Ukraine signed a memorandum with the World Bank on an educational project.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine have signed a new agreement with the World Bank on the LEARN project, which aims to facilitate access to education and make it more stable under wartime conditions.

The project funding will amount to 415 million US dollars.

The Ministry of Finance will be responsible for the control and coordination of the project, while the Ministry of Education and Science will be engaged in its implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

One of the main priorities of the program is the safety of children, in particular, the construction of shelters in educational institutions, said the Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.

"The program is designed for four years and includes various funding sources: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development will provide a loan of 235 million dollars; the International Development Association will allocate a loan of 150 million dollars; additionally, 30 million dollars will come in the form of a grant from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for aid, recovery, reconstruction, and reform of Ukraine," said Lisovyi.

According to him, the LEARN program will be implemented using a new tool - the "Program-for-Results" (PforR). Under this mechanism, the World Bank will reimburse the expenses that Ukraine incurs for specific program goals, particularly for the construction of shelters, and return the funds to the state budget.

The Minister emphasized that the funding will cover all types of educational institutions, including preschool, general, extracurricular, higher, vocational-technical, and specialized.

In addition, the program provides funding for other infrastructure projects to ensure the safety of children, in particular, the purchase of school buses, which will contribute to more flexible formation of the educational network, especially in areas close to the front line. Part of the funds will also be used to support the "New Ukrainian School" reform.

"Currently, 75% of educational institutions have shelters. Education is impossible in institutions without shelters. The ministry is developing alternative solutions to ensure the continuity of the educational process since returning children to in-person learning is a priority. This is important for overcoming educational losses, both in the field of academic development and in the psychological and emotional growth of students," said Lisovyi.

Source: Ukrinform