The World Bank board of executive directors has approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit of US$125-million to increase equitable access to quality general secondary education and to strengthen skills development programmes, particularly for girls, in Cameroon.  

Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Cameroon, said: “Cameroon has made good progress in expanding primary education, but it still faces challenges in terms of providing quality education and market-relevant training, particularly at the post-primary level.” 

Seck said the programme's objective is to increase equitable access to schools with an improved learning environment, facilitate access to general education for girls in disadvantaged areas and to increase access to market-relevant skills development programmes to make the students' transition to labour markets easier and improve their employability. 

According to the bank, the project is aligned with the government’s education sector strategy 2021–2030, currently under preparation, which identifies priority areas of focus for the education system, including general secondary education and skills development sub-sectors. 

It will help enrol 300 000 students in targeted general secondary schools that comply with standards critical for the learning environment. 

“Many of the challenges faced by the secondary education and skills development sub-sectors are deepened by the Covid-19 crisis,” said Yevgeniya Savchenko, senior economist and task team leader. “This project offers an opportunity to build a more efficient, inclusive and resilient education system.”    

The World Bank’s IDA, established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low- to zero-interest loans for projects and programmes that boost economic growth, reduce poverty and improve poor people’s lives.