The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) Program Information Documents (PID) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 06-Apr-2021 | Report No: PIDA238559 Mar 04, 2021 Page 1 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Program Data Country Project ID Program Name Parent Project ID (if any) India P173978 Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) SOUTH ASIA 08-Apr-2021 10-Jun-2021 Education Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Program-for-Results Financing Department of Economic Department of School Education, Government of Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Andhra Pradesh Government of India Proposed Program Development Objective(s) The PDO is to improve learning outcomes, quality of teaching practices and school management in basic education COST & FINANCING SUMMARY (USD Millions) Government program Cost 12,824.00 Total Operation Cost 1,020.00 Total Program Cost 999.38 IPF Component 20.00 Other Costs 0.63 Total Financing 1,020.00 Financing Gap 0.00 FINANCING (USD Millions) Total World Bank Group Financing 250.00 World Bank Lending 250.00 Total Government Contribution 770.00 Mar 12, 2021 Page 2 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has slowed in the past three years, and the COVID -19 outbreak is expected to have a significant impact. Growth has moderated from an average of 7.4 percent over FY16-FY19 to an estimated 4.0 percent in FY19/20. The growth deceleration was due mostly to unresolved domestic issues (impaired balance sheets in the banking and corporate sectors), which were compounded by stress in the non-banking segment of the financial sector, and a marked decline in consumption on the back of weak rural income growth. Against this backdrop, the outbreak of COVID-19 has had a significant impact. Growth is estimated to have contracted sharply in FY21. On the fiscal side, the general government deficit widened significantly in FY20/21, owing to higher spending and mostly low revenues. Reflecting tepid demand, the current account balance has improved through FY20/21, with a sizeable contraction in imports. Given this and sustained capital inflows, India’s foreign exchange reserves are expected to remain comfortable. 2. Although India has made remarkable progress in reducing absolute poverty in recent years, the COVID-19 outbreak has reversed the course of poverty reduction. Between 2011-12 and 2017, India’s poverty rate is estimated to have declined from 22.5 percent to values ranging from 8.1 to 11.3 percent. However, recent projections of GDP per capita growth -taking into account the impact of the pandemic-, suggest that poverty rates in 2020 have likely reverted to estimated levels in 2016. Labor market indicators from high frequency surveys -including from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)- suggest that vulnerability has increased, particularly for urban households. For instance, between September-December 2019 and May-August 2020, the proportion of people working in urban and rural areas has fallen by 4.2 and 3.8 percentage points, respectively. Approximately 11 and 7 percent of urban and rural individuals, who had identified themselves as employed in recent periods, reported having performed zero hours of work in the week prior to the latest round. The short-term employment outlook is contingent on whether these temporarily unemployed workers can fully re-enter the labor force. Overall, the pandemic and its economic impacts are estimated to have raised urban poverty, creating a set of “new poor� that Growth has moderated from an average of 7.4 percent ove r FY16-FY19 to an estimated 4.0 percent in FY19/20. The growth deceleration was due mostly to unresolved domestic issues (impaired balance sheets in the banking and corporate sectors), which were compounded by stress in the non-banking segment of the financial sector, and a marked decline in consumption on the back of weak rural income growth. Against this backdrop, the outbreak of COVID-19 has had a significant impact. Growth is estimated to have contracted sharply in FY21. On the fiscal side, the general government deficit widened significantly in FY20/21, owing to higher spending and mostly low revenues. Reflecting tepid demand, the current account balance has improved through FY20/21, with a sizeable contraction in imports. Given this and sustained capital inflows, India’s foreign exchange reserves are expected to remain comfortable. Sectoral and Institutional Context 1. Access to basic education1 and school transition rates are generally high in AP. There are about 63,621 schools 1 Basic education refers to K to 10 education (age 3 to 16) and includes ECE (age 3 to 6), elementary education (Grades 1 to 8; age 6 to 13), and secondary education (Grades 9 and 10; age 14 to 16). ECE and the first two grades (early grades) of primary education are also referred to as foundational education (K to Grade 2; age 6 to 8). Elementary education has two subparts to it – primary (Gardes 1 to 5; age 6 to 10), and upper primary (Grades 6 to 8; age 10 to 13). Mar 12, 2021 Page 3 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) in the state, of which about 70 percent, or 45,013 schools, are government-managed. The government-managed schools serve 3.9 million children (49.5 percent of overall enrolment) and have approximately 190,000 teachers. Elementary and secondary Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) for all schools in the state are 86 and 82 percent respectively; and the primary to upper primary and upper primary to secondary transition rates are 97 and 96 percent respectively. The difference in the transition rates for boys and girls is negligible, but SC and ST students lag by 7-10 percentage points2. Most students in government schools are girls, and together with SC and ST students, account for more than 70 percent of government school students3. A network of more than 50,000 Anganwadis4 managed by the Department of Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens (DoWCDSC), Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) are responsible for providing three years of ECE to 43.3 percent of three to six-year-old children in the state. About 19.2 percent are not enrolled in any form of ECE. 2. Although AP performs far above the national average in student learning outcomes on National Achievement Survey (NAS), there is a significant possibility for further improvement. The results of the most recent NAS 2017 indicate that AP performs well, and in many cases far better than most other states, across all grades and subject areas tested. For instance, AP students ranked first on the Grade 10 Mathematics test and second in on the Grade 3 Language test. Across grades and subjects, girls outperform boys. However, SC and ST students tend to lag their peers. These learning deficiencies are expected to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though government-managed schools in AP perform above the national average across grades and subjects, the average performance of students in private schools is better than in government-managed schools. 3. Basic education (Kindergarten to Grade 10) in AP is negatively impacted by the limited past focus on foundational learning (Kindergarten to Grade 2), along with poor school infrastructure, and low teacher capacity (across all grades). The state faces several key challenges in education service delivery, which are exacerbated by weak levels of institutional capacity attributable to the bifurcation of the state in 2014. Limited access to quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) options means children don’t get the right start and lack early literacy and numeracy skills. This learning gap is further exacerbated by limited teacher capacity in primary and secondary grades. Many teachers have been unable to transition from more traditional, curriculum-based teaching practices to the more desirable, competency-based approaches. This is due, in part, to poor institutional capacity to provide high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers and school leaders. Limited teacher capacity also results in the state’s remedial education initiatives being significantly delayed leading to continued accumulation of learning gaps. 4. The key issues associated with the absence of quality ECE are limited pedagogical connections between the ECE services offered at Anganwadis and the early school grades, lack of professional development opportunities for teachers, and limited availability of Teaching Learning Material (TLM) to support a play-based pedagogy. In line with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the state has taken steps to establish a greater pedagogical continuum between the ECE offered by Anganwadis and the early grade education offered in government-managed schools. The Department of School Education (DoSE), GoAP has partnered with the DoWCDSC to support the ECE activities of these centers. Across primary schools, extra teachers have been recruited to fill vacancies that were leading to multi-grade teaching. Recognizing that the learning levels are lowest for ST students, a one-year preparatory grade (school-based ECE) has been introduced across about 3,500 primary schools catering to habitations with a high percentage of ST families. 5. Lack of basic infrastructure and facilities adversely affects the quality of education, especially for young children in government-managed schools. As of 2018-19, the percentage of schools with functional girls’ and boys’ toilets and functional drinking water facilities was 61 percent, 55 percent, and 74 percent respectively5. Most classrooms needed repairs and lacked furniture for students. Further, despite being connected to the electric grid, they did not have electrical 2 UDISE Plus (2018-19) 3 Individually, girls, SC and ST account for 51.4 percent, 25.7 percent and 10 percent of enrolment in government managed schools. 4 Anganwadis are early childhood care and development centers operated under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme of the Government of India. Amongst other key childcare services, these centers provide early childhood education. 5 UDISE Plus (2018-19) Mar 12, 2021 Page 4 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) fixtures. To address deficiencies in school-level essential facilities, the government has initiated the Mana Badi – Nadu Nedu initiative. Parent Committees (PCs) have been empowered to carry out assessments of facilities and identify gaps. A community contracting model is being used to carry out the required development works. Standardized designs have been developed, and civil engineers have been engaged to oversee technical aspects. 6. Weak institutional capacity is hindering opportunities for need-based teacher professional development and coaching, further limiting the state's ability to transition from a curriculum to a competency-based methodology across primary and secondary grades. The few trainings made available to teachers have been held centrally and not necessarily aligned with their professional development needs. This was exacerbated by the fact that, as of 2019-20, over 90 percent of academic positions at the State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Education Training (DIETs) were vacant6, severely limiting them in providing teachers with access to relevant opportunities for professional development. Of late, the state has proactively taken steps to address these vacancies. Using a merit-based model, teachers have been selected to staff the SCERT and DIETs and the State Institute of Education Management and Training (SIEMAT). However, these newly recruited staff members have not received any training and need to be appropriately oriented. In line with the recommendations of the NEP (2020), the state has created about 4,000 school complexes (cluster of schools), each led by a secondary school and its school principal, and pedagogically guided by the senior faculty of the secondary school(s) in the complex. With this, the state has made school complexes the unit for facilitating need-based professional support, peer-to-peer learning, and coaching for teachers. 7. The SCERT Assessment Cell (SAC) has limited capacity for developing and managing large-scale student assessments and school-based assessments. As a result, the data from these assessments are not yet fully utilized. The state conducts periodic State Learning Achievement Surveys (SLAS) that have been mostly managed by external consultants. Teachers lack the capacity to develop and manage school-based assessments. This is an area where the SAC can support them by developing standardized tests or test items. The SAC needs considerable capacity-building support to be able to develop and manage these initiatives. Teachers lack access to opportunities for professional development that would allow them to better understand the link between school-based assessments and remedial education support for students. The recent remedial education initiative undertaken by the state has provided some form of structured response during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is largely designed to address the key learning gaps identified at an aggregate level. Further adaptations to address student-specific remedial needs would be a more prudent approach. 8. Lack of an Education Management Information System (EMIS) and limited capacity building support for decentralized education functionaries and school leaders have restricted their ability to perform administrative responsibilities. The primary responsibility of school leaders, Mandal Education Officers (MEOs), and Cluster Resource Center Coordinators (CRCCs)7 is to provide school-based academic leadership and classroom-based academic support. However, their ability to focus on these responsibilities is constrained by issues such as paper-based relay of notifications and teacher grievances; and physical collection and record-keeping of school-level data. Further, they have limited access to the professional development opportunities required to build the leadership competencies which are essential for managing the grassroots level changes associated with a large-scale school education reform program. 9. The prevailing problem of poor learning levels has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, the state has initiated multiple channels for home-based learning. To address the learning losses due to school closures caused by the pandemic, AP is leveraging television and radio broadcasts, paper-based learning kits, and online lessons. Before the pandemic, the state had initiated a program to provide students with remedial workbooks based on analysis of state-level assessment survey data. During the unforeseen and prolonged school closures caused by the pandemic, these workbooks were distributed to students to facilitate home-based learning. AP has the lowest literacy 6 NITI Aayog, School Education Quality Index (SEQI) – 2016/17 data 7 Under the administrative system and structure in India, each state comprises of a certain number of districts. In turn each district comprises of administrative Blocks (referred to as Mandals in AP). Under the administrative structure/system managing school education, each Block is further divided into a set of Clusters, each comprising of between 10-12 schools. AP has 13 districts and 676 Mandals. Mar 12, 2021 Page 5 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) rates (68 percent) in India, which affects parents’ ability to support their children’s remote learning. On November 2, 2020, AP became one of the first states to initiate the process of gradually reopening its schools. However, depending on how the pandemic evolves, the state may have to re-impose school closures. Going forward, the focus needs to be on strengthening the quality of content being disseminated through the various channels for home-based learning. PforR Program Scope 10. The overall government program comprises multiple schemes and initiatives of the state, and Samagra Shiksha – the centrally sponsored scheme for school education. The SALT Program focuses on those aspects of these schemes and initiatives that directly impact students’ education outcomes across foundational, elementary, and secondary levels of schooling. While the state budget accounts for most of the expenditure, it mostly covers teacher salaries; school construction, repair and maintenance; and provision of student entitlements (free textbooks, uniforms, mid-day-meals, etc.). Samagra Shiksha provides most of the funding for quality enhancement initiatives. While this funding can sustain initiatives, it is not enough for the development and rollout of large-scale transformational programs. The SALT Program seeks to address this gap by focusing on three results areas. Government Program PforR Program Reasons for non-alignment To improve learning outcomes, To transform government schools The objective of the PforR Program provides quality of teaching practices, Objective into vibrant and competitive greater outcome orientation and facilitates and school management in institutions measurability of results basic education The PforR Program is directed at making Duration Ongoing Sep 2021 to Sep 2026 strategic changes in key RAS; to be sustained by the government program. All government-managed and All government-managed The PforR Program will only support the Coverage private-aided schools in AP schools in AP government-managed schools. RA-1: Foundational learning (including ECE and school RA-1: Foundational learning The PforR Program will cover RA-1 to 3, as facilities); RA-2: Improved quality (including ECE and school they directly impact the quality of education of teaching-learning interactions facilities); RA-2: Improved being imparted in schools; are underfinanced, (teacher professional quality of teaching-learning and are supported by institutions with weak development, capacity building of interactions (teacher capacity. teacher education institutions, professional development, remedial education, and learning capacity building of teacher The PforR Program excludes RA-4, as there is assessment); RA-3: Strengthened education institutions, currently enough provision of school Results institutional capacity for service remedial education, and buildings and teachers. Multiple initiatives in areas delivery (school leadership learning assessment); and RA- the area of mid-day meals, student development, community-led 3: Strengthened institutional entitlements (textbooks and uniforms), management of schools, capacity and Community scholarships/stipends etc. are already in institutional capacity); RA-4: Engagement for service place. Universal access to elementary delivery (school leadership and secondary education (school development, community-led The PforR Program excludes RA-5 as students construction, mid-day meal, management of schools, demand for vocational education is low. It is student entitlements, and institutional capacity) not a priority area for the state. Pilot salaries); and RA-5: Vocational initiatives would be required to develop a education scalable model. Overall US$12.8 billion US$1 billion Financing 11. Results Area 1 (RA-1) – Strengthened Foundational Learning: The SALT Program will align with the NEP (2020) and focus on operationalizing the convergence between the DoSE and the DoWCDSC to facilitate the provision of quality Mar 12, 2021 Page 6 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) foundational learning. The Program will enable the SCERT to support the DoWCSSC in enhancing the quality of ECE offered in Anganwadis. The focus will be on establishing a pedagogical continuum between the ECE offered by these centers and the early grade education offered in primary schools. The Program will support the development and provision of a short- term training course to the (a) Anganwadi workers managing the network of more than 55,000 Anganwadis and (b) teachers teaching the early grades in roughly 38,000 schools. 12. To address the issue of poor learning levels amongst students from the ST community, the Program will introduce a one-year preparatory grade in 3,500 schools in the 66 Integrated Tribal Agency Blocks (ITDA)/tribal blocks. The focus of this one year of preschool education would be to improve student readiness for formal schooling. The SALT Program will extend teacher training support to these schools. 13. To address the existing gaps in school-level infrastructure and facilities and to create a conducive learning environment, the SALT Program will support the GoAP’s Nadu Nedu initiative. Most government-managed schools in the state only offer primary education and therefore Nadu Nedu is expected to have a significant impact on enrolment in and quality of early grade education. PCs will be provided with funds to carry out infrastructure repairs and ensure that the school has: (a) functional toilets (with separate toilets for girls), (b) drinking water facilities, (c) lights and fans, (d) classroom furniture, (e) chalkboards, (f) compound walls, and (g) a smart television. 14. To strengthen the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Program will support the enhancement of the home-based learning opportunities being provided to three to eight-year-old students. Given the low availability of digital devices amongst students, the state has distributed physical workbooks and has been broadcasting supporting lessons on television and radio. The Program will support the further enhancement of this endeavor through the development of physical learning kits that can be distributed to facilitate parent-guided learning in a home environment. 15. Results Area 2 (RA-2) – Improved Quality of Teaching-Learning Interactions: The Program will operationalize a model of need-based teacher professional development,8 providing school-based coaching and facilitating peer-to-peer learning for 190,000 teachers. Simultaneously, the program will support a shift from curriculum-based to competency- based teaching-learning. Moreover, the program will determine teacher professional development needs at a school complex level, based on inputs from self-assessments, academic results from school-based assessments, and classroom- based observation of teaching practices. Teachers will receive frequent observation visits from school leaders and senior teachers who will provide them with feedback and coaching. 16. To better respond to COVID-19 and facilitate remote learning during the pandemic, courses on the planning and management of remote learning, technology, and digital pedagogical skills will be made widely available to teachers. The Program will continue to leverage digital platforms for teacher training and the dissemination of teacher guidebooks. Modules for online teacher training and teacher guidebooks will be hosted on a Learning Management System (LMS). These will include modules on minimizing implicit gender biases in classroom interactions. In the context of the pandemic, the Program will also support the strengthening of the content and materials being used to facilitate home-based learning through online platforms, television, radio, and physical learning kits. For each of these mediums, the state will develop content/materials to better engage and support parents in the process of supporting their children’s home-based learning. 17. Children with Special Needs (CwSN) will be a priority for the support provided under this results area. The Program will support the repair and refurbishment of the CwSN resource centers in the state, and provide necessary aids, appliances, and kits required for center, home, and school-based support. The Program will also support the establishment of a specialized cell for inclusive education at the SCERT. This cell will focus on the provision of need-based teacher training and guidebooks that will enable teachers to better address the educational needs of CwSN. 18. In the area of student assessment, the Program will support actions at two levels: (i) strengthening the use of classroom assessments as tools for ongoing student remediation and competency-based learning, and (ii) strengthening 8 On-site teacher training, on-site and remote individual coaching, and an online repository of materials Mar 12, 2021 Page 7 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) system-level assessments as tools for informing education policy and practice across the state. The Program will support the state in defining competency-based learning standards that will underpin all assessment activities, and in developing a dashboard that will collect and report on data from all kinds of assessments. In the area of classroom assessment, the focus will be on training teachers, and those who work with them at the district, block, and cluster levels, in how to use assessments to diagnose learning issues at the classroom level. The Program will also support the development of centrally designed, school-based diagnostic assessments with complementary remedial education resources for use by teachers. This initiative will be critical for addressing the learning deficits made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. 19. SALT will support the state in developing, implementing, and analyzing periodic SLAS, and other large-scale assessments of the GoI. Improving the quality and relevance of test items, test administration practices, and depth of analysis will be key areas of focus. 20. Results Area 3 (RA-3) – Strengthened Institutional Capacity and Community Engagement for Service Delivery: To foster greater accountability to beneficiaries and facilitate greater citizen engagement for improved school-level planning and budgeting, SALT will support the development and roll-out of a social audit tool. The Nadu Nedu initiative is playing a key role in placing school management back in the hands of the community. The Program will put in place a school performance evaluation or social audit tool that the community can use to monitor school operations and report on its performance to the administration. These evaluations will provide greater information symmetry and enable the PCs to observe the performance of other schools. This will help make the system more accountable to the beneficiary. 21. The success of the SALT Program would to a large extent depend on the grassroots level behavior changes that would be led by decentralized education functionaries and school leaders. School leaders will be key to ensuring the functionality of the communities of practitioners set up under the school complex model. This will be critical for the success of the Program’s investments towards the provision of need-based professional development support to teachers. SALT will provide school leaders and education functionaries with access to relevant opportunities for professional development to improve their competency in key leadership skills. They will be provided with training on Disaster Risk Management (DRM) to improve school-level readiness to face climate-induced disasters and public health emergencies. The SALT Program will also support targeted interventions to improve the learning outcomes of students from tribal communities and aspirational districts of the state. 22. The Program will support the development of the state’s EMIS to facilitate the digital transformation of management and monitoring functions of the system. By bringing together the various modules and use cases for data collection, collation, analysis, and reporting; and facilitating direct recording/reporting of data, the EMIS will reduce the time stakeholders are investing in physical data management. Along with this information, the newly built EMIS will track the key Program results at decentralized levels. This will bring greater results orientation and accountability to the AWPB preparation and appraisal process. 23. Summary of COVID-19 response under the three results areas: The learning disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have led to learning losses which would have a significant negative impact on the learning adjusted years of schooling across countries. The Program will focus on providing immediate access to the remedial education support required to address these learning losses. The Program will invest in the strengthening of channels for home-based learning. The state has initiated a first level of response by activating multiple high-tech, low-tech, and no- tech channels of remote learning. The Program will prioritize the further enhancement of the content and materials being used to facilitate home-based learning and roll out innovative models for improving access to digital and/or television broadcasted lessons. The focus will be on ensuring complementarity of channels so that parents have access to regular guidance for better supporting their child’s learning. This will include home visits by teachers, and television and radio broadcasts linked to physical learning kits/workbooks distributed by the state. The SALT Program will focus on ‘Resilient Recovery’. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to reassess service delivery and nudged the adoption of measures that can lead to long term gains: Mar 12, 2021 Page 8 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) a. Technology to empower teachers (Linked to RA-2): SALT aims to reach all teachers with a robust online LMS built on GoI’s DIKSHA platform. The system will be designed to cater to the varied professional development needs of teachers including courses on remote learning pedagogy, safety measures, and using ICT in education. b. Technology for remedial education support (Linked to RA-2): SALT will facilitate technology-assisted periodic assessments with corresponding remedial resources to allow for teaching-learning that caters to each student’s learning needs. c. Technology to connect learners anywhere, anytime (Linked to RA-1 and 2): SALT will identify prioritized learning objectives across grades and subjects, curate content, and use multiple modes of communication (online, television, radio, and physical kits) to deliver this content to students. Under the Nadu Nedu initiative, it will support the provision of smart televisions to schools and leverage the same to improve access to online learning. d. Technology as a gamechanger in management (Linked to Result Area 3): The Program will facilitate better management and monitoring of service delivery by developing channels to record, analyze and report beneficiary voice. The resulting information symmetry will help facilitate greater accountability. C. Proposed Program Development Objective(s) Program Development Objective(s) 24. The PDO is to improve learning outcomes, quality of teaching practices, and school management in basic education. The Program will use three key results indicators to track the achievement of the PDO a. The first PDO indicator will track efforts towards strengthening foundational learning and measure the decrease in the percentage of students below grade-level proficiency post completion of foundational learning. The indicator will track results for boys, girls, SC, and ST students. b. The second PDO indicator will track efforts towards improving the quality of teacher-student interactions to realize and measure the change in teaching practices based on the observations of school leaders and senior teachers. c. The third PDO indicator will track efforts towards strengthening institutional capacity and community engagement for service delivery and measure school performance as reported by the PCs. D. Environmental and Social Effects 25. Environment and Social Risks and Impacts: The Environmental and Social Systems Assessment concludes that the proposed Program is expected to result in substantial environmental and social benefits, through its support to improve the capacities of Anganwadi workers and school teachers; roll out of community-led social audits of schools; strengthening of EMIS; and provision of essential repairs, WASH facilities, lighting, fans, compound walls across schools and CwSN resource centers in all regions, including urban, rural, and areas dominated by tribal groups, following the specifications and designs formulated at the state level. The E&S risk rating is ‘moderate’, given that most of the E&S effects of the Program are likely to be localized/site-specific (within school and CwSN resource center campuses), reversible, predictable, and can be effectively mitigated by complying with existing E&S regulations and standards, and by strengthening the systems and institutional capacities, for which the ESSA has made specific recommendations. Consultations informed the preparation of the draft ESSA, which was disclosed on the website of DoSE on February 18, 2021, and on the Bank’s external website. 26. The key social risks and impacts of the Program include the following: (i) relatively lower learning outcomes for students from vulnerable communities; (ii) low capacity of PCs in aspirational districts to undertake civil works and regular social monitoring (iii) pre-existing risks of early marriage amongst adolescent girls, especially in rural areas of the state; (iv) barriers to transition from elementary to secondary grades for both girls and boys due to the on-going adverse impacts of COVID-19; (vii) inefficient information flows/communication pathways for sustained beneficiary/citizen engagement; The ESSA does not identify any risks related to Land Acquisition and Resettlement at this stage. Enhancement of learning environment proposed under the Program will be restricted to existing school facilities. Further, any new Mar 12, 2021 Page 9 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) upgradation/refurbishments will be screened for informal settlers/structures or on-going land-related disputes. 27. The key environment risks and impacts of the Program include: (i) pollution risks in school campus and nearby areas due to (a) noise, dust and disposal of construction and demolition wastes and scraps (b) poor management of liquid wastes from WASH facilities and mid-day-meal kitchens solid waste from schools (including food waste, packaging wastes, plastics, sanitary napkins and masks), (c) improper management of electrical and digital hardware , (d) choice of materials and technology while upgrading facilities (such as high water or energy use fixtures, continued partial reliance on fire wood for cooking, materials used in physical learning kits, cleaning products); (ii) Occupational and Community Health and Safety risks including temporary inconvenience and disruption to school activities during minor construction and repairs, health and safety issues of workers, communities, teachers, visitors and students during works, risks due to hygiene practies post reopening of schools; (iii) Disaster and emergency related risks including fire, electric safety and climate risks, exacerbated by lack of preparedness, capacities and arrangements for emergency response in different geographic/climatic conditions. These risks can be managed by developing capacities to screen and exclude probable high- risk activities, review, implement and monitor environmental and safety aspects and following regulations, permit requirements, and guidelines, and increasing the awareness and capacities on the environment and disaster response. 28. Key findings from assessment of borrower’s capacity and systems: From a social perspective, the assessment revealed that to meet the core principles on land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, the screening will be required to identify any potential adverse social impacts. The DoSE and the SIS for Samgra Shiksha provide the institutional mechanism for school education Program implementation along with detailed roles and responsibilities for district-level officials (DEOs, SDEOs) and sub-district-level officials (BRCCs, CRCCs, CRPs). Through the Nadu Nedu scheme, PCs are regularly involved in the planning, management, and monitoring of civil works across the state. The DoSE regularly follows the process of social audits to create transparency, participation, and accountability of the Program implementation at the school level. The DoSE also has a clear focus on social inclusion and the differentiated needs of SC, ST, and CwSN students. To enable ease of learning, the department has made textbooks available in their mother tongue to students from tribal communities. The DoSE through Divyang Bhavans (centers for disabled students) attempts to provide educational opportunities in an inclusive environment free from discrimination. From a policy perspective, the Right to Education Act, 2009 further addresses gender and social equity within a framework that is holistic and systemic. Additionally, the DoSE has a special focus to improve enrolment, transition, completion rates, and learning outcomes for the 66 Integrated Tribal Agency Blocks (ITDA) blocks in the state. 29. From the environmental perspective, the most relevant ESSA core principles for this Program (and for overall sustainability) are environmental management, and public and worker safety. Program activities are implemented within existing school campuses or CwSN resource centers. The assessment revealed that no guidance or framework for environmental management is in use for the Nadu Nedu initiative which follows a community contracting format with PCs arranging the works through local masons or workers, following the specifications for materials and standard designs developed and procured at State Level. There are no capacities or mechanisms to (i) screen and exclude activities near sensitive habitats or archeologically important areas (including chance-find procedures), or banned materials such as asbestos or insecticides, (ii) manage pollution due to materials or wastes from construction or operation of facilities created, (ii) guide and manage the work activities, health, and safety of workers, communities, and students. Also, to render the ongoing transformation sustainable it is important to enhance the overall environmental effects of the Program by focusing on ‘whole-school waste management, resource efficiency, greening, safety, and universal access following the ‘Haritha Pathasala’ (Green School) concept, which will transform the schools into a nature lab where students can experience and own the sustainability concepts ‘hands-on’ especially on the no-bag day advocated by NEP, 2020. 30. Recommended measures to strengthen environmental and social systems: It is recommended to develop adequate capacities and mechanisms to strengthen E&S management, by constituting an E&S Cell named ‘Sustainable Schools Unit (SSU) at SIS which is the PMU at State Level, and designating nodal officials for E&S coordination at the district/block, School, and PC levels for (i) effective integration of E&S concerns in infrastructure development through Mar 12, 2021 Page 10 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) implementation of the ‘Green Gift Box’ (whole school environmental sustainability approach with targeted interventions to manage wastes, ensure resource efficiency, conservation, and greening), (ii) screening Program activities and monitoring of EHS, EMP, ECoP/best practices, and (iii) incorporation of E&S aspects in EMIS and 360-degree environmental and social audits under the school performance evaluation tool to be rolled out under the Program. Recommended measures to strengthen social management systems include: (i)development of a strategy to monitoring learning outcomes of students from vulnerable communities and (ii) integrating an ICT-based citizen engagement and grievance redressal system (GRM) under the on-going Nadu Nedu Scheme. . . ESF_LEGAL_T BL Legal Operational Policies Triggered? Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Assessment of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts (With IPF Component for PforR) . Adverse risks or impacts are not foreseen under the TA activities aimed at providing advisory support to state institutions including SCERT, SIEMAT, SAC at the state level, and the risk is rated as ‘low’. Borrower's capacity to manage risks will be enhanced through the establishment of SSU with systems and capacities to manage all E&S aspects. Possible environmental risks include waste generated during capacity building activities, e-waste due to the development and use of EMIS. Though this IPF will not support the purchase of electronic equipment, EMIS will be used in existing electronic devices throughout the State to monitor around 45,000 schools. Generation of solid wastes (including plastics and packaging wastes) of minimal quantities is expected during usual training/capacity building activities unless they follow good practices and ‘Green Protocol’ including the use of energy-efficient equipment for their activities and measures to avoid, minimize, recycle/reuse wastes. The risk is classified as low from the social perspective as (i) activities under the proposed IPF-TA component are not expected to have any adverse social impacts; b)risks relating to labor-management are expected to be minimal and c) stakeholder-related risks too are low. The DoSE has prepared a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) that includes the list of all potential stakeholders including officials of the Department of Education at the state level, administrators at the district and sub-district levels, school management committees (SMCs), students, teachers, and Teacher Education Institutions with adequate details on modes and frequency of engaging with them. ESS1, ESS10, ESS2, and ESS3 are found relevant for this IPF component. An Environment and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), Labor Management Procedures (LMP), and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) have been prepared by the DoSE. The ESF documents will be disclosed before the close of appraisal by the DoSE and the World Bank. These may be updated as required during the implementation of the project. E. Financing The SALT Program accounts for about 7.8 percent of the overall government program, and 77 percent of it will be financed through counterpart funding. A high share of counterpart financing will help ensure the sustainability of initiatives. Source Amount (US$Million) Percentage Overall government program (Including SALT Program) 12,824 Of which, state budget (Including Nadu Nedu initiative) 11,478 89.5 percent Of which, Samagra Shiksha 1,346 10.5 percent Mar 12, 2021 Page 11 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) SALT Program 1,000 Counterpart funding 770 77 percent Of which, state budget (Nadu Nedu initiative only) 340 Of which, Samagra Shiksha 430 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 230 23 percent . IPF ‘Capacity Building’ component supporting SALT Program 20 CONTACT POINT World Bank Name : Kartik Pental Designation : Education Specialist Role : Team Leader(ADM Responsible) Telephone No : Email : kpental@worldbank.org Name : Harsha Aturupane Designation : Lead Economist Role : Team Leader Telephone No : 5723+306 Email : daturupane@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Department of Economic Affairs, Borrower : Ministry of Finance, Government of India Contact : Hanish Chhabra Title : Deputy Secretary Telephone No : 011-23095069 Email : hanish.ias@ias.nic.in Implementing Agencies Implementing Department of School Education, Agency : Government of Andhra Pradesh Contact : Budithi Rajsekhar Title : Principal Secretary Telephone No : 0863-2444270 Email : secy.se.edn@gmail.com Mar 04, 2021 Page 12 of 13 The World Bank Supporting Andhra's Learning Transformation (P173978) FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects Mar 04, 2021 Page 13 of 13