OVERVIEW

The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) was established in 2002 to provide a coordinated financing mechanism for the Government of Afghanistan's budget and priority national investment projects. It is the largest single source of on-budget financing for Afghanistan’s development and is delivering important results within key sectors including education, health, agriculture, rural development, infrastructure, and governance. The ARTF is supported by 34 donors and administered by The World Bank.

Education Quality Reform in Afghanistan (EQRA) seeks to increase equitable access to primary and secondary education, particularly for girls, in 17 selected provinces and improve learning conditions in Afghanistan. EQRA will introduce a shift from monitoring only student enrollment numbers (which include permanently absent students) to focusing on bringing children into school and tracking their attendance.

ACTIVITIES

• Component 1: Equitable Access to Basic Education
  1. Construct school buildings
  2. Provide school grants
  3. Support community-based education
• Component 2: Improving Learning Conditions
  1. Support subject-knowledge training
  2. Support coaching and training of teachers and classroom observations
  3. Develop new curriculum and deliver textbooks
• Component 3: Strengthening Education Sector (planning capacity and transparency):
  1. Improve EMIS
  2. Improve teachers recruitment
  3. Improve budget planning
• Component 4: Technical Assistance
  1. Strength Afghan Ministry of Education’s capacity through technical assistance
  2. Pilot early childhood education
  3. Third party verification

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Approved about 122 Technical Assistance positions
• Completed three Project Implementation Manuals (PIM), 1) Construction, 2) School Grants, and 3) TEACH
• Revised community-based education PIM (not yet approved)
• School construction: pending technical surveys, 931 schools; proposals to be financed, 846 schools; funds transferred, 670 schools; and construction underway, 200 schools