International Development Grant

Primary Education for Disadvantaged Children

Project Number: CA-3-A031255001

Status: Closed

Country/Region:

Vietnam 100.00%

Maximum Contribution: $14,500,000.00

Start Date: March 01, 2002

End Date: April 27, 2009

Duration: 7.2 years

Project Description

This project aims to: (i) improve access to primary school and the quality of education for disadvantaged and high risk girls and boys in the 222 poorest districts of the 40 poorest provinces of Vietnam; and (ii) to shift decision making from the central government to provinces districts communes and schools. Despite excellent progress in education in recent years about 30% of Vietnamese children do not enrol in school or do not complete their primary education. These challenges are related to problems of access and quality and are more pronounced among disadvantaged children. This project involves a World Bank loan and donor contributions to a World Bank Trust Fund which includes in addition to CIDA contributions from the Department for International Development (DfID-United Kingdom) the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Progress & Results Achieved

Results as of May 2009 (end of project) include: So far 312 865 teachers (target 366 000) have been trained in Child-Centred and Inclusive Teaching and Learning Vietnamese Language Mathematics and Vietnamese Language Strengthening for Ethnic Minorities. So far 7 026 teacher assistants (target 7 500) have been trained to help Grade 1 children from an ethnic minority background follow the national curriculum. An Inclusive Education (IE) Policy and IE Strategy have been drafted and submitted to the government and over 16 000 new schools have been built. The capacity of Ministry of Education at national and local levels has been strengthened to enable decentralization of the planning and financial management of primary education programs. These results have contributed to improving access to and the quality of education for approximately 2 700 000 educationally disadvantaged children particularly girls children from an ethnic minority background and children with disabilities from poor regions of Vietnam. The project has helped to narrow the gap of education between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

Key Information

Executing Agency:
IBRD Trust Funds - World Bank

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
OGM Indo-Pacific

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Education policy and administrative management 20%
Teacher training 20%
Primary education 60%

Aid Type: Basket funds/pooled funding

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP

Policy Markers
Level 1 Children's issues
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2003-04-01 to 2004-03-31 $14,500,000 CAD
Geographic Information
500
Project Number: CA-3-A031255001