$161 Million towards education in Mozambique

The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank has approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit of $71 million to support the Mozambican government's Education Strategic Support Programme (ESSP). 

The programme will run from 2011 to 2015 and will be in addition to a previous commitment through the World Band administered Education For All – Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund (EFA-FTI CF) program, that totalled R90 million.
The money will increase access to education, promote HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, improve the quality of education and support curriculum reform. Olivier Godron, World Bank representative said ""I am pleased that in times of austerity and budget cuts, we are keeping our commitments, thus helping the country fill financing gaps, keep its sectorial priorities afloat, and meet its critical development challenges".
The funds will be managed by the Education Ministry and received praise from the World Bank. The project team leader Sophie Naudeau said "it is gratifying to see that Mozambique is making steady progress toward the achievement of universal primary education by 2015 (Millennium Development Goal number 2). Net enrolment in primary education more than doubled from 45 to 95 per cent between 1998 and 2010, and the completion rate (grade 7) increased from 34 per cent in 2004 to 50.8 per cent in 2010. A major achievement is the increase in the net enrolment rate at 6 - 7 years of age from 19 per cent in 1998 to 70 per cent in 2010".
The World Bank funds have come at a crucial time as the education sector during 2010 faced a 36% cut in bilateral funding and an 8% cut in the education sector donor funding pool.