefit monitoring and evaluation (BME) subcomponent to assess project progress; (v) lack ofa mechanism to ensure adequate recurrent budgetary support by the Government;(vi) implementation delay due to delays in the appointment of consultants and in procurement;(vii) implementation delay due to lack of detailed planning and implementation of projects toassist EAs; and (viii) the need to ensure high quality education that enables students to becomeproductive citizens who can adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

30. These lessons have been incorporated in the project design, which will provide substantialsupport to the institutional aspects, including training in technical skills and project implementationprocedures. The Project will also provide sufficient physical infrastructure to upgrade TTCfacilities to ensure quality improvements. The subcomponent on project implementation supporthas built-in BME. Detailed planning and implementation of the Project, together with the Bankprocedures for procurement, will be provided to the EA during inception. Since the Bank hasapproved advance action for consultant selection, the Bank procedures for selection wereexplained to MOET in detail to facilitate the preparation of bid documents and the short-listing ofconsulting firms. One of the international consultants for the Project will assist the EA in variousaspects of project administration and financial management over a long period.

G. The Bank’s Sectoral Strategy

31. The Bank’s operational strategy for Viet Nam places high priority on sustainable growthwith equity and environmentally sound development. The strategy aims at facilitating thetransition and restructuring of the economy under market-based principles by promoting efficienteconomic growth, human development, women’s status, poverty reduction, and environmental

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preservation. A key means of achieving these objectives is to improve basic social services,especially basic education (primary and lower secondary education combined) with thedisadvantaged groups (including women and the rural poor) as special target.

32. Given the importance of basic education as a foundation for long-term economicdevelopment and subsequent poverty reduction, the Bank’s priority for the education sectoremphasizes equitable access to basic education, together with quality and efficiencyimprovements. Since primary education has been strongly addressed by the World Bank andother funding agencies, the Bank’s focus is on expanding access to lower secondary education tomeet the increasing social demand, while improving its quality and efficiency. In the medium term,improving the quality of the teacher training system will be a major Bank strategy for achievingoverall improvements in the lower secondary education subsector and, hence, poverty reduction.This strategy coincides with the Government’s strategy, which accords high priority to teachertraining improvement. Since the Government emphasizes increasing access to TTCs byexpanding their physical capacity, the Project will complement the Government’s strategy byfocusing on improving the quality of the preservice teacher training system. It will also createsynergies with Loan 1537-VIE, which is improving the quality of the lower secondary schoolcurriculum and the in-service teacher training system.

H. Policy Dialogue

33. The Bank’s policy dialogue with the Government focuses on the potential contributions ofthe Project to promote (i) lower secondary education reforms, (ii) poverty reduction, and(iii) project sustainability.

1. Lower Secondary Education Reforms

34. The Government has agreed to adjust, with the assistance of a curriculum steeringcommittee (CSC),12 some features of the preservice teacher training program for lower secondaryeducation prior to revising its curriculum. The agreed upon adjustments will also promote cost-effectiveness in the use of the Government’s scarce education resources in that they will allow formore efficient utilization of lower secondary school teachers in the future as the new teachers willbe able to teach more than one subject and to do more effective teaching. The adjustments,which will also be formally approved prior to revising the existing TTC curriculum, are as follows:(i) institution of a double major system with an approximately 60:40 major and minor subject ratio,without a reduction in the number of credits allocated to the major subject; (ii) regrouping of theTTC major-minor subject combinations to be consistent with the new lower secondary schoolsubject groups proposed under Loan 1537-VIE; (iii) increase in the number of credits forobservation and practice teaching in lower secondary schools, without a reduction in the numberof credits allocated to teaching methodologies; (iv) reinstitution of an external assessment systemfor measuring TTC performance and standardizing certification; and (v) increase in the yearlyintake of TTC students to match the rapid growth in the number of lower secondary schoolstudents projected in Appendix 2 so as to reduce the lower secondary student/teacher ratio fromthe 1998 level of 29:1 to a smaller ratio during the project period.

2. Poverty Reduction

35. Since ethnic minorities are the poorest of the poor, the Government agreed to implementthe project ethnic minority strategies as a means of promoting poverty reduction as follows: 12 The Government is planning to establish a CSC in January 2000. The CSC will be chaired by MOET’s key policy

maker on teacher training and include other policy experts on lower secondary education and teacher training fromMOET and DOETs as well as curriculum experts from TTUs, TTCs, NIES, etc.

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(i) providing textbooks, under a textbook lending scheme, to the poorest 50 percent of TTCstudents (including all ethnic minority students) in 10 selected disadvantaged provinces and inthree cities where three model TTCs will be developed; (ii) improving TTC pre-entrancequalifications for prospective ethnic minorities under a transition program in the 10 disadvantagedprovinces and subsequently enrolling them as TTC students under the Government’s scholarshipprogram for ethnic minority students; and (iii) giving ethnic minorities who work at MOET, DOETs,and TTCs priority in the Project’s staff development programs.

3. Project Sustainability

36. The Government agreed to (i) sustain the Project after completion, using financialcontributions (equal to 3 percent of the total investment costs of civil works and 5 percent of thetotal investment costs of equipment and furniture) to be provided by the provincial governmentsfor the O&M of these project inputs; and (ii) give priority to lower secondary education (alongsideprimary education) so as to facilitate universal lower secondary education at least in urban areasby 2010 by increasing the percentage share of the lower secondary recurrent budget in the totalrecurrent education budget from 20 percent to 21 percent during the project period, andincreasing it further by a few more percent in the postproject period, after primary education hasachieved full universal status and quality improvement target.

IV. THE PROPOSED PROJECT

A. Rationale

37. The increasing market orientation of Viet Nam’s economic activities, together with thegrowing number of graduates of primary education, is creating a substantial social demand andmanpower requirements for a workforce with education beyond primary school and capable ofassimilating new concepts and modern means of production. While primary education providesbasic cognitive skills, lower secondary education provides the solid foundation for producing anadaptive and competitive workforce to sustain high economic growth. Enrollments in lowersecondary schools have increased significantly from 3.1 million students in 1993 to 5.3 millionstudents in 1997, an average annual enrollment growth rate of about 14 percent. TheGovernment projected that enrollments will reach 7.9 million students by 2005. This rapidexpansion has resulted in the deteriorating quality of lower secondary education, aggravated bydouble and triple shifting to accommodate such a rapid expansion. The poor quality of lowersecondary education is caused mainly by an unsuitable curriculum and shortages of physicalfacilities and human resources (textbooks, instructional materials, and qualified teachers). In1997, almost 20 percent of the lower secondary teachers remained underqualified. The lack ofadequately trained teachers to meet the demand of a modern curriculum and to do effectiveteaching is also a major cause of low internal efficiency in lower secondary education. This isindicated by the high dropout and repetition rates of 8.1 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, in1997.

38. Poor teaching quality stems from an unsuitable teacher training curriculum and teachingmethods, overcrowded facilities, and lack of management capacity. Classroom teaching focuseson memorization, rather than on active learning. Teachers are trained in only one major subjectand one minor subject. This results in overspecialization in subject knowledge and inefficientutilization of staff teaching across subject groups since they are generally unable to teach theirminor subjects. While in-service teacher training can improve the teaching performance ofexisting lower secondary teachers, the training of new teachers through an improved preservicesystem is needed as a long-term solution to the problem of low teaching quality. This training willenhance overall teachers’ performance and their ability to handle the new lower secondary school

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curriculum and in-service teacher training system being developed under Loan 1537-VIE. It willalso prepare a sufficiently large number of qualified new lower secondary school teachers in thenear future to improve or at least maintain the student/teacher ratio of 29:1 in 1998 to avoidfurther deterioration in teaching quality. In the Government projections of the demand and supplyof lower secondary school teachers (Appendix 2), the demand for and supply of teachers aremeasured by the student/teacher ratio. The projections have taken into account theGovernment’s teacher expansion plan.

39. Another problem related to teacher training is weak institutional capacity in managementdue to insufficient qualified staff and weak coordination among Government agencies (includingMOET, DOETs, TTUs, and TTCs) involved in teacher training. Another problem is limited accessto enrollment in TTCs in disadvantaged areas despite the nationwide doubling of annual TTCenrollments in the lower secondary education program during 1994-1997 from about 7,000 to15,000 students per year. The problem is caused by inadequate physical capacity of TTCs inthose areas (including classrooms, library and laboratory spaces, and study areas) andinadequate incentives to encourage higher enrollment of disadvantaged groups, especially theethnic minorities.

40. The Government has requested the Bank to continue its lead role in the development oflower secondary education through a project to improve the preservice training system for lowersecondary education teachers. The Project is in line with the Bank’s Country OperationalStrategy, which emphasizes efficient economic growth with equity, poverty reduction, andenvironmentally sound development. The Project is also in line with the Government’s priority inthe education sector, which emphasizes teacher training development as a key strategy for basiceducation reforms. While the Government’s strategy focuses on expansion of the physicalcapacity of TTCs to catch up with the rapid expansion of lower secondary school enrollments, theProject will complement the Government’s efforts by focusing on quality improvements of the TTCcurriculum and institutional capacity strengthening of Government agencies involved in providingteacher training. The EA also has the requisite experience to carry out the Project, and the sectorpolicies have good potential for improvement.

B. Objectives and Scope

41. The overall objective of the Project is to assist the Government in improving the qualityand efficiency of the lower secondary education subsector by providing lower secondary studentswith a sufficient number of qualified teachers. The specific objectives are to improve the quality,access to, and institutional capacity of the preservice teacher training system for lower secondaryeducation. The improvements in quality and institutional capacity aspects will be nationwide,whereas the improvements in access will focus on 10 selected disadvantaged provinces (HaGiang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Thanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Phuoc, TraVinh, and Soc Trang). The Project has three components: (i) improving the quality of thepreservice teacher training program for lower secondary education by redesigning the TTCcurriculum, revising student textbooks and teacher manuals, providing these instructionalmaterials to TTC libraries and to disadvantaged students through a textbook lending scheme,providing orientation on the new curriculum and instructional materials, upgrading the knowledgeof TTC teachers, providing support for the development of three model TTCs in three selectedcities (Hanoi, Hue, and HCMC), where the new curriculum and instructional materials will bepiloted, and reestablishing an external assessment system for TTC certification; (ii) improvingfacilities and access to TTCs in some disadvantaged provinces by providing facilities and atransition program to improve pre-entrance qualifications to TTCs for ethnic minorities in the 10selected disadvantaged provinces; and (iii) strengthening the institutional capacity of Governmentagencies involved in preservice teacher training by providing training in management and

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technical skills to relevant staff at the central, provincial, and college levels involved in teachertraining so as to support and sustain the reforms.

42. The project components and subcomponents were designed based on a bottom-up(participatory) approach, with substantial discussions with and involvement by the private sector,especially provincial stakeholders—TTC teachers and students, lower secondary school teachersand students, parents, community groups, and representatives of major ethnic minority groups inthe 10 disadvantaged provinces and the three cities selected for development of model TTCs.The ethnic minority representatives provided useful information for the design of the project ethnicminority strategies. These strategies (detailed in Appendix 4) are reflected in somesubcomponents. This private sector involvement proved essential in the design of the Project andin the establishment of provincial ownership of the Project. For example, during the design phase,the major provincial community groups in the 10 provinces and the three cities agreed to providefinancial contributions, through their provincial DOETs, as part of the O&M costs for maintainingthe civil works and equipment to be provided by the Project (para. 58). The project componentsand subcomponents are described below.

1. Quality Improvement of Preservice Teacher Training Program for LowerSecondary Education

43. This component aims at improving the quality of the existing preservice training programfor lower secondary education teachers and its delivery system nationwide. Sevensubcomponents were designed to achieve the quality improvement target.

a. Curriculum Redesign

44. The existing TTC curriculum (inclusive of a syllabus for each TTC subject, teachingmethodologies, and student assessment system) will be redesigned to meet the modernrequirements of the new lower secondary school curriculum developed under Loan 1537-VIE. Adouble major system will be instituted at TTCs and the combination of TTCs’ major-minorsubjects will be reorganized in line with the new lower secondary school subject groups as well aswith the demand for teachers in each subject group. The revised curriculum will incorporateenvironmental topics in the relevant subjects to create environmental awareness among TTCteachers and students. Teaching methodologies will be revised to focus on a student-centeredapproach.

45. The CSC (para. 34) will assist the Government to (i) determine key directions required toadjust the existing TTC program prior to revising its curriculum, the proposed adjustments ofwhich are specified in para. 34; (ii) facilitate approval of the proposed adjustments; (iii) determinekey direction of changes in the existing TTC curriculum prior to the revision; and (iv) facilitateapproval for the revised curriculum as well as for the remaining activities. Prior to the curriculumredesign, about 15 curriculum experts (1 person per subject) from MOET and TTUs will go on ashort-term overseas study visit for orientation to teacher training program design and curriculumdevelopment. About 20 remaining curriculum experts from MOET, TTUs, and TTCs will undertakesimilar short-term orientation in-country delivered by an international consultant and a domesticconsultant. Both consultants will be engaged for revising the curriculum and providing sometraining.13 The detailed staff development plan is in Appendix 5, consulting services requirementsare in Appendix 6, and the indicative terms of reference for consultants are in Appendix 7.

13 The type of training to be provided by each international and domestic consultant is mentioned in detail in Appendix

7.

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b. Instructional Materials Development

46. About 300 TTC student textbooks for 15 TTC subjects taught over three years will berevised and about 45 TTC teacher manuals following the new TTC curriculum will be developedby local textbook writers, with the assistance of international and domestic consultants. Therevised textbooks and teacher manuals will be reviewed by the curriculum expert team. Beforethe textbook revision, about 15 textbook experts (1 person per subject) from MOET and TTUs willbe sent on a short-term overseas study visit for orientation to textbook development andpublications. About 228 textbook writers from MOET, DOETs, TTUs, and TTCs will be trainedshort-term in-country by the international and domestic consultants (66 persons trained intextbook development and publications, 81 in teaching methodologies and student assessment,and 81 in syllabus design and web-based modules development). With the assistance of thetextbook writing team, the consultants will also develop teaching aids for the new curriculum,using local materials. Some special teaching methodologies and teaching aids for ethnicminorities will also be designed to make classroom instruction more relevant and interesting tothem. The textbook writing team will assist a team of local internet service providers (ISPs), whowill be hired to translate the revised curriculum, textbooks, and teacher manuals into web-basedmodules for inclusion on an internet site to be used mainly by TTC teachers for cost-effective,self-study distance learning of the new curriculum and textbooks.

47. After the student textbooks and teacher manuals have been revised, prior to nationwideimplementation, they will be pilot-tested in the three cities where model TTCs are to bedeveloped. The implementation procedure of the new TTC curriculum will follow that of the newlower secondary school curriculum to be carried out under Loan 1537-VIE. For example, therevision of the TTC curriculum can only take place after the completion of the writing of theoutlines of lower secondary school textbooks and teacher manuals for all grades (grades 6-9),tentatively by the end of quarter I of the year 2000 (as shown in the implementation schedules ofthe new lower secondary school and TTC curricula in Appendix 8). Subsequently, it will takeabout two years (until quarter I, 2002) to complete revising the TTC curriculum and writing theoutlines of textbooks as well as teacher manuals for the entire TTC program (years 1-3). Thewriting of the whole textbooks and teacher manuals for year 1 will then take place and becompleted within two quarters (until quarter III, 2002), after which pilot tests of these materials foryear 1 can be conducted and completed within one year prior to nationwide implementation. Theimplementation of year 2 and year 3 textbooks and teacher manuals can follow the sameprocedure as that of year 1 in a cascading manner, so that the nationwide implementation of year3 textbooks and teacher manuals can start within the Project period (2000-2006). Prior tonationwide implementation, the revised TTC textbooks and teacher manuals will be finalized andpublished, taking into account the results of the pilot tests of the lower secondary schooltextbooks and the TTC textbooks.

c. Provision of Instructional Materials

48. Each of the 61 TTC libraries will receive about 50 sets of TTC student textbooks and 10sets of teacher manuals for all TTC subjects taught in three years. About 50 sets of the new lowersecondary school student textbooks and workbooks as well as teacher manuals to be developedunder Loan 1537-VIE will also be given to each of the 61 TTC libraries for use by teachers andstudents as reference materials. Book lots will be procured from the Government’s EducationPublishing House.

49. A textbook lending scheme will be developed by an international consultant and adomestic consultant to allow the poorest 50 percent of TTC students (about 12,000 students) inthe 10 disadvantaged provinces and in the three cities with model TTCs to borrow textbooks

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without having to pay. Textbooks will be lent out to these needy students, perhaps on a sharingbasis, at the beginning of the school year and collected back at the end of the year for reissue toa new cohort of students in the following year, assuming a three-year life of textbooks. The sameconsultants will give 40 administrators from MOET, DOETs, and TTCs short-term in-countrytraining in textbook lending scheme operations to enable the administrators to operate, monitor,and sustain the scheme. Since this subcomponent is designed to benefit the poor including allethnic minority students, it is part of the project ethnic minority strategies described in detail inAppendix 4.

d. Orientation to New Curriculum and Textbooks

50. A series of short-term in-country workshops will be conducted by the textbook writingteam and the international and domestic consultants (who will help develop the textbooks) forabout 335 MOET, DOET, and TTC administrators as well as 915 TTC lead subject teachers andabout 4,085 TTC teachers from 61 TTCs all over the country. The purpose will be to orient theparticipants with the new TTC curriculum including the new syllabus for each subject, teachingmethodologies, and the new student assessment system; student textbooks; and teachermanuals. About half of the TTC teachers will be subject to periodic subject implementation reviewuntil project completion.

e. Upgrading TTC Teachers Qualifications

51. A limited number of about 200 one-year overseas scholarships and about 1,000 in-countryjoint-program scholarships will enable TTC teachers to undertake the MA/M.Ed. in theirrespective subject areas, along with short-term in-country English language training at TTUs orlocal language institutions prior to the studies. Candidates for both programs will be selectedcompetitively from all TTCs nationwide on the basis of criteria agreed upon with the Bank(academic background, English language proficiency, age, etc.). The selected candidates willsign agreements that upon completion of their program of studies, they will return to and serve intheir respective institutions for three years for each year of study. Priority will be given to femalecandidates, who will constitute about 60 percent of the total candidates. Candidates for in-countryscholarships will be sent to selected local TTUs, which will establish joint MA/M.Ed. programswith well-recognized foreign universities selected competitively from the Bank’s member countrieson the basis of criteria agreed upon with the Bank. The Government will select at least threeprospective local TTUs, which already have strong linkages with foreign universities. In addition,about 45 TTC lead subject teachers (3 persons per subject) will be sent to foreign universitiesoverseas for short-term training in teaching methodologies in their respective subject areas. Theywill first be provided with short-term in-country English language training at TTUs or at locallanguage institutions. Foreign universities for overseas MA/M.Ed. studies and short-term trainingwill be selected competitively from the Bank’s member countries on the basis of criteria agreedupon with the Bank.

52. Upon completion of the MA/M.Ed. programs, the trained TTC teachers will offer for about915 TTC lead subject teachers a short-term in-country refresher course in their respective subjectareas. The 45 TTC lead subject teachers, who will have been trained abroad, will also offer forthe remaining 870 lead subject teachers a short-term in-country refresher course on teachingmethodologies in their respective subject areas. The knowledge of TTC teachers will be upgradedthrough orientation workshops on the use of web-based modules for the new curriculum andtextbooks. The first workshops will be conducted by the textbook writing team, the consultantshired to help revise the textbooks, and the ISPs hired to translate the revised curriculum,textbooks, and teacher manuals into web-based modules. The participants will be about 66MOET, DOET and TTC administrators selected as subject coordinators. The second workshops

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will be conducted by the subject coordinators, the consultants, and the ISPs for about 915 TTClead subject teachers from all TTCs, as well as some additional 68 MOET and DOETadministrators. The third workshops will be provided at TTCs by the trained TTC lead subjectteachers for about 4,085 TTC teachers from all TTCs.

f. Support for Model and Specialized TTCs

53. A key strategy for achieving the quality improvements goal will be the development ofthree model TTCs under DOETs in three selected cities from the north, central part, and south ofthe country, which also have TTUs (Hanoi, Hue, and HCMC). The model TTCs will act as hubs inthe reform process, where the new TTC curriculum and materials will be piloted and disseminatedand necessary training provided to TTC staff from other provinces. To develop the model TTCs,each of them will be provided with key learning facilities to facilitate student learning and to beused as venues for conducting training for other TTCs in the three regions. All TTCs face acuteshortage of space and overcrowded classrooms, with double shifting. The provision of keylearning facilities will be based on the concept of effective utilization of limited space, not only toreduce the problem of space shortages, but also to help organize and utilize the new spaceeffectively to improve the learning environment and encourage modern practices and teachingmethods. Included in the key learning facilities to be supported by the Project for each model TTCare civil works for on-campus construction of (i) students’ working areas or study areas, whichcan be combined with library reading areas; (ii) tutorial rooms, which can also be used as smallclassrooms; (iii) demonstration classrooms in which to practice modern teaching methods;(iv) teachers’ common room for lesson preparation; and (v) computer workstations for distancelearning from web-based modules on the new curriculum and textbooks. The minimum spacerequired for the key learning facilities to be utilized effectively is about 750 square meters, at anestimated unit cost of about $100 per square meter. The space to be supported by the Project willbe determined by the number of TTC students. A sample design of the key learning facilities is inAppendix 9.

54. The Project will equip the key learning facilities with furniture, library materials, andequipment (including computers, software, desktop publishing, audiovisual or multimediaequipment), and provide operational support during project implementation. The Project will alsoprovide the laboratories (language, informatics, and sciences14) of the three model TTCs withequipment. The following training will be provided: (i) about three TTC administrators selected ascoordinators for the key learning facilities will be sent on a short-term overseas study visit fororientation to the O&M of these learning facilities; (ii) about six TTC staff selected as assistantcoordinators for the key learning facilities will be trained short-term in-country in O&M of thelearning facilities by an international consultant and a domestic consultant. The consultants willalso develop an operational plan of model TTCs and conduct short-term in-country training inoperational planning of model TTCs for about 15 TTC planning administrators. Short-term in-country training on O&M of the language, informatics, and sciences laboratories will also beprovided to about 30 TTC teachers (6, 6, and 18 persons, respectively). In addition to providingsupport for the three model TTCs under DOETs, the Project will provide the necessaryinstructional materials, furniture, and minor rehabilitation for three specialized TTCs under MOETcatering only to art and music, fields where shortages of teachers and facilities are most acute.

g. Reestablishment of an External Assessment Mechanism

55. The external assessment system earlier abolished will be reestablished. The Project willprovide the necessary equipment, consulting support, and training for the design, development,

14 Science laboratories include biology, chemistry, and physics.

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piloting, and implementation of a fully computerized TTC quality assurance (QA) system tostandardize TTC performance and certification through the use of external examinations. Abouteight MOET and DOET staff selected as QA experts will be sent on a short-term overseas studyvisit for orientation in TTC program certification. About five staff will be sent for orientation in TTCprogram evaluation. About 50 additional QA experts from MOET and TTCs will receive short-termin-country training in test construction and grading, and about 195 exam coordinators fromMOET, DOETs, and TTCs will be trained in QA system implementation by an internationalconsultant and a domestic consultant. These consultants will also assist in the development, pilot-testing, and implementation of the external assessment system.

2. Improved Facilities and A ccess to TTCs in Disadvantaged Provinces

56. Although the Project was designed to improve the quality and institutional capacity of thepreservice teacher training system for lower secondary education nationwide, it targeted 10selected disadvantaged provinces for improving TTC facilities and access (Appendix 10). Theprovinces (para. 41) were selected on the basis of poverty, facilities shortages at teacher traininginstitutions, and regional disadvantages (including large proportions of ethnic minorities in thenorth, flood-prone areas in the central part and the south, and newly created provinces in need ofbasic facilities in the central part and the south). Increasing access to TTCs for ethnic minoritieswill contribute to poverty reduction in the long run since these minorities are the poorest of thepoor. Poverty incidence among the main ethnic minority groups (e.g., Hmong, Muong, Tay, Thai,Cro, Hre, Khmer, and Stieng) in the 10 provinces ranges from 66 percent for the Tay to 100percent for the Hmong, compared with 48 percent for the majority Kinh and 51 percentnationwide. Given the poor status of the 10 provinces, this project component was designed toimprove their status—to improve physical facilities of their TTCs and to improve human resourcesof the poorest population groups through increasing access to TTCs for these groups. The threesubcomponents are (i) upgrading the TTC facilities in the 10 provinces, (ii) improving the TTCpre-entrance qualification of ethnic minorities in the 10 provinces, and (iii) providing instructionalsupport resources to other provinces.

a. Upgrading TTC Facilities in 10 Disadvantaged Provinces

57. The Project will support the construction in the 10 disadvantaged provinces of keylearning facilities similar to those in the three model TTCs. The support will include civil works forthe construction of the key learning facilities on campus and the same kind of equipment,furniture, and library materials as those provided for the three model TTCs, depending onavailable space. The laboratories (language, informatics, and sciences) of the 10 provinces willalso be provided with laboratory equipment similar to those provided for the laboratories of thethree model TTCs, depending on the size of the laboratories. The same kind of training related tothe O&M of the key learning facilities for the three model TTCs will also be provided here,including a short-term overseas study visit for about 10 TTC staff selected as coordinators for thekey learning facilities for orientation in the O&M of the learning facilities; and short-term in-countrytraining conducted by an international consultant and a domestic consultant for about 20 TTCstaff selected as assistant coordinators for the key learning facilities for the same kind oforientation. In addition, short-term in-country training in O&M of the language, informatics, andsciences laboratories will be conducted for about 50 TTC teachers (10, 10, and 30 persons,respectively). The 10 TTCs will also be provided with the necessary facilities for physicaleducation.

58. The Government has agreed to secure a written confirmation of the followingcommitments from DOET in each of the 10 provinces and three cities, whose TTC will beprovided with the key learning facilities and laboratory equipment: (i) DOET will be the site of the

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provincial project implementation unit (PPIU) and will assign some staff to be PPIU’scoordinators, equivalent to at least one full-time staff; (ii) DOET will provide some financialcontributions to the investment cost of civil works for the construction of the key learning facilities,the percentage contributions of which will depend upon its internal arrangements with MOET andMPI; (iii) if DOET plans to build more space in excess of that which the Project had agreed toprovide, it will obtain additional funding support from other sources; (iv) DOET will provide yearlyfinancial contributions to O&M costs of such civil works, together with equipment and furniture insupport of the key learning facilities and with laboratory equipment, equal to at least 3 percent ofthe total investment cost of the civil works, 5 percent of the total investment cost of the equipmentand furniture for the key learning facilities, and 5 percent of the total investment cost of thelaboratory equipment during and after the project period; (v) DOET will prepare a detailedmaintenance and repair plan for the key learning facilities, furniture, and equipment (includingboth the equipment for the key learning facilities and that for the laboratories) for proper O&M andsubmit the plan to MOET within six months after loan effectiveness; (vi) with its own budget,DOET will prepare a detailed feasibility study for the construction of the key learning facilities andsubmit the results to MOET within three months after loan effectiveness; and (vii) the key learningfacilities will be built on a TTC campus at no extra cost of land to the Project (including theGovernment’s counterpart fund for the Project), and the estimated size of land, approximate costsof civil works, and a map of the location will be provided.

b. Improving TTC Pre-Entrance Qualification of Ethnic Minorities in10 Disadvantaged Provinces

59. A special transition program to enhance TTC pre-entrance qualification of prospectiveethnic minorities (about 4,000 students or 800 students per year for five years) will be designedby an international consultant and a domestic consultant, and implemented in the 10disadvantaged provinces. Ethnic minorities who perform reasonably well in the transition programwill be admitted to TTCs under the Government’s scholarship program for ethnic minoritystudents. All the candidates from the transition program who are admitted to TTCs will signagreements that upon the completion of their program of study, they will return to their respectivehome provinces to teach in the lower secondary schools for three years for each year ofscholarship study. The transition program consists of four elements (Appendix 4).

(i) Beneficiary identification recruitment campaigns will be conducted in the 10provinces to enroll suitable trainees in the program. The campaigns will enhancethe awareness of ethnic minority communities about the advantages of sendingtheir children (especially females) to school (including TTCs) as well as establishcoordination mechanisms between the provincial DOETs and district educationoffices in meeting TTC enrollment targets. Although about 80 percent of overallTTC students are females, the recruitment for this transition program will give apriority (at least 60 percent) to ethnic minority females, who are more constrainedby cultural attitudes compared with their male counterparts.

(ii) Intensive preparatory courses aimed at consolidating foundation knowledgeusually absorbed at the secondary school level will be developed by theconsultants. These courses will be delivered over six months before thecommencement of the TTC school year. Tutorial rooms to be built by this Projectas part of the key learning facilities will be used as the training venues.

(iii) Special remedial courses will be provided to ethnic minority students identified ashaving pronounced academic weakness, with smaller than normal class size topermit attention to individuals.

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(iv) A two-week orientation program conducted for the newly enrolled ethnic minoritystudents will also provide TTCs with an opportunity to learn about their new ethnicminority students and the latter’s particular needs (e.g., particular needs for femalestudents). During this program, a student-mentor support bond will be establishedby partnering the new ethnic minority students with high performing urban studentswilling to assist their peers in study.

c. Providing Instructional Support Resources to Other Provinces

60. To upgrade equally all TTCs nationwide, the Project will also provide instructional supportresources (e.g., laboratory equipment and necessary facilities for physical education), dependingon the number of students, to TTCs in the remaining 17 provinces15 not covered by equipmentprovision under Loan 1537-VIE. In addition, the Project will provide short-term in-country trainingin O&M of the language, informatics, and science laboratories to about 85 TTC teachers fromthese provinces (17, 17, and 51 persons, respectively).

61. The Government has agreed to secure a written confirmation of the followingcommitments from DOET in each of the 17 provinces, whose TTC will be provided with a set oflaboratory equipment similar to those provided under Loan 1537-VIE: (i) DOET will provide yearlyfinancial contributions to the O&M costs of such laboratory equipment equal to at least 5 percentof the total investment cost of the equipment during and after the project period; and (ii) DOETwill prepare a detailed maintenance and repair plan for such laboratory equipment for properO&M and submit the plan to MOET within six months after loan effectiveness.

3. Institutional Capacity Building and Project Implementation Support

62. This component aims at strengthening the capacity of Government agencies (MOET,DOETs, and TTCs) involved in providing preservice teacher training for lower secondaryeducation nationwide to enable them to support and sustain the reforms. There are twosubcomponents: capacity building in management and technical skills and for projectimplementation.

a. Strengthening Management and Technical Skills

63. The Project will provide (i) about 59 MOET, DOET, and TTC administrators with a short-term overseas study visit for orientation in education planning and management; (ii) about 100MOET, DOET, and TTC administrators with one-year overseas M.Ed. scholarships in educationplanning and management, together with short-term in-country English language training at TTUsor local language institutions prior to studies; (iii) about 244 DOET administrators with short-termin-country management training and about 610 DOET technical staff with technical skills training(e.g., simple accounting, etc.) to be conducted by international and domestic consultants inmanagement and technical skills training and in education planning and management; (iv) about488 TTC department heads with short-term in-country management/leadership training to beconducted by the same international and domestic consultants; (v) about 848 MOET, DOET, andTTC staff with short-term in-country training in English communication skills to be handled bysome local language institutions; and (vi) about 337 MOET, DOET, and TTC staff with short-termin-country internet operations training to be conducted by the ISPs. The candidates for M.Ed.studies will be selected competitively from all TTCs nationwide based on the criteria agreed uponwith the Bank. The candidates will sign agreements that upon the completion of their programs of 15 The remaining 17 provinces are Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Can, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Bac Ninh, Vinh

Phuc, Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, and BinhThuan.

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study, they will return to and serve in their respective institutions for three years for each year ofstudy. Foreign universities for overseas M.Ed. studies will be selected competitively from theBank’s member countries on the basis of criteria agreed upon with the Bank. In addition toproviding training, the international and domestic consultants will also assist in designing trainingcourses and materials, establishing trainees’ database, evaluating the results of the training, etc.

b. Project Implementation Support

64. The Project will provide the necessary equipment, furniture, and consultant support forproject implementation, by engaging (i) one long-term international consultant and one long-termdomestic consultant to assist in project administration and financial management; (ii) oneinternational consultant for BME and one for midterm review; and (iii) three domestic consultants(one per region) for project operation and management. The Project will also provide short-termin-country training workshops on project implementation procedures conducted by theseinternational and domestic consultants on an annual basis, including such topics as goodgovernance, procurement, disbursement, budget preparation, use of the imprest account, BME,midterm review, and other project operation and financial management. The participants will beabout 288 MOET, DOET, and TTC staff directly and indirectly involved in central projectimplementation. Since the Project also intends to enhance the project implementation capacity ofprovincial governments in all aspects, about 468 DOET and TTC staff directly and indirectlyinvolved in provincial project implementation will be trained annually in all aspects of the aboveproject implementation by the same international and domestic consultants and by central projectimplementation unit (PIU) staff.

C. Cost Estimates

65. The total cost of the Project is estimated at $35.4 million equivalent, of which an estimated$18.5 million, or 52 percent, is the foreign exchange cost, including $1.1 million interest on theproposed loan. The local currency cost is estimated at $16.9 million equivalent or 48 percent ofthe total cost. A summary of the cost estimates is in Table 1.

Table 1: Cost Estimates ($ million)

Foreign Local TotalItem Exchange Currency Cost

Quality Improvement of Preservice Teacher Training 7.4 8.7 16.1Increased Facilities and Access to TTCs 3.8 3.1 6.9Institutional Capacity Building & Project Implementation 4.4 2.8 7.2

Total Base Cost 15.6 14.6 30.2

Contingenciesa 1.8 2.3 4.1Interest 1.1 0.0 1.1

Total Cost 18.5 16.9 35.4TTC = teacher training college.a Physical contingencies were calculated at 5 percent of base cost, whereas price contingencies were calculated using

an estimated annual escalation of 2.4 percent for international prices and 8.0 percent for local prices, reflecting thedifferent inflation rates.

Source: Staff estimates.

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D. Financing Plan

66. It is proposed that the Bank provide a loan of $25 million (70.6 percent of the total projectcost) from its Special Funds resources to finance $18.1 million of the foreign exchange cost and$6.9 million equivalent of the local cost. The Bank loan will have a term of 32 years, including agrace period of 8 years and an interest charge of 1 percent per annum during the grace periodand 1.5 percent per annum thereafter, and equal amortization. The Government will provide $10million equivalent (28.3 percent of the total Project cost) as counterpart financing. TheGovernment of New Zealand has agreed to provide, on a tied and parallel basis, grantcofinancing of about $133,333 equivalent per annum over the first three years of the projectperiod, totaling about $400,000 equivalent (1.1 percent of the total project cost). The Governmentof New Zealand has also indicated a possibility of providing additional grant cofinancing after thefirst three years of the project period. A summary of the financing plan is in Table 2. The detailedproject costs and financing plan are in Appendix 11.

Table 2: Financing Plan($ million)

Source Foreign Local Total PercentExchange Currency Cost

Bank 18.1 6.9 25.0 70.6Government 0.0 10.0 10.0 28.3Cofinancing (New Zealand) 0.4 0.0 0.4 1.1

Total 18.5 16.9 35.4 100.0Source: Staff estimates.

E. Implementation Arrangements

1. Project Implementation Unit

67. A PIU will be established within MOET to implement the Project under the overallguidance of a project steering committee (PSC). The PSC will be established before loaneffectiveness. It will be chaired by the relevant MOET Vice Minister and will include seniorrepresentatives of the three relevant MOET departments (Teachers Department, Planning andFinance Department, and International Relations Department) to ensure continuity with TA 2970-VIE (para. 2). Additional members will be senior representatives of other relevant departments ofMOET (Secondary Education Department, Post-Graduate Department, Personnel Department,and NIES) and of concerned agencies (including the Government Office, SBV, MOF, and MPI) aswell as the project manager of Loan 1537-VIE to ensure close coordination and synergiesbetween the two Bank Projects. A representative from MOET’s new department of examinationswill be included after such a department has been established. The PIU’s project manager willalso be a PSC member and serve as secretary to the PSC.

68. The PIU will be headed by a full-time project manager, who will be assisted by five full-time assistant project managers (for Finance and Administration, Curriculum Development andImplementation, Procurement and Civil Works, Overseas and In-Country Training, and ProjectMonitoring and Evaluation) and regional coordinators equivalent to three full-time staff (for theNorth, Central, and South). The PIU will be responsible for (i) detailed project planning,scheduling, and implementation; (ii) procurement of all goods and services; (iii) recruitment andsupervision of international and domestic consultants; (iv) project accounting, including arrangingnecessary audits; (v) disbursement of project funds, including timely preparation of annual budgetplan for counterpart fund and timely submission of withdrawal applications; (vi) management of

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the imprest account; and (vii) reporting to the Bank on project progress. A provincial PIU (PPIU)will be established in each of the 10 disadvantaged provinces and three cities, totaling 13 PPIUs,to (i) coordinate project activities with the respective TTCs, (ii) assist PIU in various aspects ofproject implementation at the provincial level, and (iii) ensure provincial ownership of the Project.Each PPIU will be located at DOET’s office. DOET in each of the 10 provinces and three citieswill assign some staff, equivalent to at least one full-time staff, to be PPIU coordinators. ForHanoi, one of the three cities, its TTC will also assign some staff equivalent to at least one full-time staff to work for its PPIU with the assigned DOET staff.

2. Implementation Schedule

69. The Project will be implemented over six years (2000-2006). Consultant recruitment willbe an important activity during the first year to assist in project implementation, development ofvarious training programs, provision of some training, curriculum redesign, etc. Since the Projectentails TTC curriculum reforms, the first two years of the Project will focus on revising thecurriculum, textbooks, and teacher manuals (including teaching aids) for piloting those of year 1(of the three-year TTC program) in the third year of the Project and for nationwide implementationthereafter. The piloting and nationwide implementation of year 2 and year 3 textbooks andteacher manuals will follow those of year 1 in a cascading manner so that by the end of theProject, the nationwide implementation of year 3 textbooks and teacher manuals can take place.The detailed project implementation schedule is in Appendix 12.

3. Procurement of Goods and Services

70. All Bank-financed procurement for the Project will be in accordance with the Bank’sGuidelines for Procurement. The civil works under the Project are small and scattered throughoutthe country and are not likely to attract the interest of international contractors. Thus, the civilworks contracts will be awarded on the basis of local competitive bidding (LCB) proceduresacceptable to the Bank. For minor rehabilitation of specialized TTCs for art and music that costsless than $50,000 equivalent, the civil works contracts will be awarded on a direct purchasebasis. Contracts for the supply of goods and services (including equipment, furniture, andinstructional materials) are expected to be small and are not expected to attract the interest ofinternational suppliers. Contracts are expected to be less than $100,000 but some will begrouped together to form larger packages. Contracts of $500,000 or less will be awarded on thebasis of international shopping procedures. Contracts of $100,000 or less will be procured onlocal competitive bidding (LCB) or direct purchase basis acceptable to the Bank. Where manysuppliers are locally available, procurement will be on a LCB basis; where provinces are remote,and there are a limited number of suppliers, procurement will be on a direct purchase basis fromthe local supplier within the province, or from a regional supplier in a nearby province. The PIU,in collaboration with PPIUs, will be responsible for ensuring that all procurement complies withthe Bank’s requirements by (i) determining bid packages and proposing procurement methods asapproved by the Bank, (ii) preparing detailed material lists and specifications, and (iii) evaluatingbids and awarding contracts. Tentative procurement packages are in Appendix 13.

4. Consulting Services and Key Training Opportunities

71. Consulting services of about 75 person-months (international) and about 336 person-months (domestic) will be provided to support various aspects of the Project, including curriculumdesign; materials development and publications; textbook lending scheme design; developmentof model TTCs; external assessment systems; key learning facilities; design of a transitionprogram to improve TTC pre-entrance qualification for ethnic minorities; education planning andmanagement; management and technical skills training; project administration; BME; and

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midterm review. The Government will select and engage all Bank-financed consultants inaccordance with the Bank’s Guidelines on the Use of Consultants and other arrangementssatisfactory to the Bank for the engagement of domestic consultants.

72. Key training opportunities will be provided by the Project to (i) 200 well-qualified TTCteachers to study overseas for MA/M.Ed. in their subject areas at well-recognized foreignuniversities; (ii) 100 well-qualified administrators from MOET, DOETs, and TTCs to studyoverseas for M.Ed. in education planning and management at well-recognized foreignuniversities; (iii) 1,000 well-qualified TTC teachers to study in-country for MA/M.Ed. in theirsubject areas under joint programs to be developed by selected local TTUs with well-recognizedforeign universities; and (iv) 45 well-qualified TTC lead subject teachers to study overseas forshort-term courses in teaching methodologies for their subject areas at well-recognized foreignuniversities. Foreign universities for the key training opportunities in (i)-(iv) above will be selectedcompetitively from all Bank member countries based on criteria agreed upon with the Bank.16 Thecandidates for these key training opportunities will be selected competitively based on selectioncriteria agreed upon with the Bank (academic background, English language proficiency, age,etc.).

5. Advance Action

73. The Bank has approved advance action for consultants selection. The Borrower has beenadvised that advance action will not obligate the Bank to finance the Project.

6. Disbursements, Reports, Accounts, and Auditing

74. To expedite project implementation through the timely release of the Bank’s share offunds for eligible expenditures, an imprest account for the Project will be established at acommercial bank designated by SBV and acceptable to the Bank. The imprest account will beestablished, operated, and liquidated in accordance with detailed arrangements agreed upon bythe Borrower and the Bank and in accordance with the Bank’s Loan Disbursement Handbookdated June 1996. Statement of expenditure procedures in accordance with the handbook will bepermitted for reimbursement of funds utilized for eligible expenditures under the Project and theliquidation of advances for payment from the imprest account.

75. The Government, acting through MOET, will maintain records and accounts adequate toidentify goods and services financed from the proceeds of the loan. The PIU will maintainseparate accounts for the Project and ensure that all accounts and financial statements areaudited annually in accordance with sound accounting principles by auditors acceptable to theBank. Certified copies of such audited accounts will be submitted to the Bank within 12 monthsafter the close of each fiscal year. The PIU will prepare quarterly progress reports on theimplementation of the Project and submit them to the Bank within 30 days of the respectivequarters. The reports will be in a format acceptable to the Bank and will indicate, among otherthings, (i) the progress made against established targets, both technical and financial; (ii) status

16 The criteria for selecting foreign universities for overseas MA/M.Ed. and for overseas short-term training include

(i) be internationally recognized universities; (ii) have existing teacher training programs; (iii) have demonstratedexperience in providing programs and special services for foreign students; and (iv) have faculty members withexperience in developing countries, preferably in Asia. The criteria for selecting foreign universities for establishingjoint MA/M.Ed. with Vietnamese universities include (i)-(iv) above, together with (v) have previous experience inmanaging joint-MA/M.Ed. degree programs with developing country institutions, preferably in Asia; (vi) be willing toissue a joint-MA/M.Ed. degree; (vii) propose suitable arrangements for ensuring that the MA/M.Ed. program in VietNam is of similar quality to a degree issued in its home country; and (viii) be capable of conducting courses usingInternet technology. Eligible foreign educational institutions from all Bank member countries can compete for thetraining opportunities.

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of management indicators; (iii) problems encountered during the quarter and steps taken orproposed to be taken to resolve the problems; (iv) compliance with loan covenants; and(v) proposed program activities to be undertaken during the succeeding quarter. The PIU will alsoprepare a project completion report and submit it to the Bank no later than three months followingthe physical completion of the Project.

7. Midterm Review

76. In addition to regular reviews, the Government and the Bank will jointly undertake amidterm review of the Project after the third year of implementation. The Project provides for thepreparation of a midterm report prior to the joint review. The third annual operational review willalso provide input to the midterm review and will be extended to include a review of the projectscope, design, policy reforms, institutional reforms, and other relevant issues. The midtermreview will identify changes since the time of appraisal, assess implementation performanceagainst project performance indicators, reassess the impact with regard to future projectimplementation and sustainability, review and establish compliance with loan covenants, andidentify problems and constraints. Specific attention will be given to the progress of the revision ofTTC textbooks and teacher manuals (including teaching aids) for pilot testing, the transitionprogram to enhance TTC pre-entrance qualifications of the recruited ethnic minority students, thetextbook lending scheme, and the operations of the key learning facilities.

8. Project Monitoring and Evaluation

77. To monitor the Project on a yearly basis, a set of general project performance indicatorshas been developed and their values identified (Appendix 2). The indicators include lowersecondary GER; NER; completion rate; dropout rate; repetition rate; proportions of lowersecondary female students, female teachers, qualified teachers; students per class; teachers perclass; qualified teachers per class; students per teacher; and students per qualified teacher.Another set of indicators, which are specific to project inputs, includes (i) TTC students trained inthe new curriculum; (ii) TTC teachers with MA; (iii) TTC enrollments of ethnic minorities in the 10disadvantaged provinces; and (iv) relevant MOET, DOET, and TTC staff qualified forimplementing the teacher training reforms. The values of both the general and specific indicatorswill be verified from the results of baseline surveys. Detailed project-specific indicators (brokendown by sex and ethnic minority group for each TTC and for total average) will be developedduring the surveys. These may include, among others, lower secondary school subject areas thathave shortage and excess of teachers, the numbers of TTC teachers and students by year, TTCdropout and repetition rates by year, etc. The Project will also provide necessary training onproject monitoring and evaluation of the overall training on project implementation to PIU andPPIU staff. The key performance indicators are in Appendix 14.

F. The Executing Agency

78. MOET will be the EA. MOET has gained experience in project implementation mainly fromthe existing Bank’s lower secondary education project (Loan 1537-VIE) and the World Bank’sprimary education project. In addition to this Project, MOET will be implementing the WorldBank’s higher education project and primary teacher training project. Nevertheless, MOET’simplementation capacity needs to be strengthened, especially at the provincial level. The Projectthus provides institutional capacity strengthening support for MOET, DOETs, PIU, and PPIUs inproject implementation, management, and other relevant technical skills.

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G. Environmental and Social Measures

1. Environment

79. To improve environmental awareness among TTC teachers and students, the revisedTTC curriculum will incorporate environmental topics in the relevant subjects, and the textbooksto be developed and distributed will have suitable emphasis on environmental issues. Theenvironmental implications of the Project were reviewed and no adverse impacts were identified.MOET ensured that the siting, design, construction, and operations of the key learning facilities tobe established under the Project will follow the Bank’s Environmental Guidelines for SelectedInfrastructure Development Projects and other relevant guidelines. DOET in each of the selected10 provinces and three cities have agreed to allocate a small plot of land on its TTC campus,owned by the provincial government, as the site for the key learning facilities. No resettlement willthus be involved. The provision of tubewells and toilets in the key learning facilities will improvegeneral sanitation. To increase local involvement and responsibility for investment in the Project,each of the 13 DOETs has agreed to prepare detailed feasibility design for the construction of thekey learning facilities based on the sample design provided in Appendix 9, following the conceptof effective utilization of limited space of the key learning facilities. These DOETs have alsoagreed to provide some financial contributions for the O&M costs of the key learning facilities bothduring and after the project period.

2. Social Analysis

a. Ethnic Minorities

80. Ethnic minorities have low participation in education in Viet Nam: about 5 percent of lowersecondary school enrollments and 8 percent of TTC enrollments in the 10 disadvantagedprovinces. The Government has been encouraging the participation of ethnic minorities; forexample, at the primary level, special programs in local ethnic minority languages have beenestablished in ethnic minority areas throughout the country. At the lower secondary level, suchspecial programs are not provided. However, all fees are waived and stipends provided inaddition to the special boarding lower secondary schools catering only to ethnic minority students.Under Loan 1537-VIE, appropriate teaching materials and teaching aids will be designed forethnic minority students.

81. At the TTC level, although ethnic minority students are also provided with scholarshipsand free boarding facilities, these incentives are not sufficient to significantly enhance theirenrollments in TTCs. The Project responds to this problem by designing ethnic minority strategiesto enable them to have greater access to TTCs in the 10 selected provinces and to successfullyparticipate in the TTC program without repeating the class or dropping out. To increase the ethnicminorities’ access to TTCs, the Project will implement a special transition program to enhance theTTC pre-entrance qualification of prospective candidates. At the same time, to retain them assuccessful students at TTCs, the Project will implement a textbook loan scheme to provide themwith free textbooks for the entire three-year program. Special teaching methodologies andteaching aids will be designed to make classroom instruction more relevant and interesting tothem (details on ethnic minority strategies are in Appendix 4).

b. Gender

82. Viet Nam has high female participation in education, with the highest female enrollmentsat the primary and lower secondary levels compared with other low-income countries. Femaleenrollment at the lower secondary level is almost 50 percent. Female participation declines in the

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higher grades, except at the TTC level, which is more popular among females than males.Female enrollment is about 80 percent of total TTC enrollment. However, female enrollmentamong ethnic minorities remains low. Although the Government has provided free boarding lowersecondary schools and free boarding facilities at TTCs, together with scholarships, to attract moreethnic minorities particularly females, these incentives are suppressed by some cultural valuesprevailing in their communes. Ethnic minority families are generally reluctant to send theirteenage daughters to boarding schools. In some communes, marriages for girls can occur at anearly age of 13 years, after which studying is considered inappropriate. One of the ethnic minoritystrategies to be adopted in the Project, namely, the transition program to improve TTC pre-entrance qualification for ethnic minorities, will respond to the gender issues by targeting to recruitat least 60 percent females among the target beneficiaries. In addition, the Project will also targetat least 60 percent females as the beneficiaries of the MA/M.Ed. scholarship programs for TTCteachers.

c. Poverty Reduction

83. The World Bank has estimated Viet Nam’s poverty incidence to be about 51 percent, withthe poverty line of about $100 per head per year (1992/93 prices). However, about half of thepoor (25 percent of the population) live in hard-core poverty, unable to afford the minimum dailyfood requirements of 2,100 calories. The Government has identified the provision of adequatesocial services (especially basic education, basic health care, family planning, and nutrition) tothe poor as one of the key strategies for reducing poverty. Investment in basic education hasbecome the top national priority, with the targets of achieving universal primary education by2000 and universal lower secondary education in urban areas by 2010. Access to primaryeducation has been expanded substantially to reach even the most inaccessible mountainousareas—primary schools are now available in every commune throughout the country. At the sametime, the Government has been receiving substantial external assistance for improving the qualityof primary education.

84. Access to lower secondary education by the poor has, however, been limited, particularlyamong ethnic minorities who are the poorest of the poor. Only 19 percent of children from thepoorest 20 percent of households enroll in lower secondary schools compared with 56 percent ofchildren of the richest 20 percent of households. Lower secondary schools are available only in85 percent of the communes and are thus inaccessible to many ethnic minority groups. Theaverage poverty incidence for all the ethnic minority groups, except for the Hoa (the Chinese), isover 70 percent, which is much higher than the national average of 51 percent. This Project willcontribute to poverty reduction in the long run by enabling ethnic minorities in the 10disadvantaged provinces to have greater access to TTCs through a special transition program toenhance their TTC pre-entrance qualifications. After completion of their studies, they will go backto teach in the lower secondary schools in their own communes. The availability of ethnic minorityteachers in communes that have no lower secondary schools yet will be a driving force for theGovernment to establish lower secondary schools there. The Project will also provide textbooksto the poorest 50 percent of TTC students including all ethnic minorities in the 10 disadvantagedprovinces and in the three model TTCs. This will help relieve the financial burden on their familiesand keep them as students without dropping out or repeating the class.

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V. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

A. Socioeconomic Analysis

1. Demand Analysis

85. The demand for lower secondary education has increased dramatically, with an averageenrollment growth rate of about 14 percent per year during 1993-1997. The number of lowersecondary schools increased by more than 40 percent over the same period. Such a highdemand for lower secondary education reflects the Government’s attempts to accommodate thegrowing number of primary school graduates associated with the Government’s target ofachieving universal primary education by 2000. To achieve a sustainable growth path and tosurvive in the globally competitive environment, the country needs to prepare a solid humanresources base with adaptable skills. This can be possible only through building a strong lowersecondary education system since primary education provides only basic cognitive skills as thebasis for productivity improvements in the lower secondary level. Given such a high socialdemand for lower secondary education, the Government has set a target for achieving universallower secondary education in urban areas by 2010, with priority investments allocated to thissubsector, alongside primary education. These include expansion of the number of lowersecondary schools to reach remote and mountainous areas, provision of free lower secondaryeducation and scholarships to the poor, including all ethnic minority students, and provision ofmany boarding lower secondary schools catering only to ethnic minorities.

86. On the quality aspects, the Government has been receiving substantial externalassistance, both from bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, with the Bank taking the leadrole in helping improve the overall quality of lower secondary education as initiated in Loan 1537-VIE. This Project will also assist the Government in improving the quality of lower secondaryeducation by improving the TTC curriculum and, hence, the quality of lower secondary schoolteachers. The Government has been focusing on increasing access to TTCs by providing freeTTC education and scholarships, together with free boarding facilities, to poor students includingof all ethnic minorities.

2. Economic Analysis and Project Benefits

87. The major economic benefits of the Project lie in its contributions to improvements in theinternal efficiency of lower secondary education, as reflected in the reduced dropout andrepetition rates of lower secondary students, since better qualified teachers will have betterknowledge of the new curriculum and will do more effective teaching. The new teachingmethodologies based on student-centered approaches to be introduced by the Project will enablethe newly produced teachers to interact more with students, thus helping improve theperformance of their students. Moreover, the double major system to be instituted at TTCs willenable the newly produced teachers to teach more than one subject, thereby increasing theutilization of teachers. The benefits from the greater utilization of teachers are not their onlycontributions to improved student performance or internal efficiency; they will also lead to highercost-effectiveness in financing lower secondary education.

88. On the basis of the cited economic benefits, economic analysis of the Project is conductedat the discount rate of 12 percent (Appendix 15). The student dropout and repetition rates areexpected to reduce from 7.0 percent and 2.1 percent prior to the project period 1999/2000 to 5.5percent and 1.5 percent during the mid-project period 2002/03, respectively. Moreover, teachersare expected to teach 10 percent more hours as a result of the double major system to be

28

introduced at TTCs. The economic internal rate of return of the Project is estimated at 23 percent,implying a worthwhile investment on the basis of the internal efficiency gains alone.

3. Project Beneficiaries

89. By the end of the Project period (2006), the project beneficiaries will include the following:(i) around 26,000 TTC students (about 80 percent females) who will complete their third yearlower secondary teacher training courses under the new curriculum by the end of the projectperiod (and their successors); and (ii) around 8 million lower secondary school students (about 50percent females) enrolled at the end of the project period (and their successors) who will benefitfrom better qualified teachers.

90. The beneficiaries during the project period (2000-2006) include the following: (i) around12,000 students (about 80 percent females and including all ethnic minority students), who arethe poorest 50 percent of TTC students in the 10 disadvantaged provinces and the three citiesselected for model TTCs development, will be provided with textbooks under the project’stextbook lending scheme; (ii) around 4,000 (800 per year for five years) prospective ethnicminorities (about 60 percent females) in the 10 disadvantaged provinces will be recruited toupgrade their TTC pre-entrance qualification so as to subsequently gain access to TTCs underthe project’s transition program, after which they will become teachers of lower secondaryschools in their own communes; and (iii) around 1,500 administrative staff from MOET, DOETs,and TTCs (300, 700, and 500, respectively) and 5,000 TTC teachers (about 80 percent females)will benefit from staff development (mainly from in-country short-term training) in various aspectsof teacher training program improvements and institutional capacity building in management andin other relevant technical skills, to support and sustain the teacher training reforms.

4. Impact on Poverty

91. Since the Government has identified ensuring adequate access of the poor to basic socialservices (including basic education) as one of the key strategies for reducing poverty, thecontributions of the Project to increasing access of ethnic minority groups to TTCs will have apositive impact on poverty reduction. Upon completion of their studies, the newly graduatedethnic minority teachers will go back to teach in lower secondary schools in their own or nearbycommunes. This development will increase secondary school enrollment among ethnic minoritychildren, thus equipping more of them with the necessary skills required for direct entry into thelabor market or for pursuing their education further to ensure a future means of livelihood. Theethnic minority teachers themselves will also improve their lots as they will be employed by theGovernment as lower secondary schoolteachers. Moreover, the Project will provide textbooks,under the project’s textbook lending scheme, to the poorest 50 percent of TTC students includingall ethnic minorities as a safety net for them to complete their studies successfully as well as torelieve the financial burden on their families.

92. About 13 ethnic minority groups in the 10 disadvantaged provinces are identified in theproject ethnic minority strategies (Appendix 4) as the beneficiaries of the project’s specialtransition program designed to improve TTC pre-entrance qualification. These groups will includethe Hmong, Dao, Khmer, Muong, Nung, Thai, Tay, Cham, Katu, Xodang, Hre, Cro, and Stieng.Poverty incidence ranges from 66 percent for the Tay to 100 percent for the Hmong, comparedwith 48 percent for the majority Kinh and 51 percent nationwide. Since these ethnic minoritygroups are the poorest of the poor, helping them gain access to TTCs and subsequentemployment as teachers to teach new generations of lower secondary school students in theirown or nearby communes will generate a more positive impact on poverty reduction in the longrun than the focusing of attention only on the general poor. Since the number of the beneficiaries

29

in this case will be around 4,000 students, about eight times the number of ethnic minoritystudents currently enrolled at TTCs in the 10 selected provinces, the positive impact on povertyreduction is expected to be substantial.

5. Sustainability

93. The Project will generate a minor continuing incremental recurrent cost after the projectperiod. The Government has agreed to sustain the Project into the future after its completionusing financial contributions (equal to 3 percent of the total investment cost of civil works and 5percent of the total investment cost of equipment and furniture) to be provided by provincialgovernments (from the 10 targeted provinces and the three cities) for the O&M cost of the projectinputs. Given the Government’s commitment to human resources development and the shift infocus to lower secondary education, alongside primary education, the share of the Government’stotal recurrent expenditure devoted to overall education is expected to increase from 19 percentto about 22 percent during the project period (2000-2006) and to increase further afterwards. Theincrease in the overall education share in the total recurrent expenditure is seen as a likelyscenario given the expected moderately high GDP growth rate of 6-8 percent per annum. At thesame time, the share of the Government’s total recurrent education expenditure allocated tolower secondary education is expected to increase slightly, alongside that of primary education,from 20 percent to 21 percent during the project period. After the project period, the share oflower secondary education in the total recurrent education expenditure can be increased by a fewmore percent with the achievement of the goal of universal primary education and qualityimprovement target.

94. Compared with the total recurrent expenditure for lower secondary education theproportion of the incremental recurrent cost arising from the Project is small, less than 1 percentboth during and after the project period. This ensures that the Government can afford to sustainthe Project beyond the project period so that full benefits can be realized.

6. Risks

95. The following risks are anticipated:

(i) Delay in the approval of proposed adjustments in the TTC program–which arerequired prior to revising the existing TTC curriculum–due to the involvement of alarge number of Government agencies at various levels. To minimize the risk, theGovernment will establish a CSC, chaired by MOET’s key policy maker on teachertraining, to facilitate the approval of the proposed adjustments.

(ii) Insufficient coordination of project inputs and activities, particularly during the firstphase of the Project, due to the involvement of a large number of stakeholders,including MOET, DOETs, TTCs, and TTUs. The Project, therefore, providessubstantial staff development activities to strengthen the stakeholders’management and monitoring skills.

(iii) Insufficient coordination with Loan 1537-VIE. To minimize the risk, the projectmanager of the loan will be appointed as a member of the PSC for this Project.

(iv) Insufficient project implementation experience of PIU and PPIU staff, especially atthe provincial level. To minimize the risk, the Project will provide training on projectimplementation to familiarize the staff with Bank requirements and procedures.

30

Further, the Project will provide a long-term international consultant to assist thePIU in project implementation and management.

B. Social Dimensions

96. The Project is designed to have direct social benefits on the enrollments and retention ofethnic minorities, particularly females, through a special transition program to enhance their TTCpre-entrance qualifications and a textbook loan scheme to provide them with free textbooks. TheProject will also generate direct social impact on the retention of well-qualified TTC teachers,particularly females, who will be trained under the project’s MA/M.Ed. programs. These positivesocial benefits will contribute to the improvements in human resources, especially women’sstatus, in the long run. Moreover, since the Project is designed with the participation ofstakeholders and beneficiaries (e.g., MOET, DOETs, TTUs, TTCs, students and teachers,parents, and representatives of ethnic minorities), beneficiary involvement will have a positivesocial impact since their needs and social values have been taken into account.

VI. ASSURANCES

A. Specific Assurances

97. The Government has given the following assurances, in addition to the standardassurances, which have been incorporated in the legal documents:

(i) MOET will ensure that the foreign universities participating in the joint-MA/M.Ed.programs are selected competitively based on criteria agreed upon with the Bank.MOET will submit for Bank approval the names of at least three selected localTTUs and the foreign universities that have been selected to offer the joint-MA/M.Ed. programs, within six months of the effective date.

(ii) Within 12 months of the effective date, MOET will submit the curriculum outlines ofthe proposed joint-MA/M.Ed. programs to the Bank for approval.

(iii) MOET will ensure that overseas universities to which the candidates for overseasMA/M.Ed. programs and for overseas short-term teaching methodologies trainingwill be sent will be selected competitively based on criteria agreed upon with theBank.

(iv) Within 12 months of the effective date, with the assistance of the CSC, theGovernment will have adjusted and formally approved the following changes to theexisting lower secondary preservice teacher training program: (a) institution of adouble major system with an approximately 60:40 major and minor subject ratio,without reducing the number of credits allocated to the major subject;(b) regrouping of the TTC major-minor subject combinations to be consistent withthe new lower secondary subject groups proposed under Loan 1537-VIE;(c) increase in the number of credits for observation and practice teaching in lowersecondary schools, without a reduction in the number of credits allocated toteaching methodologies; (d) reinstitution of an external assessment system formeasuring TTC performance and standardizing certification; and (e) increase inthe yearly enrollment of TTC students to match the projected growth in the numberof lower secondary school students as set forth in Appendix 2.

31

(v) MOET will monitor TTC enrollments and report the results to the Bank biannuallyduring project implementation.

(vi) At least two months before the commencement of each short-term overseas studyvisit, the PIU will submit to the Bank for approval the plan of the study visit. Theplan will describe the purpose and objective of the study visit, proposed countriesand institutions to be visited, names and positions of participants and theiraffiliated institutions, proposed areas of study, and unit and total cost estimates.

(vii) Within one month of the completion of each short-term overseas study visit, thePIU will submit to the Bank a brief report outlining the results of the study visit.

(viii) At least six months before the commencement of the short-term overseas studyprogram in teaching methodologies, the PIU will submit the plan of the program tothe Bank for approval. The plan will describe the purpose and objective of theprogram, proposed countries and institutions of study, names and positions ofparticipants and their affiliated institutions, proposed areas of study, and unit andtotal cost estimates.

(ix) Within two months of the completion of the short-term overseas study program inteaching methodologies, the PIU will submit to the Bank a brief report outlining theresults of the study program.

(x) MOET will ensure that all candidates for overseas and in-country MA/M.Ed.programs will be selected competitively based on the criteria agreed upon with theBank and that they will sign agreements that upon the completion of theirprograms of study, they will return to and serve in their respective institutions forthree years for each year of scholarship studies.

(xi) At the start of each calendar year, the PIU will submit to the Bank for approval theplan of the following year's overseas MA/M.Ed. study programs and in-countryjoint-MA/M.Ed. study programs. The plan will describe the purpose and objectiveof the MA/M.Ed. programs, proposed countries and institutions of studies, namesand positions of participants and their affiliated institutions, proposed areas ofstudy, and unit and total cost estimates.

(xii) Within two months of the completion of each academic year of study under theoverseas and in-country MA/M.Ed. programs, the PIU will submit to the Bank abrief report on the status and results of the programs.

(xiii) Within 12 months of the effective date, the PIU will have (a) completed baselinesurveys and have summary results for about 61 provinces; and (b) set baselineand targeted values of general and project-specific indicators by province and bytotal average, as agreed upon with the Bank. The PIU will verify the valuesannually by conducting follow-up surveys.

(xiv) The Government will ensure that at least 60 percent of the selected candidates forthe project MA/M.Ed. programs and transition program are females.

(xv) The Government will ensure that ethnic minority students who perform reasonablywell in the project transition program are admitted to TTCs under theGovernment's scholarship program for ethnic minority students.

32

(xvi) The Government will ensure that all ethnic minority candidates from the transitionprogram who are admitted to TTCs under the Government’s scholarship programfor ethnic minority students sign agreements that, upon the completion of theirprograms of study, they will return to their respective home provinces to teach inlower secondary schools for three years for each year of scholarship studies.

(xvii) The Government will give priority to ethnic minorities working at MOET, DOETsand TTCs to participate in the project staff development program.

(xviii) The Government will ensure that the recipient provinces provide the financialcontributions in an amount agreed upon between the Government and the Bank,to finance the O&M costs of the Project (details in paras. 58 and 61).

(xix) The Government will increase the percentage share of its lower secondaryrecurrent budget in the total recurrent education budget from 20 percent to 21percent during project implementation (para. 36).

B. Condition for Loan Effectiveness

98. The Government agreed to the following condition, in addition to the standard conditionsfor loan effectiveness, which have been incorporated in the legal documents: the Government willhave established the project steering committee.

VII. RECOMMENDATION

99. I am satisfied that the proposed loan would comply with the Articles of Agreement of theBank and recommend that the Board approve the loan in various currencies equivalent to SpecialDrawing Rights 18,106,000 to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the Teacher Training Project,with a term of 32 years, including a grace period of 8 years, and with an interest charge at therate of 1 percent per annum during the grace period and 1.5 percent per annum thereafter, andsuch other terms and conditions as are substantially in accordance with those set forth in the draftLoan Agreement presented to the Board.

TADAO CHINOPresident

16 November 1999

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APPENDIXES

Number Title Page Cited on(page, para.)

1 Project Framework 35 1,2

2 Major Characteristics and Performance Indicatorsof Primary and Lower Secondary Education 40 3,6

3 External Assistance to the Education Sector 41 9,28

4 Project Ethnic Minority Strategies 43 13,42

5 Staff Development Plan 51 13,45

6 Consulting Services Requirements 53 13,45

7 Indicative Terms of Reference for Consultants 54 13,45

8 Implementation Schedule of New LowerSecondary School Curriculum and TeacherTraining College Curriculum 63 14,47

9 Sample Design of Key Learning Facilities 64 16,53

10 Criteria in Selecting 10 Disadvantaged Provinces 65 17,56

11 Project Cost by Component and Financing Plan 66 21,66

12 Implementation Schedule 69 22,69

13 Tentative Procurement Packages 72 22,70

14 Key Performance Indicators 73 24,77

15 Economic Analysis 74 27,88

SUPPLEMENTARY APPENDIXES(available on request)

A Structure of the Education System

B Organizational Chart of Provincial Department of Education and Training

C Organizational Chart of Ministry of Education and Training

D Lower Secondary School Subjects and Teacher Training College Subjects

E Selection Criteria of Candidates for Masters Degree Programs

34

F Criteria in Selecting Foreign Universities for Overseas Masters Degree Programs

G Criteria for Establishing Joint-Masters Degree Programs with Foreign Universities

H Poverty Incidences of Main Ethnic Minority Groups

I Sustainability Analysis

Appendix 1, page 1PROJECT FRAMEWORK

Design Summary Project Targets(Verifiable Indicators)

MonitoringMechanisms

Critical Assumptions(Risks)

Sector Goals (DevelopmentImpacts)

Improvement in overallquality/efficiency of theLS education subsector

1.1 LS NER increased from 49 to 70percent, and completion rate from70 to 90 percent by 2005/06

1.2 Qualified LS school teachersincreased from 84 to 92 percent by2005/06

1.3 LS student/teacher ratio reducedfrom 29:1 to 21:1 by 2005/06

1.1 – 1.4 inclusive:

• MOET statistics

• Project progressreports

• Project completionreport

• MIS records

1.1 - 1.4 inclusive:

• LS education continuesto be a Governmentpriority.

• Sufficient time to effectchange

1.4 LS dropout rate decreased from 8to 4 percent, and repetition ratefrom 2 to 1 percent by 2005/06

Objectives (Purposes)

To improve quality/access/institutional capacity of LSPSTT program

1. Quality Improvement 1.1 TTC students who will be trained inthe new PSTT curriculum increasedfrom 0 to 30 percent by 2002/03

1.2 TTC teachers with MA/M.Ed. rosefrom 13 to 16 percent by 2002/03

1.1 - 3.1 inclusive:

• Project progressreports

• Review missions

• MIS records

1.1 - 1.2 inclusive:

• Continued Governmentemphasis on improvingPSTT program as asolution to improvingthe LS education sub-sector

2. Equity Improvement 2.1 TTC ethnic minorities enrollments in10 disadvantaged provincesincreased from 8 to 12 percent by2002/03

• Baseline surveyresults

2.1 ContinuedGovernment supportfor ethnic minorities

3. Institutional CapacityImprovement

3.1 MOET/DOET/TTC staff, who will bequalified for implementing the PSTTreforms, increased from 10 to 30percent by 2002/03

3.1 Relevant staffidentified for training

Project Components(Outputs)

1. Quality Improvement ofLS PSTT Program

1.1 Curriculum redesigned 1.1a 15 MOET/TTU curriculum expertstrained overseas in PSTT programdesign and curriculum dev. undera ST study visit; and 20 MOET/TTU/TTC curriculum expertstrained in-country in these courses

1.1a - 1.7c inclusive:

• Project progressreports

• Review missions

1.1a – 1.4a inclusive:

• Early agreement on theframework for the newPSTT program

Appendix 1, page 2Design Summary Project Targets

(Verifiable Indicators)Monitoring

MechanismsCritical Assumptions

(Risks)

1.1b PSTT curriculum (includingsyllabus, teaching methodologies,and student assessment) revised

• Project workshops • Suitably qualifiedparticipants for trainingidentified

1.2 Instructional materialsdeveloped

1.2a 15 MOET/TTU textbook expertstrained overseas in textbookdevelopment and publicationsunder a ST study visit

1.2b 66 MOET/DOET/TTU/TTCtextbook writers trained in-countryin textbook development andpublications, 81 in teachingmethodologies/studentassessment, and 81 in syllabusdesign/web-based modulesdevelopment

1.2c 300 TTC student textbooks and 45teacher manuals designed, andteaching aids developed

1.2d New curriculum/textbooks/teachermanuals developed in web-basedmodules

1.2e New PSTT curriculum/textbooks/teacher manuals piloted in threemodel TTCs, and later published

1.3 Instructional materialsprovided

1.3a 50 sets of TTC student textbooksand 10 sets of TTC teachermanuals (with 50 sets of the newLS school textbooks/workbooks/teacher manuals) provided to eachof the 61 TTC libraries

1.3b 40 MOET/DOET/TTCadministrators trained in-country intextbook lending scheme operation

1.3c Textbook lending schemedesigned/implemented in TTCs inthe 10 disadvantaged provincesand in the three model TTCs

1.4 New curriculum/textbooks/studentassessment oriented

1.4a 335 MOET/DOET/TTCadministrators, 915 TTC leadsubject teachers, and 4,085 TTCteachers trained in-country tofamiliarize them with the newcurriculum/textbooks/studentassessment

1.5 TTC teachersqualifications upgraded

1.5a 200 TTC teachers trainedoverseas for one-year MA/M.Ed.and 1,000 TTC teachers trained in-country for joint-MA/M.Ed. in theirsubject areas; and later deliver in-country training in these courses to915 TTC lead subject teachers

1.5a – 1.5e inclusive:

• Suitably qualifiedparticipants for trainingidentified

Appendix 1, page 3Design Summary Project Targets

(Verifiable Indicators)Monitoring

MechanismsCritical Assumptions

(Risks)

1.5b 230 and 1,150 candidates selectedfor MA/M.Ed. in 1.5a (15 percentmore to allow for failure to getgood TOEFL scores) trained in-country in English language priorto taking MA/M.Ed.

1.5c 45 TTC lead subject teacherstrained overseas in ST courses inteaching methodologies for theirsubject areas; and later deliver in-country training in these courses tothe remaining 870 TTC leadsubject teachers

1.5d 45 candidates selected in 1.5ctrained in-country in Englishlanguage prior to departure

1.5e 66 MOET/DOET/TTC subjectcoordinators trained in-country inthe new curriculum/textbooksusing web-based modules; andlater deliver training in thesecourses to 68 MOET/DOETadministrators and 915 TTC leadsubject teachers, who will laterdeliver similar training to 4,085TTC teachers

1.6 Model/specialized TTCssupported

1.6a KLFs in the three DOET’s modelTTCs established/equipped; andlabs. equipped

1.6b 3 TTC’s KLF coordinators trainedoverseas in KLF O&M under a STstudy visit; and 6 TTC’s KLFassistant coordinators trained in-country in these courses

1.6c Operational plan of model TTCsdeveloped; and 15 TTC planningstaff trained in-country inoperational planning of modelTTCs

1.6a – 1.6e inclusive:

• DOETs commit landand recurrent costs forO&M.

• Effective involvement ofthe communities

• Early procurement ofequipment/furniture/instructional materials/civil works

1.6d 30 TTC teachers trained in-countryin lab. O&M

1.6e Instructional materials/furniture/rehabilitation provided to threeMOET’s TTCs specializing in art &music

1.7 External assessmentmechanism re-established

1.7a External assessment mechanismdesigned/piloted/reestablished;and equipment provided

1.7a – 1.7c inclusive:

• Role of MOET inassessment reaffirmed

Appendix 1, page 4Design Summary Project Targets

(Verifiable Indicators)Monitoring

MechanismsCritical Assumptions

(Risks)

1.7b 8 MOET/DOET QA experts trainedoverseas under a ST study visit inPSTT program certification, and 5in PSTT program evaluation

1.7c 50 MOET/TTC QA experts trainedin-country in test construction/grading; and 195 MOET/DOET/TTC exam coordinators trained inQA system implementation

2. Increased Facilitiesand Access to TTCs inDisadvantagedProvinces

2.1 TTC facilities in the 10selected disadvantagedprovinces upgraded

2.1a KLFs in the 10 TTCs established/equipped; labs. equipped; andfacilities for physical educationprovided

2.1b 10 TTC’s KLF coordinators trainedoverseas in KLF O&M under a STstudy visit; and 20 TTC’s KLFassistant coordinators trained in-country in these courses

2.1c 50 TTC teachers trained in-countryin lab. O&M

2.1a – 2.3b inclusive:

• Project reports

• Review missions

• Project workshops

• Site visits

• Sample surveys

2.1a – 2.1c inclusive:

• DOETs commit landand recurrent costs forO&M.

• Effective involvement ofthe communities

• Early procurement ofequipment/furniture/instructional materials/civil works

2.2 TTC pre-entrancequalification of ethnicminorities in the 10provinces improved

2.2a 4,000 ethnic minorities (800/peryear for five years) recruited for thetransition program to improve theirTTC pre-entrance qualification; andthe program designed/implemented

2.2a Sufficient number ofethnic minoritycandidates for theprogram

2.3 Instructional supportresources to otherprovinces provided

2.3a TTC labs. in other 17 provinces (notcovered by lab. equipment supportunder Loan 1537-VIE) equipped;and facilities for physical educationprovided

2.3a – 2.3b inclusive:

• DOETs commitrecurrent costs forO&M.

2.3b 85 TTC teachers trained in-countryin lab. O&M

• Early procurement ofequipment/furniture/instructional materials

3. Institutional CapacityBuilding and ProjectImplementation

3.1 Management andtechnical skillsstrengthened

3.1a 59 senior MOET/DOET/TTCadmin. (20/26/13) trained overseasin Ed. Planning & Managementunder a ST study visit

3.1a – 3.2c inclusive:

• Project reports

• Review missions

3.1a – 3.1f inclusive:

• Suitably qualifiedparticipants for trainingidentified

Appendix 1, page 5Design Summary Project Targets

(Verifiable Indicators)Monitoring

MechanismsCritical Assumptions

(Risks)

3.1b 100 MOET/DOET/TTCadministrators (15/21/64) trainedoverseas for one-year M.Ed. in Ed.Planning & Management

3. 1c 115 candidates selected in 3.1b(15 percent more to allow forfailure to get good TOEFL scores)trained in-country in Englishlanguage prior to taking M.Ed.

• Project workshops

• Site visits

• Sample surveys

• MOET/DOET/TTCPersonnel records

• Timely design of allcourses

3.1d 244 DOET admin. trained in-country in management (ed.admin.), 610 DOET technical stafftrained in technical skills, and 488TTC dept. heads trained inmanagement/leadership

3.1e 848 MOET/DOET/TTC staff (30/305/513) trained in-country inEnglish communications; and 337MOET/DOET/TTC staff (20/183/134) trained in internet operations

3.1f Internet facilities established atMOET/DOETs/TTCs

3.2 Project implementationsupported

3.2a Central PIU/PPIUs equipped 3.2a Early procurement ofequipment/furniture

3.2b 288 MOET/DOET/TTC staff (132/78/78), directly/indirectly involvedin central PIU, trained in projectimplementation in-countryannually; and 468 DOET/TTC staff(234/234), directly/indirectlyinvolved in PPIUs, trained annually

3.2b Timely design of allcourses

3.2c Baseline surveys/analysis for BMEconducted to monitor the Projectprogress against key performanceindicators

3.2c Close collaborationwith Loan 1537-VIEestablished

BME = benefits monitoring and evaluation, DOET = provincial department of education and training, Ed. = education, KLF = keylearning facilities, Lab. = laboratory, LS = lower secondary, MA/M.Ed. = Master of Art/Education, MIS = management informationsystem, MOET = Ministry of Education and Training, NER = net enrollment rate, O&M = operation and maintenance, PIU =project implementation unit, PPIU = provincial project implementation unit, PSTT = preservice teacher training, QA = qualityassurance, ST = short-term, TOEFL = test of English as a foreign language, TTC = teacher training college/school, TTU =teacher training university.Note: The total number of MOET, DOET, and TTC administrative staff and TTC teachers (including lead subject teachers)

combined for the proposed training programs are around 6,500 (300, 700, 500, and 5,000, respectively). This number isless than the total number of trainees shown in Appendix 5 because many of the same staff will undertake more thanone training program.

1991/92 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06Primary EducationStudents (Enrollment) 9,105,104 9,476,441 9,725,095 ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ######## ########Enrollment Growth Rate (%) 4.1 2.6 3.3 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0Teachers 263,215 264,808 275,640 288,173 298,407 310,264 325,777 342,066 359,169 377,128 399,756 427,738 461,957 503,534 553,887Teacher Growth Rate (%) 0.6 4.1 4.5 3.6 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0Lower Secondary EducationClasses 73,027 75,088 80,027 91,054 104,294 116,663 125,456 134,038 149,361 156,700 164,900 175,500 184,200 193,500 204,200Students (Enrollment) 2,678,350 2,813,992 3,101,483 3,678,734 4,312,674 4,860,709 5,252,144 5,577,695 5,879,100 6,190,600 6,512,500 6,844,600 7,186,800 7,546,200 7,923,500 - Females 1,181,939 1,295,483 1,428,803 1,806,710 2,016,094 2,308,837 2,521,029 2,677,294 2,851,364 3,002,441 3,191,125 3,353,854 3,593,400 3,773,100 3,961,750Enrollment Growth Rate (%) 5.1 10.2 18.6 17.2 12.7 8.1 6.2 5.4 5.3 5.2 5.1 5.0 5.0 5.0 Teachers 130,431 127,004 132,722 142,215 154,416 166,552 179,512 195,085 248,648 282,100 296,800 319,400 337,100 356,000 377,800 - Females 88,791 83,952 89,587 97,198 106,953 119,917 134,634 150,215 198,918 225,680 243,376 265,102 283,164 302,600 321,130Teacher Growth Rate (%) -2.6 4.5 7.2 8.6 7.9 7.8 8.7 27.5 13.5 5.2 7.6 5.5 5.6 6.1Qualified Teachers 82,452 88,619 105,578 112,334 122,755 134,891 147,851 163,424 216,987 250,439 265,139 287,739 305,439 324,339 346,139Qual.Teachers Growth Rate (%) 7.5 19.1 6.4 9.3 9.9 9.6 10.5 32.8 15.4 5.9 8.5 6.2 6.2 6.7

1991/92 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06Primary EducationGER (%) 103 105 108 109 113 115 117 120 121 122 123 124 126 129 130NER (%) 85.0 87.0 90.0 91.0 92.0 93.0 94.0 96.0 98.0 99.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0Completion Rate (%) 66.0 66.5 67.0 67.5 68.1 68.5 69.0 70.0 72.0 75.0 78.0 80.0 83.0 87.0 90.0Repetition Rate (%) 6.5 6.3 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.0 4.6 4.3 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.2Dropout Rate (%) 8.3 8.2 8.0 7.5 6.9 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0Students/Teachers 34.6 35.8 35.3 34.9 34.2 33.4 32.4 31.4 30.5 29.7 28.7 27.5 26.2 24.8 23.2Lower Secondary Education:GER (%) 43.6 45.3 48.8 49.0 55.0 61.0 64.0 65.0 69.0 75.0 80.0 85.0 88.0 92.0 95.0NER (%) 38.0 39.0 42.0 42.0 46.0 47.0 48.0 49.0 52.0 55.0 58.0 60.0 62.0 65.0 70.0Completion Rate (%) 66.0 66.5 67.0 67.5 68.0 68.0 69.0 70.0 72.0 75.0 78.0 80.0 83.0 87.0 90.0Repetition Rate (%) 2.9 2.6 3.0 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2Dropout Rate (%) 21.6 16.1 12.5 7.4 8.0 8.6 8.1 7.8 7.0 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0% Female Students 44.1 46.0 46.1 49.1 46.7 47.5 48.0 48.0 48.5 48.5 49.0 49.0 50.0 50.0 50.0% Female Teachers 68.1 66.1 67.5 68.3 69.3 72.0 75.0 77.0 80.0 80.0 82.0 83.0 84.0 85.0 85.0% Qualified Teachers 63.2 69.8 79.5 79.0 79.5 81.0 82.4 83.8 87.3 88.8 89.3 90.1 90.6 91.1 91.6Students/Class 36.7 37.5 38.8 40.4 41.4 41.7 41.9 41.6 39.4 39.5 39.5 39.0 39.0 39.0 38.8Teachers/Class 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9Qualified Teachers/Class 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7Students/Teacher 20.5 22.2 23.4 25.9 27.9 29.2 29.3 28.6 23.6 21.9 21.9 21.5 21.3 21.2 21.0Students/Qualified Teacher 32.5 31.8 29.4 32.7 35.1 36.0 35.5 34.1 27.1 24.7 24.6 23.8 23.5 23.3 22.9

GER = gross enrollment rate, NER = net enrollment rate.

Note: The data for 1999/2000 to 2005/06 (including the number of classes, student enrolments, and teachers) are based on Government projections, which take into account its teacher expansion plan.

Since some of the data for 1998/99 are not readily available, they are based on estimates from various sources.a Including demand and supply of teachers as measured by number of students, number of teachers, and student/teacher ratios.Source: Government and staff estimates.

MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OF PRIMARY AND LOWER SECONDARY EDUCATION a

Characteristic

Performance Indicator

Appendix 3, page 1

EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE TO THE EDUCATION SECTOR(1991-1999)

Source/Project Amount($ million)

A. Multilateral

Asian Development Bank (ADB)- Lower Secondary Education Development 50.0- Vocational and Technical Education 54.0

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)- Hanoi National University 7.0

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)- Environmental Education in Viet Nam’s Schools 0.84- Literacy and Vocational Education for Ethnic Minority Women

and Girls in Viet Nam 0.16- Strategic Policy and Program Development in Education for All 0.15

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)- Development of Primary Education, Kindergarten, and

Underprivileged Children 7.0

World Bank- Primary Education 70.0- Higher Education 83.3

B. Bilateral

Australia- Graduate Training and Establishment of an English Language

Center and Scholarship Programs 12.5- English Language Technical Training 5.0

Belgium- Distance Training for Primary Education Teachers in Five

Disadvantaged Provinces 2.5- Teacher Training for Basic Education in Seven Disadvantaged

Provinces 1.34- Lower Secondary Education Development (Cofinanced with

ADB) 0.5

Canada- Institutional Linkages Between Canadian and Vietnamese

Universities 8.2- Strengthening Capacity of National Institute of Educational

Development in Strategic Planning 0.5

Appendix 3, page 2

Source/Project Amount($ million)

European Union- Strengthening Capacity of Ministry of Education and Training in

Education Management and Information System 7.5

Finland- Equipment for Technical Schools in Quinhon 1.0

France- Vocational and Technical Education (Cofinanced with ADB) 12.0

Germany- Assistance to Vocational Teacher Training Schools 12.0

Japan- Upgrading of Can Tho University 20.5- Support to Primary Schools Affected by Typhoons 51.0- Vocational and Technical Education (Tentatively Cofinanced with

ADB) To be determined

Korea, Rep. of- Assistance for Renovating Two Vocational Training Schools 5.3

Netherlands- Training of Hearing-Impaired Teachers 1.0- Viet Nam-Netherlands Research Programs 5.0- Establishment of Six Community Colleges 7.5

Nordic Development Fund- Vocational and Technical Education (Cofinanced with ADB) 6.0

Sweden- Assistance to the Economic Development Training Center and

Scholarship Programs 2.7

Switzerland- Assistance to Forestry College and Vocational Training Centers 3.2

Thailand- Assistance to Bac Thai Agricultural College and Tu Liem

Vocational Training Center 1.5

United Kingdom- English Language Teacher Training 4.3- Primary Education Teacher Training (Cofinanced with World

Bank) 24.0

Appendix 4, page 1

PROJECT ETHNIC MINORITY STRATEGIES

A. Backgr ound and Rationale

1. The about 53 ethnic minority groups in Viet Nam comprise around 13 percent of the totalpopulation. The main groups are Tay, Thai, Hoa, Khmer, Muong, and Nung; together they makeup two thirds of the total ethnic minority population (Table A4.1).

Table A4.1: Share of Main Ethnic Minority Population

Group Million

% of TotalVietnamesePopulation

Tay 1.386 1.8Thai 1.155 1.5Hoa 1.078 1.4Khmer 1.001 1.3Muong 1.001 1.3Nung 0.847 1.1Others 3.533 4.6Total Ethnic Minorities 10.0 13.0Total Vietnamese Population

77.0 100.0

2. In the 10 disadvantaged provinces selected for the Project,1 a very high concentration ofsome of the main ethnic minority groups (e.g., Tay, Thai, Muong, and Nung) is found in the fournorthern mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Thanh Hoa (Table A4.2).The concentration of another main ethnic minority group (Khmer) is also high in the threesouthern Mekong Delta provinces (Binh Phuoc, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang). The remaining threeprovinces in the central region (Binh Dinh, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai) also have someethnic minority groups (e.g., Cham, Hre, and Katu), but not as many as those in the north andthe south. With the exception of the Hoa, who are ethnic Chinese concentrated in urban areasand coastal provinces, the rest of the ethnic minority groups have lower socioeconomic statusand less access to social services than the majority Kinh. Many ethnic minority communes donot have lower secondary schools; and although every province has its own teacher trainingcollege (TTC), the college is usually located in the center of the province far from theircommunes. The Government responded to this problem by providing free education to ethnicminorities (including scholarships, together with special boarding lower secondary schools, andfree boarding facilities at TTCs). Yet, TTC enrollments of ethnic minorities remain low (about 8percent in the 10 selected provinces). Of the 10 provinces, only Ha Giang and Lai Chau haveethnic minority TTC enrollments higher than 30 percent; those of the rest range from 0 to 21percent (Table A4.2). However, the more than 30 percent TTC enrollment shares of ethnicminorities in the two provinces should not be considered high compared with the much highershares (more than 80 percent) of ethnic minority population in the total provincial population.

1 The 10 disadvantaged provinces were selected on the basis of poverty, shortages of facilities at teacher training

institutions, and regional disadvantages described in detail in Appendix 10.

Appendix 4, page 2

Table A4.2: Main EM Groups and Their TTC Enrollment Shares in 10 Selected ProvincesProvince Total

ProvincialPop.

EM Groups inProvince

EM Pop. inProvince

EM Pop.(% of

ProvincialPop.)

EM TTCEnrollment (%of Prov. TTCEnrollments)

1. Ha Giang 575,000 Hmong 178,250 31Tay 149,500 26Dao 80,500 14Nung 57,500 10Others 46,000 8Total 511,750 89 42

2. Lao Cai 632,000 Hmong 145,360 23Nung 126,000 20Tay 75,840 12Dao 63,000 10Others 12,500 2Total 423,100 67 21

3. Lai Chau 521,000 Thai 187,416 36Hmong 130,150 25Dao 31,236 6Kho Mu 15,618 3Ha Nhi 11,000 2Giay 5,000 1La Hu 5,000 1Others 30,000 6Total 415,420 80 30

4. Thanh Hoa 3,630,000 Muong 254,100 7Thai 181,500 5Taoi 18,000 0.5Dao 18,000 0.5Kho Mu 18,000 0.5Others 36,000 1Total 525,600 15 7

5. Binh Dinh 1,500,000 Cham 15,000 1Ba Na 4,500 0.3Hre 4,500 0.3Others 4,500 0.3Total 28,500 2 0

6. Quang Nam 1,386,000 Katu 21,000 1.5Xodang 21,000 1.5Others 14,000 1Total 56,000 4 0

7. Quang Ngai 1,257,000 Hre 106,845 8.5Cro 25,000 2Others 6,500 0.5Total 138,345 11 2

8. Binh Phuoc 600,000 Stieng 66,000 11Khmer 24,000 4Others 6,000 1Total 96,000 16 3

9. Tra Vinh 1,024,000 Khmer 307,200 30Others 10,000 1Total 317,200 31 9

10. Soc Trang 1,270,000 Khmer 317,500 25Hoa 12,760 1Total 330,260 26 12

Total 10 Provinces 12,395,000 2,842,175 23 EM = ethnic minority, Pop. = population, TTC = teacher training college.

Appendix 4, page 3

B. Objectives and Scope

3. The generally low TTC enrollment shares of ethnic minorities indicate that the free TTCboarding facilities and Government scholarships are not sufficient to attract ethnic minorityfamilies to send their children to enroll there, nor to keep them there. The Project responds bydesigning the objectives of ethnic minority strategies in the 10 selected provinces as follows:(i) to provide TTC ethnic minority students with adequate learning materials to prevent themfrom repeating the class or dropping out, and (ii) to upgrade the pre-entrance qualification ofethnic minorities to enable them to gain access to TTCs. The project ethnic minority strategiesare reflected in the following subcomponents: (i) subcomponent 1c: provide TTC ethnic minoritystudents (and other poor students) with textbooks, under a textbook lending scheme, withouthaving to pay; and (ii) subcomponent 2b: improve TTC pre-entrance qualification of prospectiveethnic minorities under a transition program.

C. Description of the Project Ethnic Minority Strategies

1. Subcomponent 1c: Textbook Lending Scheme

4. A textbook lending scheme for the poorest 50 percent of TTC students (including allethnic minorities and other poor students) in the 10 disadvantaged provinces and in the threecities selected for development of model TTCs will be designed by an international consultantand a domestic consultant in the first year of the Project and piloted in these 13 TTCs to(i) provide a safety net for the poor, (ii) retain larger numbers of ethnic minority students atTTCs, and (iii) attract more of them to enroll at TTCs. The same consultants will give training intextbook lending scheme operations to selected administrators from the Ministry of Educationand Training (MOET), the provincial departments of education and training (DOETs) in the 10provinces and the three cities, and the corresponding 13 TTCs. A manual for textbook lendingoperations will be developed and distributed as part of the training program. Textbooks for all ofthe TTC subjects will be distributed to these 13 TTCs at least in the third year of the Project,after they have been revised in accordance with the new curriculum. By the end of the Project,the textbook lending scheme will be in operation in the 13 TTCs after undergoing pilot tests forall three years of the TTC program. In addition, to be culturally sensitive to the needs of ethnicminority students, alternative teaching methodologies and teaching aids will be designed forthem. If the total enrollments in the 13 TTCs will double during the project period (2000-2006) toabout 24,000 students as tentatively planned, it is expected that about 12,000 students (50percent) will be covered by the textbook lending scheme. Of the 12,000 beneficiaries, around3,000 (25 percent) are expected to be ethnic minority students.

2. Subcomponent 2b: Improved TTC Pre-entrance Qualifications of EthnicMinorities

5. A special transition program to enhance TTC pre-entrance qualifications of prospectiveethnic minorities in the 10 disadvantaged provinces will consist of four elements:

(i) Beneficiary identification recruitment campaigns will be conducted in the 10disadvantaged provinces to enroll suitable trainees. The campaign will includeenhancing the awareness of ethnic minority communities about the advantagesof sending their children (especially females) to school (including TTCs) as wellas establishing coordination mechanisms between the provincial DOETs anddistrict education offices in meeting TTC enrollment targets. Although about 80percent of overall TTC students are females, the recruitment for this transition

Appendix 4, page 4

program will give priority (at least 60 percent) to ethnic minority females, who aremore constrained by cultural attitudes than are their male counterparts.

(ii) Intensive preparatory courses aimed at consolidating foundation knowledgeusually absorbed at the secondary school level will be developed by aninternational consultant and a domestic consultant. These courses will bedelivered over six months before the commencement of the TTC school year.Tutorial rooms to be built by this Project as part of the key learning facilities willbe used as the training venues.

(iii) Special remedial courses will be provided to ethnic minority students identified ashaving pronounced academic weakness, with smaller than normal class size topermit special attention.

(iv) A two-week orientation program will be delivered to newly enrolled ethnicminority students, which will also provide the TTCs with an opportunity to learnabout their new ethnic minority students and their particular needs (e.g., speciallanguage tuition and particular needs for females). During this program, a studentmentor support system will be established by partnering the new ethnic minoritystudents with high performing urban students willing to assist their peers in study.

6. Since most of the existing TTC ethnic minority students come from some of the mainethnic minority groups, the number of ethnic minority groups targeted for the project ethnicminority strategies under subcomponent 2b will be limited to these groups (Table A4.3). Thebenefits of the targeting are as follows: (i) avoiding fragmentation and geographical obstaclesfor the Project in targeting and recruiting prospective ethnic minorities for the transition program;(ii) creating a more supportive and sustainable schooling for ethnic communities for theircontinuing participation at TTCs (after which the Government can cast a wider net to captureother ethnic minority groups); and (iii) avoiding overly ambitious coverage at this pilot stage sothat the strategies can be successfully applied and refined later. This targeting, however, doesnot mean that access will be denied to students from other ethnic minority groups.

7. From Table A4.3, the total TTC enrollment of ethnic minorities (for years 1-3) in the 10provinces at one point in time during the project period will be about 2,340 students. This figureis arrived at by assuming that the share of ethnic minority enrollments at TTCs in the 10provinces will double during the project period (from the current level of 8 percent to 16percent). The distribution of the targeted number of beneficiaries across the 10 provinces thenfollows a targeted percentage of ethnic minority enrollments in each province. Provinces withhigh current percentages of ethnic minorities in the total provincial population (Table A4.2) willbe targeted for larger percentages of beneficiaries. Of the total 2,340 expected ethnic minoritystudents in the 10 provinces for the three-year program, at least 780 (or about 800) studentsshould be recruited as the beneficiaries for the transition program each year and subsequentlyenrolled as TTC students under the Government’s scholarship program for ethnic minorities,provided that they perform reasonably well in the transition program. If the design of thetransition program is ready for implementation by the second year of the Project, the programcan be implemented for five years and will cover a total of at least 3,900 (or about 4,000)beneficiaries.

Appendix 4, page 5

Table A4.3: Target EM Groups and Beneficiaries

Province Target EMGroup

Total EMPop. inTargetGroup

CurrentTotal TTC

Enrollment a

in Province

CurrentTTC Enrollmentsof EM Students

in Province

ExpectedTotal TTC

Enrollment inProvince

Expected (Targeted)TTC Enrollment of

EM Students inProvince

(no.) no. % (no. for 3 yr) (no.for 3yr)

(no.peryr)

%

1. Ha Giang Hmong 178,250Tay 149,500Dao 80,500Nung 57,500Total 465,750 339 142 42 678 440 146 65

2. Lao Cai Hmong 145,360Nung 126,000Tay 75,480Dao 63,000Total 410,240 174 37 21 348 170 57 50

3. Lai Chau Thai 187,416Hmong 130,150Dao 31,236Total 348,802 200 60 30 400 240 80 60

4. Thanh Hoa Muong 254,100Thai 181,500Total 435,600 2,749 192 7 5,498 770 256 14

5. Binh Dinh Cham 15,000 1,044 0 0 2,088 30 10 1.4

6. Quang Nam Katu 21,000Xodang 21,000Total 42,000 466 0 0 932 30 10 3

7. Quang Ngai Hre 106,845Cro 25,000Total 131,845 985 20 2 1,970 200 67 10

8. Binh Phuoc Stieng 66,000Khmer 24,000Total 90,000 379 11 3 758 100 34 13

9. Tra Vinh Khmer 307,200 208 19 9 416 110 37 26

10. Soc Trang Khmer 317,500 558 67 12 1,116 250 83 22

Total for 10Prov. (3 yr)

7,102 548 8 14,204 2,340 780 16

Total for 61Prov. (3 yr) 44,000 84,000

Total for 61Prov. (per yr) 15,000 28,000

EM = ethnic minority, Pop. = population, Prov. = province, TTC = teacher training college.a Since every TTC provides teacher training for both primary and lower secondary education programs, the enrollments

presented in the table are limited to only the lower secondary education program.

Appendix 4, page 6

D. Social Assessment of Target Groups

1. Socioeconomic Profile of Target Groups

a. Northern Mountainous Provinces

8. The target ethnic minority groups in the four northern mountainous provinces (Ha Giang,Lao Cai, Lai Chau, and Thanh Hoa) are the Hmong, Tay, Dao, Nung, Thai, and Muong. Basedon the socioeconomic profiles in Table A4.4, the main location where they live exerts significantinfluences on their socioeconomic status, main economic activity, and cultural characteristics.Those living in upland, high-altitude areas (e.g., Hmong and Dao) are very poor, especially theHmong who also practice shifting agriculture with mobile villages. The mountainous nature ofmost of these provinces, which are inaccessible by road, together with the shifting agriculturalpractices, makes physical access to education and other social services very difficult. With thelimited availability of lower secondary schools (e.g., only 30 percent of the districts in Ha GiangProvince have lower secondary schools), access to education beyond the primary level isextremely limited.

Table A4.4: Socioeconomic Profile of Target EM Groups in the North

EM Groups Main Location SocioeconomicStatus

Main EconomicActivity

CulturalCharacteristics

Hmong Upland (highaltitude)

Very low Agriculture (someshiftingagriculture)

Mobile villages, earlymarriages of females,Romanized language

Tay Upland/Lowlandvalleys

Low Agriculture Sophisticated art,Romanized language

Dao Upland (Highaltitude)

Very low Agriculture Established literature,Chinese script

Thai Upland/Lowlandvalleys

Low Agriculture Large villages,Sanskrit-derivedlanguage, rich artsand traditions

Muong Lowland/Mountainvalleys

Low Agriculture Practice Buddhism,large villages, richliterature, culturallyclose to Thai

EM = ethnic minority.

b. Central Provinces

9. The target ethnic minority groups in the three central provinces (Binh Dinh, Quang Nam,and Quang Ngai) are the Cham, Katu, Xodang, Hre, and Cro. Their socioeconomic profile(Table A4.5) shows that all these groups are concentrated in the western highland areas of theprovinces, which are difficult to access. The majority of them practice shifting agriculture, andhave a very low socioeconomic status. The characteristics of their main location and economicactivity make access to education and other social services very difficult.

Appendix 4, page 7

Table A4.5: Socioeconomic Profile of Target EM Groups in the Central Region

EM Group Main Location SocioeconomicStatus

Main EconomicActivity

CulturalCharacteristics

Cham Western upland Very low Agriculture Settled villages,adopt Hinduism,rich in literature andartistic traditions

Katu Western upland Very low Agriculture Small villages,rudimentaryhandicrafts

Xodang Western upland Very low Shiftingagriculture

Stilt houses inmobile villages,rudimentaryhandicrafts

Hre Western upland Very low Shiftingagriculture

Stilt houses in largevillages, ricecultivation

Cro Western upland Very low Shiftingagriculture

Large villages, ricecultivation

EM = ethnic minority.

c. Southern Flood-Prone Mekong Delta Provinces

10. The target ethnic minority groups in the three southern flood-prone provinces in theMekong-Delta areas (Binh Phuoc, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang) are the Stieng and Khmer. Theirsocioeconomic profile (Table A4.6) shows both groups live in the delta’s rural areas. Althoughthe land in the delta areas is normally fertile, which permits multiple cropping by the Stieng, it isprone to flooding during the monsoon season. In addition, most of the Khmer do not own landand have to work on farms as landless hired labor. The resulting economic status of bothgroups is thus low. Since both normally live in remote rural areas in isolation from the Kinhmajority, they have low access to education and other social services.

Table A4.6: Socioeconomic Profile of Target EM Groups in the South

EM Group Main Location SocioeconomicStatus

Main EconomicActivity

CulturalCharacteristics

Stieng Delta (ruralareas)

Low Agriculture/fishing Long houses insmall villages, wetrice cultivation withmultiple cropping

Khmer Delta (ruralareas)

Low Agriculture/fishing Work as landlesshired labor, rich inliterature andartistic traditions

EM = ethnic minority.

Appendix 4, page 8

2. Needs of Target Groups

11. The socioeconomic profile of the target groups assessed in the preceding subsectionshave a significant bearing on the need for better education for their offspring in relation to otherneeds. Since these target groups belong to the low and very low socioeconomic strata, they areinevitably preoccupied with immediate needs (e.g., improvement in income). Coupled with thenature of their agricultural occupation (which depends largely on the labor of their children) aswell as the important role that their children (particularly girls) play in household chores, theysee little need to send children to school beyond the primary level as that would mean highopportunity costs to them. This kind of need is difficult to change by education policies alonesince it is structurally tied to their occupation. Although the Government has been trying tochange the situation by providing scholarships and boarding facilities to ethnic minority studentsattending lower secondary schools and TTCs, the scholarships cover only the costs related toschooling, rather than their opportunity cost. However, this kind of need represents the needs ofthe target groups only in general. It does not follow that every family in the target groups preferto have their children work on farms or on household chores rather than go to school.

3. Demand of Target Groups

12. Some target groups who live in more accessible lowland mountain valleys (e.g., the Thaiand the Muong in Thanh Hoa Province) are better-off economically compared with the othergroups. Their more accessible location makes it easier for them to gain access to schools andother social services as well as to absorb urban values and attitudes. Thus, their demand forbetter education can be formed more easily. However, the project ethnic minority strategiesunder subcomponent 2b will create the demand for TTC education in all the target groupsthrough recruitment campaigns to make them realize the benefits of better education.

4. Absorptive Capacity of Target Groups

13. Constrained by limited educational background and language barriers, the target groupsnormally have limited capacity to absorb better education. The project ethnic minority strategiesunder subcomponent 2b will overcome these constraints by (i) providing intensive preparatorycourses and special remedial courses to upgrade their educational background; (ii) providingthese courses in major native languages, especially for the Khmer who normally have difficultiesin absorbing the central language; and (iii) providing student mentors to support the new ethnicminority students enrolled at TTCs on an individual basis to enhance their learning capacity.

5. Gender Issues Among the Target Groups

14. Although TTC enrollments are largely dominated by females (more than 80 percent),ethnic minority families normally prefer better education for sons than for daughters. Forexample, Lai Chau Province has twice as many literate men as women. Economically,daughters are highly valued not only on farms, but also in households. Culturally, ethnic minorityfamilies are reluctant to allow their daughters to attend boarding schools during their teenageyears. In some of the target groups (e.g., Hmong), marriages can occur for girls aged 13 years,after which it is inappropriate for them to go to school. The project ethnic minority strategiesunder subcomponent 2b will address these issues in all the target groups through recruitmentcampaign, that will include public awareness campaigns to make families realize the benefits ofsending their children, especially daughters, to school. In addition, the recruitment target forfemales under this subcomponent will be at least 60 percent.

Category Type Participants TTCs in TTCs in Suggested Trainor(Beneficiaries) Person- Number MOET DOETs 3 Model 10 Priority Other Venue

months (inc. TTUs) TTCs Provinces Provinces

I. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF LS PSTT PROGRAM A. Curriculum Redesign

PSTT Program Design & Curriculum Development Overseas Study Visit 6 weeks Curriculum Experts 22.5 15 15 OverseasPSTT Program Design & Curriculum Development In-country Short-term 6 weeks Curriculum Experts 30.0 20 5 15 TTU Consultants

B. Instructional Materials DevelopmentTextbook Development & Publications Overseas Study Visit 2.5 weeks Textbook Experts 9.4 15 15 OverseasTextbook Development & Publications In-country Short-term 3 weeks Textbook Writers 49.5 66 15 6 45 Hanoi/HCMC ConsultantsTeaching Methodologies and Student Assessment In-country Short-term 6 weeks Textbook Writers 121.5 81 30 6 45 Hanoi/HCMC Consultants Syllabus Design & Website Module Development In-country Short-term 6 weeks Textbook Writers 121.5 81 30 6 45 Hanoi/HCMC Consultants

C. Provision of Instructional MaterialsTextbook Lending Scheme Operation In-country Short-term 2 weeks MOET, DOET & TTC Admin. 20.0 40 1 13 6 20 Hanoi/HCMC Consultants

D. Orientation to New Curriculum, Textbooks and Student AssessmentOrientation to New Curriculum, etc. In-country Workshop 3 days MOET, DOET & TTC Admin. 50.3 335 30 122 9 30 144 Major Cities Con/Textbook WritersOrientation to New Curriculum, etc. In-country Workshop 5 days TTC Lead Subject Teachers 228.8 915 45 150 720 Major Cities Con/Textbook WritersOrientation to New Curriculum, etc. In-country Workshop 4 days TTC Teachers 817.0 4,085 380 510 3,195 TTCs Textbook Writers/Periodic Subject Implementation Reviews In-country Workshop 3 days TTC Teachers 306.5 2,043 190 255 1,598 TTCs Trained TTC Lead Teachers

E. Upgrading TTC Teachers Qualifications- Qualification Upgrading

MA/M.Ed. in Selected Subjects (Overseas) Overseas Fellowship 12 months TTC Teachers 2,400.0 200 30 30 140 OverseasMA/M.Ed. in Selected Subjects (Joint w/ Foreign Univ. In-country Fellowship 18 months TTC Teachers 18,000.0 1,000 180 120 700 Selected TTUsEnglish Language Preparation In-country Short-term 6 months Overseas & Joint-MA/M.Ed. 1,380.0 1,380 242 172 966 TTUs TTU Staff

Program CandidatesRefresher in Selected Subjects In-country Short-term 6 weeks TTC Lead Subject Teachers 1,372.5 915 45 150 720 Major Cities Trained TTC Teachers

- Subject-specific and Teaching Methodologies TrainingTeaching Methodologies for Selected Subjects Overseas Short-term 3 months TTC Lead Subject Teachers 135.0 45 45 OverseasEnglish Language Preparation In-country Short-term 3 months Overseas ST Study Candidates 45.0 45 45 TTUs TTU StaffRefresher in Teaching Methodologies In-country Short-term 1 week TTC Lead Subject Teachers 217.5 870 150 720 Major Cities Trained TTC Lead Teachers

- Continuing Distance Education of TeachersOrientation to New Curriculum using Website Modules In-country Workshop 1 week Subject Coordinators 16.5 66 8 13 45 Major Cities Con/Textbook Writers/ISPsOrientation to New Curriculum using Website Modules In-country Workshop 1 week MOET & DOET Administrators & 245.8 983 7 61 45 150 720 Major Cities Con/Subject Coordinators/ISPs

TTC Lead Subject TeachersOrientation to New Curriculum using Website Modules In-country Workshop 1 week TTC Teachers 1,021.3 4,085 380 510 3,195 TTC Trained Lead Teachers/ISPs

F. Support to Model and Specialized TTCsKLF Operation Overseas Study Visit 2.5 weeks KLF Coordinators 1.9 3 3 OverseasKLF Operation & Maintenance In-country Short-term 4 weeks KLF Assistant Coordinators 6.0 6 6 Major Cities ConsultantsOperation Planning of Model TTCs In-country Short-term 4 weeks TTC Planning Administrators 15.0 15 15 Major Cities ConsultantsLanguage Lab. Operation & Maintenance In-country Short-term 2 weeks TTC Language Teachers 3.0 6 6 Major Cities ConsultantsInformatics Lab. Operation & Maintenance In-country Short-term 2 weeks TTC Informatics Teachers 3.0 6 6 Major Cities ConsultantsScience Lab. Operation & Maintenance In-country Short-term 2 weeks TTC Science Teachers 9.0 18 18 Major Cities Consultants

G. Reestablishment of External Assessment MechanismPSTT Program Certification Overseas Study Visit 2.5 weeks QA Experts 5.0 8 5 3 OverseasPSTT Program Evaluation Overseas Study Visit 6 weeks QA Experts 7.5 5 5 OverseasTest Construction and Grading In-country Short-term 4 weeks QA Experts 50.0 50 5 45 Hanoi/HCMC ConsultantsQA System Implementation In-country Short-term 5 days Exam Coordinators 48.8 195 9 61 9 20 96 Major cities Consultants

STAFF DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Number and Source of ParticipantsDuration Total

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prop

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gram

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ound

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00 (

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his

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is le

ss th

an th

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Dur

atio

nT

otal

Num

ber

and

Sou

rce

of P

artic

ipan

ts

International Domestic Total International Domestic Total 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005A. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF LS PSTT PROGRAM

1. Curriculum Redesigna. TTC Curriculum Development

i. International 1 1 9 9 8 1ii. Domestic 1 1 12 12 8 4

2. Instructional Materials Developmenta. Textbook Writing and Publications

i. International 2 2 12 12 6 3 2 1ii. Domestic 12 12 108 108 60 12 12 12 12

3. Provision of Instructional Materialsa. Textbook Lending Scheme Development

i. International 1 1 2 2 2ii. Domestic 1 1 2 2 2

4. Support to Model and Specialized TTCsa. Model TTCs Development and Operation

i. International 1 1 3 3 3ii. Domestic 1 1 9 9 3 6

5. Reestablishment of ExternalAssessment Mechanisma. Quality Assurance Development

i. International 1 1 3 3 3ii. Domestic 1 1 5 5 5

B. IMPROVED FACILITIES/ACCESS IN POOR PROVINCES1. Upgrading TTC Facilities in 10 Provinces

i. KLF Development and Operation (International) 1 1 3 3 2 1ii. KLF Operation and Maintenance (Domestic) 1 1 5 5 3 2

2. Improved TTC Pre-entrance Qualifications of Ethnic Minorities in the 10 Provincesa. Transition Program Course Design and Implementation

i. International 1 1 3 3 3ii. Domestic 1 1 15 15 3 5 3 2 2

C. CAPACITY BUILDING AND PROJECT IMPL. SUPPORT1. Strengthening Management and Technical Skills

a. Education Planning and Managementi. International 1 1 5 5 3 2ii. Domestic 1 1 16 16 5 3 3 3 2

b. Management and Technical Skills Training i. International 1 1 5 5 5ii. Domestic 5 5 20 20 6 6 8

2. Project Implementation Support to PIU/PPIUsa. Project Administration and Financial Management

i. International 1 1 18 18 6 3 3 3 3ii. Domestic 1 1 36 36 6 12 9 3 3 3

b. Benefit Monitoring and Evaluation (International) 1 1 9 9 3 3 3c. Midterm Review (International) 1 1 3 3 3

Appendix

CONSULTING SERVICES REQUIREMENTS

Component/SubcomponentRequirements (Number) Duration (Person-months) Implementation Period

d. Project Operation and Management (Domestic, 1/region) 3 3 108 108 12 24 24 24 12 12TOTAL 13 28 41 75 336 411 68 129 83 58 43 30

KLF = key learning facilities, LS = lower secondary, PIU = project implementation unit, PSTT = preservice teacher training, TTC = teacher training college/school.

6

Appendix 7, page 1

INDICATIVE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANTS

A. International Consultants (75 person-months)

1. The terms of reference of international consultants are as follows:

1. Quality Improvement of Lower Secondary Preservice Teacher Training

a. Curriculum Development Specialist (9 person-months)

(i) Review international experience in modernizing lower secondary preserviceteacher training programs, featuring student-centered approach and increaseduse of information technology; and assist in arranging overseas study visits forthe remaining curriculum experts (not covered under the new technicalassistance [TA] on capacity building for teacher training).

(ii) Review the results of the new TA mentioned above to gain insight into (a) thedemand for and supply of lower secondary teachers for each subject; and (b) thetype of training provided under the TA (focusing on training in preliminary aspectsof curriculum development, including modern concepts of teacher trainingprogram, and development of curriculum framework) so as to avoid duplication inarranging overseas study visits for the remaining curriculum experts and indesigning in-country training.

(iii) Review (a) the existing lower secondary preservice teacher training program andcurriculum for each of the 15 subjects (see Supplementary Appendix D) taught ineach of the three years at teacher training colleges (TTCs), including syllabus foreach subject, major-minor subject groupings, number and proportion of credithours allocated to teaching methodologies as well as to observation and practiceteaching in lower secondary schools, student assessment system, etc.; and (b)the new TTC curriculum framework prepared by a consultant under the new TA.

(iv) Review the new lower secondary school curriculum and subject groups underLoan 1537-VIE: Lower Secondary Education Development Project,1 together withthe schedule of its textbook implementation (Appendix 8).

(v) Following (i)-(iv), work closely with the corresponding domestic consultant andassistant project manager for curriculum development and implementation toredesign the existing TTC program and curriculum in detail (in accordance withthe new TTC curriculum framework prepared under the new TA), including thesyllabus for each of the 15 subjects, major-minor subject groupings, number andproportion of credit hours allocated to teaching methodologies as well as toobservation and practice teaching in lower secondary schools, studentassessment system, etc. to (a) be consistent with the revised lower secondaryschool curriculum and subject groups by adjusting the TTCs’ major-minor subjectoffering ratio to reflect the new ratio to be approved by the curriculum steeringcommittee (CSC) as well as reflect the demand for teachers in each subjectgroup, and by revising the TTC curriculum and subject contents to reflect thoseof the new lower secondary school subject groups to ensure that a new TTC

1 For $50 million, approved on 16 September 1997.

Appendix 7, page 2

graduate will be able to teach all parts of the new lower secondary school subjectgroups under his/her major-minor; (b) improve teaching methodologies to makethem student-centered; and (c) incorporate environmental topics in the relevantsubjects to create environmental awareness.

(vi) Design training courses in lower secondary preservice teacher training programand curriculum development, including syllabus design, student-centeredteaching methodologies, TTC student assessment, etc. (to complement the typeof training courses in [ii] prepared and provided under the new TA); assist thedomestic consultant in providing training to curriculum experts; and facilitateformal Government approval of the revised TTC curriculum.

b. Textbook Writing and Publications Specialists (12 person-months: 2 persons x 6 person-months each)

(i) Review international practices in the design and publications of lower secondarypreservice teacher training student textbooks, teachers manuals, and teachingaids as well as in the design of web-based TTC curriculum and textbook modulesfor distance learning by TTC teachers; and assist in arranging overseas studyvisits for the remaining textbook writers (not covered under the new TA).

(ii) In consultation with the project manager of Loan 1537-VIE, review the scheduleof lower secondary school textbook revision and implementation (Appendix 8);and finalize the schedule for the revision and implementation of TTC instructionalmaterials accordingly.

(iii) Review (a) the new lower secondary school curriculum, textbooks, and teachermanuals developed under Loan 1537-VIE; (b) the existing 300 TTC textbooks forall subjects taught over three years (Supplementary Appendix D); (c) some TTCteacher manuals and teaching aids developed by some TTC teachersthemselves; (d) the revised lower secondary TTC program and curriculumdeveloped in [a(v)]; (e) the framework for writing TTC textbooks and teachermanuals prepared by a consultant under the new TA; and (f) the type of trainingprovided under the new TA (focusing on training in preliminary aspects oftextbook writing such as writing textbook outline) so as to avoid duplication.

(iv) Based on (iii), work closely with the corresponding domestic consultants andassistant project manager for curriculum development and implementation todevelop teaching aids and TTC teacher manuals for all subjects as well as revisethe existing 300 TTC textbooks by writing an outline of each of these textbooksand teacher manuals, for all TTC subjects taught in three years, first (inaccordance with the framework for writing TTC textbooks and teacher manualsprepared under the new TA); and ensure completion of all of these outlines byquarter I of the year 2000.

(v) Further develop TTC textbooks, teacher manuals, and teaching aids in detail;and ensure completion for those of year 1 by quarter II of 2002, year 2 by quarterII of 2003, and year 3 by quarter II of 2004 (in time for sending to printing beforepilot testing of these instructional materials for each of the three years).

Appendix 7, page 3

(vi) Determine layout design of these instructional materials for printing; establishaccelerated procedures for manuscripts review, editing, piloting, and approval forpublications; and establish guidelines for translating these manuscripts into web-based modules (which will subsequently be translated by internet serviceproviders with the assistance of the domestic consultants).

(vii) Design training courses in various aspects of textbook writing and layout design(to complement the type of training courses in [iii] prepared and provided underthe new TA), and assist the domestic consultants in providing intensive trainingworkshops and remedial coaching to the textbook writing team to build theirwriting capacity.

c. Textbook Lending Scheme Development and Operation Specialist(2 person-months)

(i) Review (a) international and local experience in operational and sustainabilityissues related to establishing textbook lending schemes; and (b) the projectethnic minority strategies (Appendix 4).

(ii) Establish operational procedures for a textbook lending scheme, including thedetermination of the poorest 50 percent of TTC students, textbook procurement,lending procedures, textbook recovery and sustainability, etc.; and translate theminto a manual of operation.

(iii) Provide training to concerned staff from the Ministry of Education and Training(MOET), the provincial departments of education and training (DOETs), andTTCs in the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the textbook lending scheme.

d. Model TTCs Development Specialist (3 person-months)

(i) Review (a) international experience in the operations of model TTCs; and (b) thestrategic plan of each of the in-country 61 TTCs to be prepared by the new TA oncapacity building for teacher training.

(ii) Based on (i), formulate an operational plan for model TTCs, including proposedroles and policies of model TTCs in curriculum reforms, staff development,training delivery, introduction of internet facilities as a distance learning mode,etc.; and ensure that the plan will be implemented by facilitating approval fromconcerned officials to affirm the role model of the three TTCs.

(iii) Assist in finalizing individual strategic plans of all TTCs mentioned in (i).

(iv) Design a training course in operational planning for model TTCs, and assist thecorresponding domestic consultant in training the TTC planning staff.

e. Quality Assurance Development Specialist (3 person-months)

(i) Review international experience in the operation of a quality assurance (QA)system, including computerized scoring for the summative assessment of TTCstudents, for external assessment of TTC program and certification; and assist inarranging overseas study visits in connection with QA-related areas.

Appendix 7, page 4

(ii) Based on (i), design, pilot, and reestablish a TTC external assessment system to

ensure consistent measures and standardized certification for all TTCs.

(iii) Prepare a list and specification of equipment and technical services to beprocured to develop and reestablish the external assessment (QA) system.

(iv) Design training courses on a QA system, test construction, and grading; andassist the corresponding domestic consultant in providing training in QA.

2. Improved Facilities and A ccess to TTCs in Disadvantaged Provinces

a. Key Learning Facilities Development and Operation Specialist(3 person-months)

(i) Review international experience in the operation of common teacher traininglearning resource facilities and conceptualize the roles and operating principlesof key learning facilities (KLFs) to be provided under the Project; and assist inarranging overseas study visits in connection with teacher training learningresources development and O&M.

(ii) Work closely with the model TTC development specialists, together with DOETsand TTCs in the three model TTC cities and the 10 disadvantaged provinces (inwhich KLFs will be established) to (a) finalize the civil works feasibility studies forKLFs (including the design, building standards and layouts, furniture, fittings,etc.) prepared by DOETs in these cities and provinces; (b) ensure that the designencompasses the right concept of KLFs conceptualized in the text (para. 53) aswell as in the diagram (Appendix 9); and (c) develop a manual for effectiveutilization and O&M of KLFs.

(iii) Review existing guidelines on the O&M of language, informatics, and science(biology, chemistry, and physics) labs in TTCs; conduct surveys of practices andconditions of labs in some of the TTCs in the three cities and 10 provinces; anddevelop a manual for their effective utilization and O&M.

(iv) Design training courses in the utilization and O&M of KLFs and labs; and assistthe corresponding domestic consultant in conducting training for KLFcoordinators, KLF assistant coordinators, and teachers in charge of labs.

b. Transition Program Course Design and Implementation Specialist(3 person-months)

(i) Review (a) international and local experience in addressing multicultural teachereducation issues, and (b) the project ethnic minority strategies (Appendix 4).

(ii) Conduct field visits in the 10 disadvantaged provinces—both at the 10 TTCs andin ethnic minority areas of these 10 provinces; and finalize the project ethnicminority strategies in accordance with the current situation.

(iii) After (i)-(ii), design a six-month intensive transition program to improve TTC pre-entrance qualifications of ethnic minorities through remedial courses aimed at

Appendix 7, page 5

enhancing their foundation knowledge usually absorbed at the secondary schoollevel; prepare outlines for all instructional materials required for the program; andprovide guidance to the textbook writing team to prepare the materials.

(iv) Based on (i)-(ii), prepare a detailed plan for recruitment campaigns to identify thebeneficiaries and to enroll suitable ethnic minorities in the transition program.

(v) Formulate the student mentoring program to be used for continuing support ofthe successful ethnic minority students who will subsequently be enrolled atTTCs on the regular basis.

(vi) Assist the corresponding domestic consultant in training DOET and TTCadministrators and TTC teachers in the operation of the transition program.

3. Institutional Capability Building and Project Implementation Support

a. Education Planning and Management Specialist (5 person-months)

(i) Review (a) international and local experience in providing short-term and Masterof Arts/Education (MA/M.Ed.) training for improving TTC teacher qualifications;and (b) the type of training provided under the new TA on capacity building forteacher training (focusing on training in management to implement and monitorteacher training reforms) so as to avoid duplication.

(ii) Review and finalize (a) the training needs of TTC teachers and administratorsfrom MOET, DOETs, and TTCs prepared under the new TA; (b) the staffdevelopment plan (Appendix 5); (c) the project implementation schedule(Appendix 12); and (d) various selection criteria for different kinds of training(Supplementary Appendixes E, F, and G).

(iii) Based on (i)-(ii), work closely with the corresponding domestic consultant andassistant project manager for overseas and in-country training to prepare (a) anadvertisement notice for inviting eligible foreign universities in all Bank membercountries to submit expressions of interest to participate in the training programsoffered by the Project (including one-year overseas studies for MA/M.Ed. indifferent subject areas, short-term overseas training in teaching methodologiesfor respective subject areas, and in-country joint MA/M.Ed. programs); and (b) adetailed staff development plan, which identifies the number of TTC teachers andadministrators from MOET, each DOET, and each TTC who should be sent foreach type of long-term and shot-term training (including overseas study visits)each year, objectives of each type of training, selection criteria and procedures,unit cost of training per person, length of training, guidelines for evaluating andpreparing a report on the training results, etc.

(iv) Assist in (a) corresponding and establishing contact with qualified foreignuniversities, which have been competitively shortlisted on the basis of criteriaagreed upon with the Bank (Supplementary Appendixes F and G); (b) placementof some overseas training by matching the candidates with the competitivelyselected universities; and (c) preparing the training results.

Appendix 7, page 6

(v) Design training courses in education planning and management (to complementthe type of training courses in [i] prepared and provided under the new TA); andassist the domestic consultant in training staff of the project implementation unit(PIU) and provincial PIUs (PPIUs) as well as relevant administrative staff ofMOET, DOETs, TTCs.

b. Management and Technical Skills Training Specialist (5 person-months)

(i) Review (a) the training needs prepared under the new TA on capacity building forteacher training, and finalized in [a(ii)]; (b) the staff development plan (Appendix5); (c) the detailed staff development plan prepared in [a(iii)]; and (d) the projectimplementation schedule (Appendix 12).

(ii) Work closely with the corresponding domestic consultants, assistant projectmanager for overseas and in-country training, and education planning andmanagement specialist to (a) identify specific areas of management andtechnical skills (e.g., leadership, simple accounting, budget preparation,procurement, English communications, internet operation, etc.) different fromthose in [a(v)] that need to be developed for MOET, DOET, and TTC staff; and(b) identify staff from each of these institutions to be trained in each of theidentified areas.

(iii) Design training courses for the identified areas of management and technicalskills, e.g., leadership, simple accounting, budget preparation, procurement, etc.(courses on English communications will be provided by local languageinstitutes, and internet operation by internet service providers); assist thedomestic consultants in providing the required training and in selectingappropriate local language institutes as well as internet service providers (basedon their course outlines, staff qualifications, and fees); and prepare a system forevaluating the training results.

c. Project Administration and Financial Management Specialist/TeamLeader (18 person-months)

(i) Work closely with the project manager and other consultants to finalize allactivities in the project implementation schedule (Appendix 12); and work closelywith the project manager and the corresponding domestic consultant to finalizeproject costing (Appendix 11) as well as detailed cost tables (both by provinceand consolidated ones).

(ii) Study all relevant Bank documents on project implementation procedures (e.g.,bid preparation, procurement, consultant recruitment, budget preparation,imprest account, withdrawal application, disbursement, quarterly progress reportpreparation, and Project Accounting Manual prepared by a Bank’s TA for theMinistry of Finance).

(iii) Work closely with the domestic consultant and assistant project managers forfinance and administration as well as for procurement and civil works to preparebid documents, annual budgets for the release of Government counterpart fund,

Appendix 7, page 7

withdrawal applications for disbursement, and quarterly progress reports; andconsolidate all documents for submission to the Bank.

(iv) Train the two assistant project managers in (iii) on how to prepare all thedocuments mentioned in (ii) and in other project implementation procedures toenable the transfer of responsibilities within year 2.

(v) Design training courses on all aspects of project implementation proceduresmentioned in (ii); and assist the domestic consultant in conducting the training forPIU and PPIU staff as well as staff of MOET, DOETs, and TTCs who are directlyand indirectly involved in the implementation.

(vi) Advise on procurement procedures, prepare a detailed implementation schedulefor procurement, and conduct a survey of local manufacturers and suppliers todetermine their capabilities to supply goods and services on the required qualityand specifications.

(vii) Review and finalize the procurement bid packages (Appendix 13), together withdetailed procurement bid packages and specifications of goods and services tobe procured, to match the specifications required by the recipients and to beacceptable to the Bank

(viii) Establish mechanisms for monitoring the delivery of goods and services procuredand for authorizing the settlement of invoices related thereto, and prepareperiodic status and progress reports of the consultant team.

d. Benefit Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist (9 person- months)

(i) Work closely with domestic consultants on project operation and managementand with the assistant project manager for monitoring and evaluation to review(a) the project’s targets (Appendix 1); (b) the project’s general performanceindicators (Appendix 2); (c) project-specific performance indicators (Appendix14); (d) suggested additional project-specific performance indicators (in the text,para. 77); and (e) performance indicators of Loan 1537-VIE.

(ii) Finalize the baseline values (at the beginning of the project period), the midtermvalues, and the end-project values for all of the indicators mentioned in (i) (a)-(c)and (e); and determine baseline, midterm, and end-project values for thesuggested additional project specific indicators mentioned in (d) (whose valueshave not yet been specified).

(iii) Propose additional performance indicators (including impacts on poverty); andidentify baseline, midterm, and end-project values for the proposed indicators.

(iv) Design a system and prepare guidelines for the ongoing benefit monitoring andevaluation (BME) of project progress toward achieving these target indicators,especially in terms of internal efficiency, external efficiency, cost-effectiveness,and social impacts.

(v) Train PIU and PPIU staff and enumerators in (a) designing baseline and periodicsurveys to collect data on these target indicators from all TTCs in 61 provinces,

Appendix 7, page 8

(b) conducting such surveys, and (c) interpreting the survey results and utilizingthe results to verify the identified values of the target indicators.

(vi) Review the effectiveness of the BME systems of related projects (including Loan1537-VIE, and the European Union’s assistance to MOET on educationmanagement information system development); and develop criteria forassessing the effectiveness of the project’s BME system.

(vii) Provide inputs to the midterm review and final evaluation by preparing a midtermreport prior to the end of the third year (and a final report prior to the end of theproject period), which will also include a review of the project scope, design,policy and institutional reforms, other relevant issues, and directions forimproving implementation and performance.

e. Midterm Review Specialist (3 person-months)

(i) Work closely with domestic consultants on project operation and managementand with the assistant project manager for monitoring and evaluation to compileand analyze data (prepared by the BME consultant) on project progress inimplementation and performance.

(ii) Identify changes since the time of appraisal, assess performance against theidentified performance indicators, reassess the impact with regard to futureimplementation and sustainability, review and establish compliance with loancovenants, identify problems and constraints, and provide recommendations tofacilitate project implementation and improve performance. Specific attention willbe given to the progress of the revision of TTC textbooks and teacher manualsfor pilot testing, the transition program to enhance TTC pre-entrance qualificationof ethnic minorities, the textbook lending scheme, and the operation of the keylearning facilities.

B. Domestic Consultants (336 person-months)

2. Each international consultant will be associated with at least one domestic consultantwith the same position as a counterpart. The two will work closely as a team to achieve theoutputs listed above. A major responsibility of each domestic consultant is to provide training inhis/her respective area of responsibility. He/she will assist the international counterpart in thedesign of training courses and in other aspects, including providing some translation as needed.There are no domestic consultants for the international positions of BME and of midterm review.The domestic consultants for project operation and management (one person per region) willassume the same responsibilities as those of the international consultants for BME and formidterm review, and will work closely with the two international consultants. They will also workclosely with the consultants on project administration and financial management, projectmanager, assistant project managers, DOETs, and TTCs to coordinate project activities,particularly in local training arrangements and in the delivery of the procured goods. Thepositions and length of services of the domestic consultants are defined as follows:

Appendix 7, page 9

1. Quality Improvement of Lower Secondary Preservice Teacher Training

a. Curriculum Development Specialist (12 person-months)

b. Textbook Writing and Publications Specialists(108 person-months: 12 persons x 9 person-months each—about 1 person per one or two subjects)

c. Textbook Lending Scheme Development and Operation Specialist(2 person-months)

d. Model TTCs Development Specialist (9 person-months)

e. Quality Assurance Development Specialist (5 person-months)

2. Improved Facilities and A ccess to TTCs in Disadvantaged Provinces

a. Key Learning Facilities Operation and Maintenance Specialist(5 person-months)

b. Transition Program Course Design and Implementation Specialist(15 person-months)

3. Institutional Capability Building and Project Implementation Support

a. Education Planning and Management Specialist (16 person-months)

b. Management and Technical Skills Training Specialists(20 person-months: 5 persons x 4 person-months each)

c. Project Administration and Financial Management Specialist(36 person-months)

d. Project Operation and Management Specialists (108 person-months:3 persons x 36 person-months each—1 person per region)

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE OF NEW LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE CURRICULUM

Activity 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 20071 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

For LS Schools- Complete writing outlines of textbooks/

teacher manuals for all LS grades (6-9)

- Complete writing of textbooks/teacher manuals and get them approved Gr.6 Gr.7 Gr.8 Gr.9

- Complete printing Gr.6 Gr.7 Gr.8 Gr.9

- Grade 6 Pilot # 1 Pilot # 2 Nationwide Implementation

- Grade 7 Pilot # 1 Pilot # 2 Nationwide Implementation

- Grade 8 Pilot # 1 Pilot # 2 Nationwide Implementation

- Grade 9 Pilot # 1 Pilot # 2 Nationwide Implementation

For TTCs

- Complete revising curriculum and getit approved

- Complete writing outlines of textbooks/teacher manuals for all TTC years (1-3)

- Complete writing of textbooks/teacher manuals and get them approved Yr.1 Yr.2 Yr.3

- Complete printing Yr.1 Yr.2 Yr.3

- Year 1 Pilot Nationwide Implementation

- Year 2 Pilot Nationwide Implementation

- Year 3 Pilot Nationwide Implementation

LS = lower secondary, TTC = teacher training college.Note: The start of quarter 4 in this table will coincide with the start of the new school year, which is around the first week of September.

2005

First Floor

Tutorial DoorRoom 1

Stairs

2 StudyTable 1 2

Teachers Rooms3

3 4 Boo

4 k5 6 WC

Sh

5 e7 8 l

ve

6 s9 10

WC11 12

The size of the space for the proposed key learning facilities depends on the number of students of teacher training colleges/schools as follows:1. (15m x 25m) x 2 floors = 750 sq.m. x $100 = $75,000 (Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Quang Nam, Binh Phuoc, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang)2. (20m x 25m) x 2 floors = 1,000 sq.m. x $100 = $100,000 (Binh Dinh, and Quang Ngai)3. (20m x 30m) x 2 floors = 1,200 sq.m. x $100 = $120,000 (Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City)

SAMPLE DESIGN OF KEY LEARNING FACILITIES

Front Desk

Informatics Room

(Internet)

Teacher Table

Second Floor

Observation Room with Viewing Area

Mirror

Demonstration Classroom

Appendix 10

CRITERIA IN SELECTING 10 DISADVANTAGED PROVINCES

1. Ten disadvantaged provinces were selected on the basis of poverty, facilities shortages atteacher training institutions, and regional disadvantages as shown in Table A10. These key selectionindicators were used: (i) for poverty, provincial gross domestic product (GDP) per capita comparedwith the national average; (ii) for facilities shortages, their having teacher training schools (TTSs)rather than teacher training colleges (TTCs), overcrowded classrooms of more than 40 students perclass, or double shifting; and (iii) for regional disadvantages, large proportions of ethnic minorities inthe north, flood-prone nature of the central and southern regions, and newly separated provinces inneed of basic facilities in the central and southern regions. The data on the provincial GDP percapita came from a World Bank report.1 Based on such report, only five provinces have GDP percapita below $100, all of which were in the north. Since that report had no data on GDP per capitafor Lao Cai Province, the data presented here were based on consultants’ estimates from surveys ofthe facilities during project preparation. All the 10 selected provinces can be classified as poor sincetheir GDP per capita is much less than the national average of $217.2

Table A10: Major Characteristics of 10 Selected Disadvantaged Provinces

Province Region Population Per CapitaGDP ($)(1994)

Number ofEthnic

Minorities

% ofEthnic

Minorities

Flood-ProneNature

Newly-SeparatedProvinces

1. Ha Giang North 575,000 50 511,750 89 No No2. Lao Cai North 632,000 50 423,100 67 No No3. Lai Chau North 521,000 129 415,420 80 No No4. Thanh Hoa North 3,630,000 138 525,600 15 No No

5. Binh Dinh Central 1,500,000 126 28,500 2 Yes No6. Quang Nam Central 1,386,000 181 56,000 4 Yes Yes7. Quang Ngai Central 1,257,000 105 138,345 11 No No

8. Bin Phuoc South 600,000 170 96,000 16 No Yes9. Tra Vinh South 1,024,000 185 317,200 31 Yes No10. Soc Trang South 1,270,000 140 330,260 26 Yes No10 Provinces 12,395,000 127 2,842,175 23Nationwide 77,000,000 217 13

2. The 10 disadvantaged provinces were selected following these procedures:

(i) Twenty disadvantaged provinces (in terms of GDP per capita, teacher trainingfacilities shortages, and regional disadvantages) were short-listed first; and

(ii) With the Government’s involvement to ensure accessibility, cooperation, and equity,10 provinces were then selected from the shortlist: four in the north (Ha Giang, LaoCai, Lai Chau, and Thanh Hoa), three in the central region (Binh Dinh, Quang Nam,and Quang Ngai), and three in the south (Binh Phuoc, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang).

1 World Bank. 1996. Viet Nam: Education Financing Sector Study. East Asia and Pacific Region, Country Department I,

Washington, DC.2 The selection of poor provinces was also consistent with the poverty ranking index of the United Nations Children’s Fund

(UNICEF), which ranks poverty based on a combination of basic health indicators, including infant mortality rate, childmortality rate, maternal mortality rate, malnutrition rate, and access to immunization programs (UNICEF. 1996. Rankingof Provinces for Disparity Reduction, and UNICEF. 1998. List of Area Focus Programs).

Appendix 11, page 1

A. Base Cost a

1. Quality Improvement of LS PSTT Programa. Curriculum Redesign 272 106 378 71.9 1.3b. Instructional Materials Development 288 1,683 1,971 14.6 6.5c. Provision of Instructional Materials 1,508 393 1,901 79.3 6.3d. Orientation to the Revised Curriculum, Textbooks,

and Student Assessment Procedures 0 645 645 0.0 2.1e. Upgrading TTC Teachers Qualifications 4,223 4,148 8,371 50.4 27.7f. Support for Model and Specialized TTCs

i. Model TTCs 875 955 1,830 47.8 6.1ii. Specialized TTCs 55 168 223 24.8 1.0

g. Reestablishment of External Assessment Mechanism 161 576 737 21.8 2.4Subtotal (1) 7,382 8,674 16,056 46.0 53.2

2. Improved Facilities and Access to TTCs inDisadvantaged Provincesa. Upgrading TTC Facilities in 10 Provinces 2,054 2,077 4,131 49.7 13.7b. Improved Pre-entrance Qualifications of Ethnic Minorities 61 243 304 20.0 1.0c. Instructional Support Resources in Other Provinces 1,703 728 2,431 70.1 8.1

Subtotal (2) 3,818 3,048 6,866 55.6 22.7

3. Capacity Building and Project Implementationa. Strengthening Management and Technical Skills

i. MOET 445 225 670 66.4 2.2ii. DOET 986 663 1649 59.8 5.5iii. TTC 1932 677 2609 74.1 8.6

b. Project Implementation Supporti. Central PIU 672 430 1,102 60.2 3.7ii. Provincial PIUs 383 840 1,223 31.3 4.1Subtotal (3) 4,418 2,835 7,253 60.9 24.1

Subtotal (A) 15,618 14,569 30,187 51.7 100.0

B. Contingencies 1. Physical Contingencies 781 728 1,509 51.7 5.0

2. Price Contingencies 1,001 1,588 2,589 38.7 8.6

Subtotal (B) 1,782 2,316 4,098 43.5 13.6

C. Interest Charges 1,114 0 1,114 100.0 3.7

Total 18,514 16,885 35,400 52.0 117.3 Percent Share 52 48

DOET = provincial department of education and training, LS = lower secondary, MOET = Ministry of Education and Training,PIU = project implementation unit, PSTT = preservice teacher training, TTC = teacher training college/school.a Inclusive of taxes and duties.

Exchange

Percent Base Cost

Percent ForeignCost

PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT AND FINANCING PLANTable A11.1: Project Cost by Component

($'000)Foreign

ExchangeComponent/SubcomponentTotalLocal

Currency

A. Base Cost a

1. Civil Works 0 911 911 0 321 0 1,232 1,232 0 74 742. Equipment and Furniture 3,892 679 4,571 0 382 3,892 1,061 4,953 100 64 923. Instructional Materials 3,600 495 4,095 0 133 3,600 628 4,228 100 79 974. Program Development & Studies 0 2,215 2,215 0 0 0 2,215 2,215 0 100 1005. Staff Development 6,208 932 7,140 400 4,845 6,608 5,777 12,385 94 16 586. Consulting Services 1,519 618 2,137 0 167 1,519 785 2,304 100 79 937. Incremental Recurrent Costs

Remuneration 0 0 0 0 199 0 199 199 0 0 0O&M of Civil Works/Equipment 0 0 0 0 1,258 0 1,258 1,258 0 0 0Operational Support to Project Facilities 0 0 0 0 1,050 0 1,050 1,050 0 0 0PIU/PPIU Operation 0 109 109 0 255 0 364 364 0 30 30

Subtotal (A) 15,219 5,959 21,178 400 8,610 15,619 14,569 30,188 97 41 70

B. Contingencies1. Physical Contingencies 781 298 1,079 0 430 781 728 1,509 100 41 712. Price Contingencies 1,001 628 1,629 0 959 1,001 1,588 2,589 100 40 63

Subtotal (B) 1,782 926 2,708 0 1,390 1,782 2,316 4,098 100 40 66

C. Interest 1,114 0 1,114 0 0 1,114 0 1,114 100 0 100

Total 18,115 6,886 25,000 400 10,000 18,515 16,885 35,400 98 41 71

Percent 51.2 19.5 70.6 1.1 28.2 52.3 47.7 100.0

O&M=operation and maintenance, PIU = project implementation unit, PPIU = provincial project implementation unit.a Inclusive of taxes and duties.

Total Cost

Foreign Exchange

Local Currency

Total Cost

Table A11.2: Financing Plan with Percentage Breakdown($ '000)

Activity

Bank Percent Bank Financin g

Foreign Exchange

Local Currency

Foreign Cofinancing

(New Zealand)

Government Total

Foreign Exchange

Local Currency

Total Cost

Local Currency

Appendix 11, page 2

Appendix 11, page 3

Table A11.3: Project Cost by Activity($ '000 )

Activit y

A. Qualit y Improvement of LS PSTT Pro grama

1. Civil Works 0 477 477 0 310 310 0 1672. Equipment and Furniture 550 243 793 550 145 695 0 983. Instructional Materials 2,139 545 2,684 2,139 411 2,550 0 1344. Program Development & Studies 0 2,227 2,227 0 2,227 2,227 0 05. Staff Development 4,903 5,620 10,523 4,503 782 5,285 400 4,8386. Consulting Services 632 421 1,053 632 316 948 0 1057. Operational Support to Project Facilities 0 281 281 0 0 0 0 2818. O&M of Civil Works and Equipment 0 201 201 0 0 0 0 201

Subtotal (A) 8,224 10,015 18,239 7,824 4,190 12,014 400 5,825

B. Improved Facilities and Access to LS PSTT a

in Disadvantaged Provinces1. Civil Works 0 960 960 0 642 642 0 3182. Equipment and Furniture 1,935 1,175 3,110 1,935 559 2,494 0 6223. Instructional Materials 2,153 279 2,432 2,153 157 2,310 0 1224. Program Development & Studies 0 257 257 0 257 257 0 05. Staff Development 33 41 74 33 6 39 0 356. Consulting Services 136 40 176 136 22 158 0 187. Operational Support to Project Facilities 0 102 102 0 0 0 0 1028. O&M of Civil Works and Equipment 0 683 683 0 0 0 0 683

Subtotal (B) 4,257 3,537 7,794 4,257 1,644 5,900 0 1,896

C. Capacilt y Buildin g and Pro ject Implementation a

1. Equipment and Furniture 1,701 467 2,168 1,701 233 1,934 0 2322. Program Development & Studies 0 32 32 0 32 32 0 03. Staff Development 2,425 1,046 3,471 2,425 146 2,571 0 9004. Consulting Services 794 657 1,451 794 512 1,306 0 1455. Operational Support to Project Facilities 0 148 148 0 0 0 0 1486. O&M of Civil Works and Equipment 0 332 332 0 0 0 0 3327. Remuneration 0 226 226 0 0 0 0 2268. PIU/PPIU Operation 0 425 425 0 128 128 0 298

Subtotal (C) 4,920 3,333 8,253 4,920 1,051 5,971 0 2,280

D. Interest 1,114 0 1,114 1,114 0 1,114 0 0

Total Cost 18,515 16,885 35,400 18,115 6,886 25,000 400 10,000

Percent 52.3 47.7 100.0 51.2 19.5 70.6 1.1 28.2

preservice teacher training.a Inclusive of taxes, duties, and contingencies.

LS = lower secondary, O&M = operation and maintenance, PIU = project implementation unit, PPIU = provincial project implementation unit, PSTT =

Currency Cost (New Zealand) CurrencyExchange Currency Cost ExchangeLocal Total Cofinancin g LocalForeign Local Total Foreign

Total Bank Forei gn Government

Appendix 12, page 1

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 200Activity 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

A. Quality Improvement of LS PSTT Program

1. Curriculum Redesign

a. Study Visit & In-Country Training in PSTTProgram & Curriculum Dev.

b. PSTT Program & Curriculum Redesign

c. Consultants on Curriculum Development

i. International

ii. Domestic

2. Instructional Materials Development

a. Study Visit & In-Country Training on VariousAspects of Textbook Writinga

b. Writing of Outlines of Textbooks & TeacherManuals for all 3 Years of TTCs

c. Development of Textbooks/Teacher Manuals/Teaching Aids for Each Year in Detail

d. Printing

e. Piloting

f. Final Publications

g. Development of Web-Based Curriculum Modules

h. Consultants on Materials Dev. & Pub.

i. International

ii. Domestic

3. Provision of Instructional Materials

a. In-Country Training in Textbook LendingScheme Operation

b. Textbook Lending Scheme Operation

c. Consultants on Textbook Lending Design

i. International

ii. Domestic

4. Orientation to New Curriculum, Textbooks, and Student Assessment

a. Orientation Training & Periodic Reviews

5. Upgrading TTC Teachers Qualifications

a. Overseas & In-Country (Joint) MA/M.Ed. Training in Subject Areas for TTC Teachers

b. Short-Term Overseas Training in TeachingMethodologies for TTC Lead Subject Teachers

c. In-Country English Language Preparationfor (a)-(b) above

d. Selection of Candiates for (a)-(b) above

e. In-Country Training in Subject Areas & in TeachingMethods for TTC Lead Subject Teachers

f. In-Country Orientation to Web-Based Curriculum Modules

Appendix 12, page 2

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 200Activity 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

i. For MOET/DOET/TTC Subject Coordinators

ii. For TTC Lead Subject Teachers &MOET/DOET Administrators

iii. For TTC Teachers

6. Support to Model and Specialized TTCs

a. Study Visit & In-Country Training on KLF O&M;b

and In-Country Training on Lab. O&Mc

b. KLF Constructions; and Provision of Equipment/Furniture/Instructional Materialsto KLF & Labs.

c. Dev. of Operational Plan of Model TTCs; andIn-Country Training in this Area

d. Consultants on Model TTCs Development

i. International

ii. Domestic

e. Minor Rehabilitation of Specialized TTCsfor Art and Music; and Provision of Furniture/Instructional Materials

7. Reestablishment of ExternalAssessment Mechanism

a. Study Visit on QA System; and In-Country Training in Test Construction/Grading

b. External Assessment (QA) Designed/Piloted/Implemented; and Equipment Provided

c. Consultants on QA Development

i. International

ii. Domestic

B. Improved Facilities and Access to TTCsin Disadvantaged Provinces

1. Upgrading TTC Facilities in 10 Disadvantaged Provinces

a. Study Visit & In-Country Training on KLF O&M;and In-Country Training on Lab. O&Mc

b. Design of KLF O&M Plan

c. KLF Constructions; Provision of Equipment/Furniture/Instructional Materials to KLF & Labs.;and Provision of Physical Ed. Facilities

d. Consultants on KLF Development & Operation

i. International

ii. Domestic

2. Improved TTC Pre-entrance Qualificationof Ethnic Minorities in the 10 Provinces

a. Recruitment of Ethnic Minority Students

b. Transition Program Implementation

c. Consultants on Transition Course Design and Implementation

i. International

ii. Domestic

Appendix 12, page 3

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 200Activity 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

3. Provision of Instructional SupportResources to Remaining 17 Provinces

a. In-Country Training on Lab. O&M;c Provision ofEquipment/Furniture/Instructional Materials toLabs.; and Provision of Physical Ed. Facilities

C. Institutional Capacity Building and Project Implementation Support

1. Strengthening Mgt. & Technical Skills

a. MOET/DOET/TTC Administrative Staff

i. Study Visit on Ed. Planning & Mgt.

ii. Overseas M.Ed. in Ed. Planning & Mgt.

iii. In-Country English Language Preparation for (ii) above

iv. Selection of Candidates for (ii) above

v. In-Country Training in Internet; andProvision of Internet Facilities

vi. In-Country Training in Technical Skills Dev.(for DOETs), in Mgt./Leadership (for DOETs/TTCs), and in English CommunicationSkills Development (for MOET/DOETs/TTCs)

b. Consultants on Education Planning & Mgt.

i. International

ii. Domestic

c. Consultants on Management & TechnicalSkills Training

i. International

ii. Domestic

2. Project Implementation Support to PIU/PPIUs

a. Provision of Equipment/Furniture

b. Annual In-Country Workshops on ProjectImplementation & Financial Management

c. Consultants on Project Administration& Financial Management

- International

- Domestic

d. Baseline Surveys

e. International Consultant on BME

f. International Consultant on MT Review

g. Domestic Consultants on ProjectOperation & Management

BME = benefit monitoring and evaluation, DOET = provincial Department of Education and Training, Ed. = Education, KLF = key learning facilities,Lab. = laboratory, LS = lower secondary, MA/M.Ed. = Master of Art/Education, Mgt. = management, MOET = Ministry of Education and Training, MT = midterm, O&M = operation and maintenance, PIU = project implementation unit, PPIU = provincial project implementation unit, PSTT = preservice teacher training, QA = quality assurance, TTC = teacher training college/school.Note: The start of quarter 4 in this table will coincide with the start of the new school year, which is around the first week of September.a Including textbook development, publications, teaching methods, student assessment, syllabus design, and web-based module development.b Training provided by an international consultant and a domestic consultant in KLF development & operation under subcomponent b.1.c Including language, informatics, and science (biology, chemistry, and physics) laboratories.

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Appendix 13

TENTATIVE PROCUREMENT PACKAGES

Item Number of PackagesYr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3

Unit CostPer Contract

($)

ProcurementMethod

A. Civil Works1. For Key Learning Facilities LCB

a. Large 4 120,000b. Medium 2 100,000c. Small 7 75,000

2. For Arts and Music TTCs- Minor Rehabilitation of Arts and Music

TTCs3 20,000 DP

B. Furniture1. For Key Learning Facilities – Carrels,

Office Desks, and Chairs 13 20,000 LCB2. For Laboratories

a. Language Laboratory 30 3,000 DPb. Informatics Laboratory 30 3,500 DP

3. For Arts and Music TTCs 3 3,000 DP4. For QA Facilities 1 5,000 DP5. For PIU/PPIUs

a. PIU 1 10,760 DPb. PPIUs 13 4,120 DP

C. Equipment1. For Key Learning Facilities

a. Computer Facilities and Software 13 51,240 LCBa

b. Desktop Publishing 13 12,000 LCBb

c. Audiovisual system 13 13,000 DP2. For Laboratories

a. Language Laboratory 30 10,000 DPc

b. Informatics Laboratory 30 43,400 LCBc. Physics Laboratory 30 25,000 LCBd

d. Biology Laboratory 30 14,100 LCBe

e. Chemistry Laboratory 30 19,470 LCBf

3. For QA Facilities 1 50,000 DP4. For PIU/PPIUs

a. PIU 1 26,400 DPb. PPIUs 13 14,300 DP

5. For Internet and Multimedia Facilities 36 99 10,000 DP

D. Instructional Materials1. For Key Learning Facilities

a. Library Stock 13 30,000 DPg

b. Social Science Teaching Aids 30 3,000 DPg

c. Lower Secondary School Textbooks 61 4,000 DPg

2. For Arts and Music TTCs 3 25,000 DP3. For Physical Education Facilities 27 7,000 DP

DP = direct purchase from local supplier/distributor, together with maintenance contract; LCB = local competitive bidding;PIU = project implementation unit; PPIU = provincial project implementation unit; QA = quality assurance; TTC = teachertraining college/school.Note: For any direct purchase, if there is more than one supplier in each province or region, price quotations from

different suppliers should be obtained first as a basis for selecting the supplier with the best offer. This procedureis equivalent to local shopping.

a and b May be procured together as one package in each province.c May be procured from regional supplier in a nearby province.d to f May be procured together as one package from regional supplier in a nearby province.g May be procured from accredited publishers or the Education Publishing House.

Appendix 14

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Indicator Measurement Expected ValueBaseline

Year1998/99

Mid-ProjectYear

2002/03

End-ProjectYear

2005/06

A. General Key Indicatorsfor LS Subsector

1. Net Enrollment Rate 1. Proportion of children of LStarget age cohort enrolled in LSeducation

49 60 70

2. Completion Rate 2. Proportion of LS enrollees whocomplete LS education 70 80 90

3. Dropout Rate 3. Proportion of LS enrollees whofail to return for the next year 8 5.5 4

4. Repetition Rate 4. Proportion of LS enrollees whofail to move on to the next higheryear

2 1.5 1

5. Qualified Teachers 5. Percentage of LS teachers withLS teaching certificates 84 90 92

6. Student/Teacher Ratio 6. Number of LS students per LSteachers 29 21.5 21

B. Specific Key Indicatorsfor LS Teacher Training a

1. TTC students trainedin the new PSTTcurriculum

1. Percentage of TTC studentsenrolled in the three-year PSTTprogram after the introduction ofthe new PSTT curriculum

0 30 100

2. TTC teachers withMA/M.Ed.

2. Percentage of TTC teacherscompleting their MA/M.Ed. 13 16 30

3. TTC enrolment ofethnic minorities in 10selecteddisadvantagedprovinces

3. Percentage of ethnic minoritystudents enrolled in the 10 targetTTCs 8 12 16

4. Relevant MOET,DOET, and TTC staffqualified forimplementing teachertraining reforms

4. Percentage of relevant MOET,DOET, and TTC staff completingcapacity training programs 10 30 100

DOET = provincial department of education and training, LS = lower secondary, MA/M.Ed. = Master of Arts/Education,MOET = Ministry of Education and Training, PSTT = preservice teacher training, TTC = teacher training college/school.a Detailed project-specific indicators (broken down by sex and ethnic minority for each TTC and for total average) will be

developed during baseline surveys.

Appendix 15, page 1

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

1. The principal justification of the Project is the contributions to improvements in overallquality and efficiency of the lower secondary education subsector by raising both the numberand quality of teachers. This will increase the quality of lower secondary school graduates andworkforce, thereby enhancing Viet Nam’s competitiveness in the world market over the nextgeneration. On the efficiency grounds, the Project will improve the internal efficiency of lowersecondary education by reducing the dropout and repetition rates since better qualified teacherswill have better knowledge and will be able to teach more effectively. The new teachingmethodologies to be introduced in the Project, which will feature student-centered approaches,will enable the new teachers to interact more with students, thus helping improve theperformance of their students as well as reduce the students’ tendency to drop out. Moreover,the double major system to be instituted at teacher training colleges (TTCs) will enable the newteachers to teach more than one subject, thereby increasing the utilization of teachers.

2. Even from the internal efficiency gains alone, the Project will be a worthwhile investmentas shown in the economic analysis in Tables A15.1 and A15.2. At the discount rate of 12percent, the base case shows an economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of 23 percent basedon the following contributions by better qualified teachers: (i) reduction in students’ dropout andrepetition rates from 7.0 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, prior to the Project period(1999/2000) to 5.5 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, during the mid-Project period(2002/03); and (ii) an increase in teachers’ ability to teach 10 percent more hours during themid-project period than before the project period, as a result of the double major system to beintroduced at TTCs.

Table A15.1: Basic Assumptions for Base Case

Exchange rate (July 1999) $1 = D13,890Standard conversion factor 0.9Cost per annum per lower secondary student ($46) D638,940Teacher attrition rates

• Retirements 3%• Leaving teaching for other reasons 5%

Annual salary + 10% perquisites of lower secondary teacher ($302 + 10%) D4,614,258Dropout rate per year without Project (1999/2000) 7.0%Dropout rate per year with Project (2002/03) 5.5%Repetition rate per year without Project (1999/2000) 2.1%Repetition rate per year with Project (2002/03) 1.5%Additional teaching load of a double-major teacher 10%

3. These efficiency gains are robust. Sensitivity analysis shows that even a reduction in theefficiency gain makes the Project a still worthwhile investment. Sensitivity analysis shows thefollowing: (i) a lower reduction in the dropout rate from 7.0 percent to 6.3 percent leaves theEIRR still at 21 percent; (ii) with no reduction in the repetition rate, the EIRR is still 21 percent;(iii) with a lower increase of 5 percent in the teaching hours, the EIRR is still 17 percent; (iv) witha delay of one year in producing the first batch of TTC graduates, the EIRR is still 19 percent.Only when all the shortfalls from the base case occur simultaneously will the EIRR be reducedto 10 percent.

Appendix 15, page 2

Table A15.2: Economic Rate of Return and Net Present Value

Base CaseTotal Net

Economic Total Economic Benefit (D million) IncrementalCost Dropout Repetition Teacher Benefit

Year (D million) Reduction Reduction Replacement (D million)2000/01 24,925 - - - -24,9252001/02 137,612 - - - -137,6122002/03 126,396 - - - -126,3962003/04 80,398 - - - -80,3982004/05 32,040 8,881 3,552 20,169 5632005/06 18,204 18,533 7,413 42,297 50,0392006/07 7,713 25,468 10,187 58,196 86,1382007/08 7,713 32,518 13,007 74,360 112,1732008/09 7,713 39,686 15,874 90,793 138,6402009/10 7,713 46,973 18,789 107,498 165,5472010/11 7,713 54,381 21,752 124,482 192,9022011/12 7,713 61,912 24,765 141,747 220,7112012/13 7,713 69,568 27,827 159,300 248,9822013/14 7,713 77,351 30,940 177,145 277,7232014/15 7,713 68,470 27,388 177,145 265,2902015/16 7,713 58,818 23,527 177,145 251,7772016/17 7,713 51,883 20,753 177,145 242,0682017/18 7,713 44,833 17,933 177,145 232,1972018/19 7,713 37,665 15,066 177,145 222,1632019/20 7,713 30,378 12,151 177,145 211,9612020/21 7,713 22,971 9,188 177,145 201,5902021/22 7,713 15,440 6,176 177,145 191,0472022/23 7,713 7,783 3,113 177,145 180,328

Economic Internal Rate of Return = 23% Net Present Value at 12%=

416,723