The World Bank approved $125 million International Development Association (IDA) credit to increase equitable access to quality general secondary education and to strengthen skills development programs particularly for girls in Cameroon. 

“This project is the first-generation secondary education and skills development project in Cameroon, with a special focus on girls. Cameroon has made good progress in expanding primary education, but it still faces challenges in terms of providing quality education, particularly at the secondary level.” says Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank Country Director for Cameroon.

“The objective is to help increase the number of students enrolled in targeted general secondary schools, as well as girls in general schools in disadvantaged areas, and increase the number of graduates who are employed or self-employed after training completion”.

The Secondary and Skills Development project will help increase equitable access to quality general secondary education.

Specifically, it will help enroll 300,000 students in targeted general secondary schools that comply with standards critical for learning environment with a specific focus on girls in disadvantaged areas. The operation will also complement the Sahel Women Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) project by supporting enrolled girls in regions that are not targeted by the SWEDD Project, as well as providing school fee waivers for the poorest girls in the four targeted regions.

“Many of the challenges faced by the secondary education and skills development systems are deepened by the COVID-19 crisis, says Yevgeniya Savchenko, Education Specialist and Task Team Leader. “This project offers an opportunity to build a more efficient, inclusive and resilient education system.”

The project will also support the general secondary education sector by improving the quality of the learning environment and strengthening the capacity of head teachers and new teachers. In addition, it will strengthen skills development by improving the quality and relevance of skills development programs and expanding access to market-relevant skills development programs.