Eight million children to benefit from improved school management and education quality in Indonesia

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a US$250 million loan to support improvements to Indonesia’s primary and secondary education schools under the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA).

With the fourth-largest education system in the world, Indonesia provides education services through the Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) and MORA for 53 million students in public and private schools. Approximately 15 percent of the country’s primary and secondary students – about 8 million children – attend religious schools under MORA. These schools follow the national curriculum and enroll more children from the poorest families in rural areas.

The project will support the implementation of a 4th-grade student assessment nationally at MORA schools. The project will also finance training for education personnel in order to support improved teaching and learning in MORA’s schools. Finally, the project will also invest in data collection and analysis to improve MORA’s management of its schools.

Ultimately the project will help Indonesia realize the promise of better education by supporting improvements in teaching, learning and education system management. This investment is expected to accelerate the government’s desire to improve the country’s human capital.

“This project is an important component of the government of Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen human capital and improve the quality of its education system. Improving the quality and efficiency of all education spending is crucial,” said Rodrigo A. Chaves, World Bank Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste. “Finding ways for schools to better spend available funds is essential to help Indonesian children obtain improved education outcomes, making these young people more successful in the labor market,” he added.

The World Bank’s support for education and human capital is an important component of the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework for Indonesia, which focuses on government priorities that have potentially transformational impact.

Original source: World Bank
Published on 26 June 2019