PROGRAM FOR THE EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION - PREMEN

(THE 1ST LOAN WAS DIRECTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE "GINASIO",THE 1ST PHASE OF THE SECONDARY EDUC LEVEL). FINAL REPORT WAS PREPARED BY THE BRAZILIAN PROJ COORDINATOR. $50 MIL USAID LOAN FINANCED A COMPREHENSIVE PROG INVOLVING THE INDIVIDUAL STATES & THE NATL MINISTRY OF EDUC (MEC). THE MEC IMPLEMENTING AGENCY WAS RESTRUCTURED IN 1/26/72 & ENTITLED PREMEN (PROG FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF EDUC). 48 1ST LEVEL,MULTI-PURPOSE SCHOOLS & 16 SECONDARY MULTI-PURPOSE SCHOOLS WERE CONSTRUCTED COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL TARGETS OF 56 & 27 RESPECTIVELY. SEVERAL FACTORS IMPEDED PROGRESS INCLUDING: THE NEED TO INCREASE CONSTRUCTION AREAS TO MEET STATE PROG SPECIFICATIONS,COST INCREASES FOR CONSTRUCTION PER SQ METER,LONG DISTANCES BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION SITES,THE DIVERSITY OF THE TYPES OF UNITS CONSTRUCTED,AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFICULTIES STEMMING FROM THE NUMBER OF AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE PROJ. TWELVE NEW STATE REGIONAL EDUC OFFICES WERE BUILT IN THE STATES OF CEARA (8) & PERNAMBUCO (4). THE PROJ TRNG PROG INCLUDED COURSES CONDUCTED BY BRAZILIAN UNIVERSITIES TO UPGRADE TEACHERS & US MASTERS DEGREE TRNG TO UPGRADE PERSONNEL IN THE STATE SECRETARIATS OF EDUC. A TOTAL OF 26,754 PERSONS PARTICIPATED IN THE VARIOUS COURSES & PROGS. ALSO,PREMEN CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENTAL/PART-TIME LICENSING PROG FOR NON-CERTIFIED TEACHERS, THE LICENSING PROG KEPT BADLY NEEDED TEACHERS AT WORK,WHILE UPGRADING THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. FORTY-SEVEN SPECIAL PROJS WERE IMPLEMENTED RELATING TO EDUC RESEARCH & PLNNG (INCLUDING RSRCH ON THE SLOW LEARNER & ON LABOR MARKET NEEDS),METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS & QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT OF EDUC SYSTEMS,EDUC INFORMATION,TEACHING-LEARNING MATERIALS,AND THE DESIGN OF CURRICULA & PROGS. AS OF 6/30/77 USAID FUNDS WERE FULLY DISBURSED,AND,GOB FUNDS ($46,934,390.70) WERE FULLY OBLIGATED & OVER 50% DISBURSED. REPORT INCLUDES NUMEROUS CHARTS LISTING CONSTRUCTION OUTPUTS FOR EACH STATE,TRNG PROGS & THE NUMBERS PARTICIPATING IN THEM,PROJ OUTPUTS FOR EACH STATE,AND A CHART SUMMARY OF THE SPECIAL PROJECT