Washington, 3 September 1997 (RFE/RL) - The International Development Association (IDA) has approved a $5 million credit for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to finance the rehabilitation of primary schools in high poverty areas.
IDA, the World Bank affiliate which lends at virtually no interest to the poorest nations, says the loan will also be used to get textbooks from private publishers into classrooms.
Coupled with money being donated by the governments of the Netherlands and Switzerland and the private Soros Foundation, the project will fix up over 50 primary schools and help set up a teacher training initiative. The government of Macedonia will provide financing of $600,000 to help with the project.