Washington, D.C., June 28, 2019 -The Executive Board of the World Bank today approved the “Improving Inclusion in Secondary and Higher Education” project for US$$341 million to support initiatives aimed at reducing dropout rates in compulsory and higher education and strengthening evaluation systems.
While access to secondary education is almost universal in Argentina, approximately half of the students who start secondary school do not complete it on time, and only a third of low-income students do so. The enrollment rate begins to decrease significantly after students turn 15. At that age, learning deficits are considerable: more than two thirds of young people can’t solve simple math problems and half of them can’t comprehend basic texts.
"This loan is very important to continue pushing forward on our goal of providing educational support and economic resources to the young people who need them the most. Only through education can Argentina make sure that its young people are protagonists in the future of growth and productivity that we want. This financial support is another example of our commitment to educational inclusion that is of good quality,” said Oscar Ghillione, Secretary of Education Management from the Argentina’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology.
The project will focus on monitoring the educational pathway of each young person and will seek to provide information in real time on their school attendance in order to provide the help they need beyond financial support to complete their studies. The "Improving Inclusion in Secondary and Higher Education" project supports three specific government programs:
1. Progress Scholarships: This program provides financial aid and incentives to vulnerable students between the ages of 18 and 30 to help them complete their basic education and access tertiary studies. Through the project, the goal is to improve the management, monitoring, and efficiency of the program.
2. “I Attend Class” Program: Support will be extended to secondary students from vulnerable schools throughout the country to prevent school dropouts.
3. Educational Evaluation System: Financing will be provided for the implementation of the Learning standardized tests until 2023. This tool makes it possible to measure the quality of education over time, share the results with the educational community, and implement strategies for improvement.
“Preparing young people for the jobs of the future is key to increasing productivity and innovation, and to contributing to the long-term inclusive growth of the country,” said Jesko Hentschel, World Bank Director for Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The “Improving Inclusion in Secondary and Higher Education” project will be financed by a US$341 million fixed margin loan with a maturity of 32 years and a grace period of 7 years.
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