The World Bank Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885) Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Combined Project Information Documents / Integrated Safeguards Datasheet (PID/ISDS) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 08-Sep-2020 | Report No: PIDISDSA30295 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Aug 13, 2020 Page 1 of 26 The World Bank Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Cameroon P172885 Additional Financing to P160926 the Education Reform Support Project Parent Project Name Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date CAMEROON Education Reform AFRICA WEST 27-Jan-2020 24-Nov-2020 Support Project Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Education Investment Project Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Basic Financing Planning Education Proposed Development Objective(s) Parent The Project Development Objective is to improve equitable access to quality basic education, with a focus on selected disadvantaged areas Components Improving Access, Quality and Education System Management Improving School Effectiveness through Performance-based Financing Institutional Strengthening and Project Management Contingent emergency response component (CERC) PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY-NewFin1 Total Project Cost 97.45 Total Financing 97.45 of which IBRD/IDA 45.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS-NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 45.00 Aug 13, 2020 Page 2 of 26 The World Bank Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885) IDA Credit 45.00 Non-World Bank Group Financing Trust Funds 52.45 EFA-FTI Education Program Development Fund 52.45 Environmental Assessment Category B-Partial Assessment Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. Cameroon is a lower-middle-income country with an estimated population of 25.9 million (2019)1. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed in 2019 as compared to 2018 (3.9 percent versus 4.1 percent respectively) due to the decline in the labor-intensive agriculture and agribusiness sectors affected by the socio-political crisis in the anglophone regions (North West and South West), the adverse impact of the damage after the fire at the national refinery (Société Nationale de Raffinage), and lower prices for timber and aluminum. Between 2001 and 2014, the incidence of poverty declined marginally from 40.1 percent to 37.5 percent, with the poorest 40 percent of the population becoming poorer over the same time.2 Despite a significant endowment of natural resources (including oil, high- value timber and agricultural products) and a comparably well-educated workforce, the pace of economic growth is stymied by poor infrastructure, an unfavorable business environment, and weak governance. 2. Cameroon is one of the most affected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa by the Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with 17,255 confirmed cases and 391 deaths as of August 4, 2020 since the first identified case on March 6, 2020. Beyond the public health impacts of COVID-19, the reach of which is still uncertain, Cameroon is also facing challenges as a consequence of the global economy slowdown and the significant drop in commodity prices. As a result, Cameroon’s economy is projected to contract by 1.2 percent in 2020.3 The state budget for 2020 has been reduced by 11 percent 1 United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2019 Revision. 2 INS (Institut National de Statistique). 2014. “Fourth Cameroon Household Survey, Enquête Camerounaise Auprès des Ménages (ECAM 4).” Yaounde, Cameroon. 3 https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/CMR#countrydata Aug 13, 2020 Page 3 of 26 The World Bank Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885) to adjust for fiscal constraints imposed by the pandemic. This situation will likely have a negative impact on human development indicators and poverty reduction. 3. Poverty is disproportionately concentrated in rural areas and in the northern regions of Cameroon. The 2014 Cameroon household survey (Enquête Camerounaise auprès des Ménages, ECAM) found that 56.8 percent of rural families are poor, compared to just 8.9 percent of urban families.4 Overall, approximately 87 percent of the poor live in rural areas. Moreover, a majority of poor individuals are concentrated in the three northern regions of the country: the Far North, North, and Adamawa regions. More than half (56 percent) of all poor inhabitants are in the Far North and North regions, a significant increase from 34 percent in 2001. Worryingly, poverty rates in the northern region have likely risen (the 2014 ECAM was collected before the deterioration of the security environment in northern Cameroon).5 4. The refugee crisis has increased the strain on resources and services in regions that were already disproportionately poor and underserved. As of July 20206, Cameroon hosts to 425,570 refugees, over 65 percent of whom originated in the Central African Republic and 27 percent in Nigeria, and the remainder originating in other African countries. Most of these refugees are in two areas: (a) 250,120 Central African Republic refugees live along the eastern border (the majority of them in the East region and the rest in the Adamawa region); and (b) 114,068 Nigerian refugees who fled violence in north eastern Nigeria live in the Far North region. The destabilizing impact of refugee populations in the Far North region is compounded by the presence of 321,886 IDPs. Many refugee-affected regions had limited educational infrastructure before the humanitarian crisis. With the influx of refugees and IDPs, habitants of these areas have greater unmet needs including physical security, food security, and access to basic social services such as health and education. These challenges are exacerbated by the nomadic culture of many refugees from Central African Republic, only a minority of which attended primary school in their home country. Additionally, in some cases, parents’ prioritize children’s cattle rearing and household responsibilities over school attendance.7 5. Since October 2016, protests related to use of the French in schools, courts, and official documentation have escalated into what has is known as the ’anglophone crisis‘ in Cameroon’s predominantly English-speaking North West and South West regions. These two regions are home to approximately 20 percent of the population and account for 16,364 km² of the country’s total area of 475,442 km². This crisis has led to the internal displacement of approximatively 680,000 persons8 and the disruption of basic services with political, economic, and social consequences. Among others, schooling was disrupted in these two regions during the 2016–17 academic year, leading to poor end- 4 INS (Institut National de Statistique). 2014. “Fourth Cameroon Household Survey, Enquête Camerounaise Auprès des Ménages (ECAM 4).” Yaounde, Cameroon. 5 ECAM’s poverty estimates for the northern regions do not capture the impact of an influx of refugees, population displacement, increased vulnerability and the closure of markets, roads, and frontiers. 6 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).2020. Cameroon: Statistics of UNHCR persons of concern. July 2020. 7 Protection Civile et l’aide humanitaire de l’Union européenne, United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, Organisation Internationale pour les Migrations. 2017. “Cameroun | Rapport sur les Déplacements, Région de l’Extrême-Nord. Round 9 | 26 Juin–7 Juillet 2017.” 8 UNHCR.2020. Cameroon: Statistics of UNHCR persons of concern. July 2020. Aug 13, 2020 Page 4 of 26 The World Bank Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885) of-year results on the official examination. While some schools reopened in the affected regions for the 2017–18 academic year, the provision of education services is not robust. 6. About 7 million learners are now out-of-school due to the closure of all educational institutions since March 2020, as directed by the Prime Minister to prevent the expansion of COVID-19. This measure directly impacts 0.5 million students in pre-primary, 4.3 million learners in primary school, 1.8 million students in secondary (general and technical), 0.3 million individuals from tertiary education, and 40,000 students engaged in professional and vocational training. Through school closures, the COVID-19 pandemic is already having an adverse impact on student´s learning. This damage may increase if the pandemic leads to prolonged school closures and economic recession. Sectoral and Institutional Context 7. Cameroon’s score on the Human Capital Index (HCI) was very low (0.39) in 2017, placing it below the average for Sub-Saharan African countries. Thus, a child born in 2017 in Cameroon would only be 39 percent as productive as the same child with a complete education and full health. Cameroon’s HCI score has been decreasing since 2012, when the country scored 0.41. Moreover, the national average masks large regional variations in HCI, ranging from 0.58 in Yaoundé to 0.32 in the Far North. In general, the country’s low HCI ranking is mostly driven by education quality as measured by student learning achievement. While there are no updated data on learning in the conflict-affected areas, conflict has led to school closures and increased drop-out. This will be further exacerbated countrywide given the COVID-19 related school closures and the ensuing economic crisis. Thus, a further reduction in the HCI is expected. 8. Learning Poverty in Cameroon is very high. 77 percent of children in Cameroon who should be finishing primary school today are unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text.9 This is results from the fact that 5% of children are out-of-school, and that those in school are receiving low quality education.