SYRIA - RURAL SCHOOLS

LOAN WILL SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION OF 94 PRIMARY SCHOOLS, WITH A TOTAL OF 692 CLASSROOMS, IN THE FOUR MUHAFAZATAS (PROVINCES) OF ALEPPO, RAQQA, DEIR WZZOR, AND HASAKAH IN NORTHEAST SYRIA. THE LOCATION OF THE SCHOOLS HAS GENERALLY BEEN MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SARG CRITERIA THAT THE AREAS CURRENTLY HAVE A VERY LOW LEVEL OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION; AN INSUFFICIENT AND VERY LOW QUALITY ACCOMODATION; AND A POPULATION BASE ADEQUATE TO SUSTAIN SCHOOLS OF 100 PLUS STUDENTS WITHIN A CATCHMENT AREA OF NOT MORE THAN THREE KILOMETERS. THE SCHOOLS WILL BE CO-EDUCATIONAL AND WILL RANGE FROM 108 TO 595 STUDENTS, WITH MOST AVERAGING 250. AID RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOL LOCATION AND SIZE GENERALLY REFLECT THOSE OF THE MUHAFAZATS, THE MOST NOTABLE EXCEPTION BEING IN REGARD TO CLASSROOM SIZE. AID HAS INSISTED ON LARGER CLASSROOMS IN VIEW OF PROJECTED STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN 1990, SARG"S TARGET DATE FOR ACHIEVING UNIVERAL PRIMARY ENROLLMENT. THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION"S SCHOOL BUILDING ESTABLISHMENT (SBE), IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DIRECTORATES FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS(DSB"S) LOCATED IN EACH OF THE FOUR MUHAFAZATS, WILL ADAPT THE STANDARD PLAN FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO THE SPECIFIC SITES FOR THE NEW SCHOOLS. SCHOOL BUILDINGS WILL HAVE SIX CLASSROOMS, INDOOR OR OUTDOOR TOILETS DEPENDING ON THE READY AVAILABILITY OF WATER, AND TEACHERS" RESIDENCES. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF CONSTRUCTION WORK WILL BE DONE BY THE ENGINEERING STAFF OF THE LOCAL DSB"S,WITH SPECIAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE SBE AS REQUIRED. MOST OF THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WILL BE MANUFACTURED IN SYRIA, WITH NOT MORE THAN 5% OF TOTAL COSTS BEING FOR IMPORTED MATERIALS. THE NEW SCHOOLS WILL REQUIRE MINIMAL MAINTENANCE WHICH WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LOCAL DSB"S. SARG WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY SUPPORT.