PRIMARY SCHOOL RECONSTRUCTION, PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT

THE EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 3/75 TO 12/76. NO METHODOLOGY IS INDICATED. A TOTAL OF 194 CLASSROOMS WERE CONSTRUCTED AND 64 SCHOOLS REPAIRED, THUS COMPLETING RECONSTRUCTION OF ALL DAMAGED SCHOOLS AND PROVIDING FACILITIES FOR 27,000 STUDENTS. THE SCHOOLS ARE FUNCTIONAL, DURABLE, AND IN MANY CASES A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT ON PREVIOUS FACILITIES. CARE WAS CONTRACTED TO REBUILD AND REPAIR SMALL SCHOOLS (SIX CLASSROOMS AND UNDER), PRIVATE FIRMS FOR THE REMAINDER. THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE) EXPANDED A RECENT PROGRAM EMPHASIZING AGRICULTURAL AND VOCATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE CURRICULUM. THE PROGRAM SHOULD INCREASE RETENTION RATES, KEEP CHILDREN IN SCHOOL LONGER, AND ENGENDER BETTER RELATIONS WITH PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. TO SUPPORT THE NEW CURRICULUM, TRADITIONALLY SCARCE SCHOOL SUPPLIES, E.G., MAPS, SCIENCE EQUIPMENT, AND TOOLS, WERE PROVIDED, AS WERE ONE-MONTH IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSES (COSTING ONLY $300 EACH) FOR 3,400 TEACHERS. TRAINING COURSES WERE CONDUCTED BY THE SUPERVISORY DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION AND WERE WELL RECEIVED. SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION WAS DELAYED BEYOND THE PLANNED ONE YEAR BY HEAVY RAINS AND BY FUNDING TO CARE INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE FOR SIMULTANEOUS CONSTRUCTION OF ALL BUILDINGS. PROCUREMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WAS DELAYED BY SLOW ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND THE MOE'S DECISION TO FUND MATERIALS ONLY AFTER FURNITURE COSTS WERE DETERMINED. AS A RESULT, $48,000 IN LOAN FUNDS WERE NOT DISBURSED. THE HOST GOVERNMENT WILL FUND THIS AMOUNT. THERE WERE ALSO DIFFICULTIES IN WORKING WITH CARE. ITS CONTRACT WAS NEGOTIATED ONLY AFTER ITS UNREASONABLE FEE REQUEST WAS REDUCED AND MANY OF ITS REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS NEEDED REVISION. THERE WERE ALSO INADEQUACIES IN SEVERAL CARE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, ALTHOUGH THESE WERE CORRECTED. AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT, THE MOE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE NECESSARY SCHOOL MAINTENANCE AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. THROUGH ANOTHER AID LOAN, MOE WILL CONTINUE IN-SERVICE TEACHER TRAINING.