The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) AFRICA WEST | Benin | Education Global Practice | Recipient Executed Activities | Investment Project Financing | FY 2020 | Seq No: 4 | ARCHIVED on 28-Apr-2021 | ISR46346 | Implementing Agencies: Government of Benin, Ministry of Preschool and Primary Education Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 17-Jul-2019 Effectiveness Date: 09-Jan-2020 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 29-Apr-2022 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: Original Closing Date: 30-Sep-2023 Revised Closing Date: 30-Sep-2023 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The Project Development Objectives (PDO) are to: (i) improve the quality of teaching and learning in basic education with an emphasis on the early grades; and (ii) strengthen equity in primary education, particularly in four regions of the country. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No Components Table Name Component 1 : Improving the Quality of Basic Education:(Cost $12.00 M) Component 2: Improving Equity in Basic Education:(Cost $3.10 M) Component 3: Strengthening the Delivery of Education Services:(Cost $3.80 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Moderate Moderate Implementation Status and Key Decisions The Benin Global Partnership for Education Phase 3 Project, financed by the Global Partnership for Education grant in the amount of US$ 18.9 million, focuses on improving the quality of teaching and learning in basic education with an emphasis on the early grades; and strengthening equity in primary education, particularly in four regions of the country. The Project was approved by the World Bank’s Africa Regional Vice President on July 17, 2019 and the grant agreement was signed on September 19, 2019. It was declared effective on January 9, 2020, prior to the effectiveness deadline of January 17, 2020. To date, a number of critical activities have been implemented and the Project’s overall disbursement stands at US$ 4.04 million, representing 21.39 percent of the total grant amount. Below is a summary of the status of each component: Progress by Component. 4/28/2021 Page 1 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Component 1: Improving the quality of basic education- This Component is comprised of three sub-components: (i) improving the curricula for a better quality of education; (ii) improving teachers’ knowledge on curricula and teaching practices; and (iii) strengthening pre-service teachers’ education in teachers’ education institutions (ENI and ENS). Sub-component 1.1: Improving the curricula for a better quality of education. Despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the finalization of curricula and textbooks developed for grade 1 during the 2019-2020 school year (SY) and the preparation of similar learning materials for grade 2 are progressing very well while the review of curricula in key disciplines for lower secondary education (LSE) has been completed. The pilot implementation of new curricula and textbooks developed for grade 1 started in September 2020. The envisaged learning materials were provided to all teachers and students of the selected pilot schools at the start of the 2020-2021 SY: (i) each teacher received for both French and mathematics, the content of the program, weekly planning of learning including annual progressions, and lesson plans; and (ii) each student received a reading textbook and two exercise books. In addition, each pilot school received teaching supports (educational observations boards) for oral communication. As part of the monitoring of the pilot implementation, monitoring tools have been developed. Two missions were carryout to follow-up the pilot implementation and information collected helped to identify strengths and areas for improvement of the various learning materials. The report of the monitoring is being used to finalize the textbooks, teachers guides and exercise books. For grade 2, the following documents have been finalized: (i) the content of the program for both French and mathematics; and (ii) weekly planning of learning and annual progressions for each of the two disciplines. Thirty out of sixty lessons of the reading textbook based on systematic phonics instruction and reading competencies (decoding/encoding, automaticity, fluidity, and comprehension) and the first draft of lesson plans for mathematics have been developed. It is expected that all the final draft of learning materials for grade 2 will be completed by end July 2021. For all grades of the LSE, the French, Mathematics, Physics, and English curricula, as well as teacher’s guides for each of these subjects, have been finalized. Sub-component 1.2. Improving teachers’ knowledge on curricula and teaching practices. In primary education, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the generalization of the new learning materials developed has been postponed for the 2021-2022 SY. Therefore, the training of teachers at a large scale, aiming at improving teachers’ curricula content knowledge and teaching practice skills will take place by end September 2021. However, for grade1, the following activities were implemented: (i) development of training modules for both French and mathematics; and (ii) training of the supervision and teaching staff (12 inspectors; 12 pedagogical advisers; 36 teachers; and 36 head teachers) involved in the pilot implementation of new curricula. In addition, the consultant in charge of the evaluation of teacher competencies and classroom practices, in particular in grades 1 and 2 has been selected, In LSE, training modules have been developed for each of the 4 disciplines and 3246 discipline leaders (animateur d’établissement) have been trained in February 2021in order to improve the subject content of curricula and their teaching/learning practices. The discipline leaders will train teachers in their respective school at the start of the 2021-2022 SY as part of the implementation of the revised curricula. Sub-component 1.3 Strengthening initial teachers’ education in teachers’ education institutions. For the ENI, an agreement has been reached to recruit at the entry baccalaureates holders as student-teachers for a period of two years. In order to put in place a compass for the technical team, a workshop took place to: (i) identify areas in which teachers from ENIs and Private Teacher Training Schools (EPFI) have difficulties; (ii) build a consensus on the areas for improvement in various documents of the existing curriculum package; and (iii) define the approach in which the revision of curricula should take place. Regarding the revision of the ENS curricula, similarly to the ones of the ENI, a framing workshop for the reform of bivalence in college was organized with the participation of key actors. This workshop enabled key actors involved in the development of bivalent teacher training curricula to discuss the practical methods of carrying out the work and to build a consensus on preliminary debates. It is expected that the first draft of the ENI and ENS curricula will be delivered by October 2021. Component 2: Improving equity in basic education- This Component is comprised by two sub-components: (i) promoting equity in the deprived districts of Alibori and Borgou; and (ii) promoting the school integration of children with disabilities in the regions of Zou and Collines. In the deprived districts of Alibori and Borgou, prior to the start of the 2020-2021 SY, communication, awareness, and mobilization campaigns on benefits of education to communities took place. Following this sensitization, 87 942 grades 1 and 2 students benefitted of uniforms from the project, above the planned number of 86 600. Regarding the promotion of the school integration of children with disabilities in the regions of Zou and Collines, community awareness and mobilization campaign on schooling for children with disabilities took place before September 2020. Afterward, a census of children with disabilities that was carried out helped to identify a total of 3,179 school age children in the 2 regions, of which 746 children were already enrolled in schools. Thanks to the intervention of the project, 665 new students with disabilities (vs. end- project target of 700) were enrolled in schools of which 116 students with severe disabilities in specialized schools Component 3: Strengthening the delivery of education services- This Component is comprised by two sub-components: (i) strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Pre-and- Primary School (MEMP) and Ministry of Secondary Education, Technical and Vocational Training (MESTFP), and the M&E system; and (ii) project management. The new Division of assessment of learning outcomes created at the National Institute for Training and Research in Education (INFRE) undertook (i) analysis , per education school district, of the 2020 end primary exam results in French and Math; and (ii) the summary of learning assessments carried out in the past years in order to disseminate information. The completion of the reproduction of the report of these activities will allow their dissemination as scheduled by the Project. As part of the preparatory activities for the implementation of performance-based contracts (CBP), in addition to pedagogical supervision tools that have been harmonized at MEMP level, modalities and implementation tools have been refined to enable a sound monitoring of results in the ground. The bidding process to purchase electronic tablets to support pedagogical advisers and 4/28/2021 Page 2 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) inspectors is in the stage of contract signing. Collection of statistic data for the 2020 -2021 SY was completed and data processing is underway so as to deliver statistic yearbooks end May 2021. Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance Substantial Moderate Moderate Macroeconomic Substantial Moderate Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies Moderate Moderate Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program Substantial Moderate Moderate Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Substantial Moderate Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary Substantial Moderate Moderate Environment and Social Low Low Low Stakeholders Low Low Low Other -- -- -- Overall Substantial Moderate Moderate Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes Outcome 1: The quality of teaching and learning in school improved IN00982041 ►Percentage of grades 1 and 2 primary teachers rated satisfactory by an external agency in the use of the new educational kit developed under the project (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.00 Date 29-Sep-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Baseline data. The assessment will be held in 2021-2022 SY. Comments: IN00982043 ►Percentage of students in grade 2 (CP) who attained defined minimum standards on national learning assessment tests in reading (Total) (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 4/28/2021 Page 3 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Value 17.40 17.40 17.40 23.20 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Baseline data. The assessment has been planned to be held in the third year of the Project . Comments: IN00982046 Percentage of students in grade 2 (CP) who attained defined minimum standards on national learning assessment tests in reading (Girls) (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 16.80 16.80 16.80 22.80 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982047 ►Percentage of students in grade 2 (CP) who attained defined minimum standards on national learning assessment tests in mathematic (Total) (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 23.20 23.20 23.20 31.20 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Baseline data. The assessment has been planned to be held in the third year of the Project . Comments: IN00982048 Percentage of students in grade 2 (CP) who attained defined minimum standards on national learning assessment tests in mathematic (Girls) (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 22.80 22.80 22.80 30.80 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Outcome 2 Strengthen equity in primary education, particularly in four regions of the country. IN00982042 ►Intake rate in grade 3 (CE1) in deprived districts of Alibori and Borgou regions–Total (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 67.00 61.10 73.48 75.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 This is a provisional data that will be updated as soon as the data process for the statistic yearbook is Comments: completed IN00982044 Female Intake rate in grade 3 (CE1) in deprived districts of Alibori and Borgou regions (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 70.70 60.30 74.28 76.00 4/28/2021 Page 4 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982045 ►Percentage of children with disabilities enrolled in primary school in Zou and Collines regions (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 4.70 4.70 7.70 10.00 Date 29-Sep-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Overall Comments PDO Most of the outcome 1 indicators will be assessed during the third year of the implementation of the Project Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Component 1: Improving the Quality of Basic Education IN00982051 ►National average of students' Promotion Rate in public primary schools (Percentage, Custom, PBC) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 68.40 68.25 72.38 76.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 This is a provisional data that will be updated as soon as the data process for the statistic yearbook is Comments: completed IN00982053 ►New reading booklets distributed in CI and CP (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 2,130.00 2,517,500.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Number of reading textbooks distributed to pilot schools. Given the schools closing during the 2019-2020 SY due the COVID-19 pandemic, the generalization of the new curriculum has been postponed to the Comments: 2020-2021 SY. Therefore, textbooks to all schools will be distributed by end October 2021. IN00982055 ►Grades 1 and 2 primary teachers trained (including head teachers) in early grade reading instruction and mathematics programs (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 72.00 72.00 43,600.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 4/28/2021 Page 5 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Only teachers of schools selected for the pilot implementation of the curricula have been trained. Given the schools closing during the 2019-2020 SY due the COVID-19 pandemic, the generalization of the new Comments: curriculum has been postponed to the 2020-2021 SY. Therefore, all grade 1 teachers and head teachers will be trained by end September 2021. IN00982058 ►Percentage of French, Mathematics, physics and English teachers using the new curricula in lower secondary public schools (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 The using of the new curriculum has been postponed for the 2021-2022 SY. Comments: IN00982061 ►New curricula for teachers training institutions (ENI and ENS) are implemented (Yes/No, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value No No No Yes Date 28-Sep-2018 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Component 2: Improving Equity in Basic Education IN00982049 ►School uniforms distributed to grades 1 and 2 students in public primary schools in Alibori and Borgou regions (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 87,942.00 273,600.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982054 ►Children with disabilities having benefitted each year in Zou and Collines regions from the project interventions (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 665.00 700.00 Date 28-Sep-2018 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Activities have just started. Number will be provided in the next ISR Comments: Component 3: Strengthening the Delivery of Education Services IN00982050 ►Headof sub-regional primary schools’ inspectorate having achieved at least 75% of their performance-based contract (PBC) (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 85.00 4/28/2021 Page 6 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Activities will start during the 2021-2022 SY Comments: IN00982052 ►System for learning assessment at the primary level is operational (Yes/No, Custom, PBC) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value No No No Yes Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982056 Create Evaluation division with permanent staff with a 2-year action plan. (Yes/No, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value No Yes Yes Yes Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982057 Disseminate results of the 2017 National Learning Assessment in all the regions of the country, and publish them at the national level (Yes/No, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value No No No Yes Date 29-Sep-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982059 Analyze, per education school district, the end primary exam results of French and Math and provide the analyzed results to at least 60% of primary schools in the country (Yes/No, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value No No No Yes Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 IN00982060 ►Difference between the highest students teacher ratio by district and national average (Number, Custom, PBC) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 52.90 27.50 18.50 20.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Provisional data for 2020-2021 SY. There is a significant improvement for this indicator because the ministry recruited a lot of new teachers which were deployed in deprived districts. Comments: IN00982062 ►Percentage of schools that communicate school budget and students results through community briefing meetings at least once a year (citizen engagement) (Percentage, Custom) 4/28/2021 Page 7 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 75.00 Date 30-Jun-2017 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 29-Sep-2023 Overall Comments IR Due to schools closure related to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of activities which have impact on the component 1 indicators will really start during the 2021-2022 SY, considering that the pilot implementation of curriculum review is underway. Performance-Based Conditions IN00982063 ►PBC 1 National average of students' Promotion Rate in public primary schools (Percentage, Intermediate Outcome, 2,500,000.00, 0.00%) Year 4: Oct 1, 2022 Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) to Sept 30, 2023 Value 68.40 68.25 72.38 -- Date -- 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 -- IN00982064 ►PBC 2 System for learning assessment at the primary level is operational (Yes/No, Intermediate Outcome, 2,000,000.00, 0.00%) Year 4: Oct 1, 2022 Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) to Sept 30, 2023 Value No No No -- Date -- 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 -- PBC 2.1 System for learning assessment at the primary level is operational (Yes/No, Intermediate Outcome, 800,000.00, 4.2%) Year 4: Oct 1, 2022 Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) to Sept 30, 2023 Value No No No -- Date -- 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 -- PBC 2.2 Conduct the first national learning assessment for CP and CM1 under the newly established division (Yes/No, Intermediate Outcome, 1,000,000.00, 0.00%) Year 4: Oct 1, 2022 Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) to Sept 30, 2023 4/28/2021 Page 8 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) Value No No No Yes Date -- 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 -- PBC 2.3 Publish results of the national assessment for CP and CM1 at the national level, and disseminate them in all the regions of the country (Yes/No, Outcome, 200,000.00, 0.00%) Year 4: Oct 1, 2022 Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) to Sept 30, 2023 Value No No No Yes Date -- 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 -- IN00982068 ►PBC 3 Difference between the highest students teacher ratio by district and national average (Number, Intermediate Outcome, 1,320,000.00, 0.00%) Year 4: Oct 1, 2022 Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) to Sept 30, 2023 Value 52.90 27.50 18.50 -- Date -- 16-Oct-2020 16-Apr-2021 -- Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P167432 TF-B0364 Effective USD 18.90 18.90 0.00 4.04 14.86 21% Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P167432 TF-B0364 Effective 17-Jul-2019 19-Sep-2019 09-Jan-2020 30-Sep-2023 30-Sep-2023 Cumulative Disbursements 4/28/2021 Page 9 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Benin Global Partnership for Education Project Phase 3 (P167432) PBC Disbursement Achievement Disbursed amount in Disbursement % PBC ID PBC Type Description Coc PBC Amount Status Coc for PBC Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 4/28/2021 Page 10 of 10