(Ecofin Agency) - Tanzania will benefit from a $500 million financing granted by the World Bank, the institution announced in a statement.

The money will be directed toward the secondary education quality improvement program (SEQUIP) which aims to build more schools in the country, improve the quality of education given to students and send more children to school. The project targets more than 6.5 million students in secondary school.

“Of the 100 children who start school in Tanzania, less than half finish primary school and only three complete their upper secondary schooling. This is a crisis. This project will support better quality secondary education while helping make school a safer place where children can thrive, and where all girls, no matter the circumstances, have a pathway to complete their secondary education,” said Jaime Saavedra (pictured), Global Director for Education for the World Bank.

In view of ensuring the effectiveness of its strategy, the lender said the fund will be disbursed via a gradual disbursement mechanism. “This is an important step in addressing the challenges that Tanzania’s children face throughout their education. The World Bank will continue the dialogue with the government on broader issues concerning equal treatment of schoolchildren,” said Mara Warwick, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou