School construction III

The GOJ Ministries of Education and Public Works will implement the project. In keeping with the GOJ"s goal of 95% compulsory cycle education for a growing school-age population, 40 three-story schools will be built. All the inputs necessary to build the schools will be provided, including land, construction services, construction supervision, and furniture and other equipment. About 1,200 classrooms plus associated libraries, laboratories, storage areas, meeting halls, administrative rooms, and toilet facilities will be built. To the extent that funds are available, additional schools will be built in order to achieve the GOJ"s overall target of 190 new structures. Just over half, or 21, of the project schools will be targeted for girls, while the remaining 19 are planned for boys. All the facilities are planned as elementary (grades 1 - 6) or preparatory (grades 7 - 9) schools; experience from the two predecessor projects suggests, however, that it may be impossible to preclude the use of some schools for secondary education. USAID/J and the GOJ are reviewing site selection criteria. General criteria will target sites where compulsory schools are needed to: accommodate growth of the school-age population; replace existing but inadequate GOJ-owned buildings; and replace inappropriate rented buildings and convert them from double to single session. Specific criteria might include: the availability of land; low-income service areas; schools for both males and females; schools for compulsory level; and sufficient demand in a 2 km radius service area. Tentative sites have already been suggested by the GOJ. Disbursements will be made under a modified fixed amount reimbursement method. The 40 schools planned for the project will be built on acquired land or located on an existing school compound large enough to accommodate the new structure.