World Bank Funded Project STARS: A Critique

Project STARS or “Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States” is a quarter trillion rupees education project in six states in India, part-funded by a loan from the World Bank. A portion of the funds are proposed to be spent in partnership with non-state actors including handing over operation and management of government schools to non-state actors, outsourcing services, seeking support of management firms/NGOs and direct benefit transfers as school vouchers.

World Bank's contribution to the project is only 15%, with central and state governments contributing the remaining 85%. The project encourages spending tax payers' money on partnerships with private actors, has no concrete steps to build system capacity from within and is being passed without adequately consulting with stakeholders in the 6 states. The overarching framing of the loan needs to be revised in context of the COVID-19 pandemic, pilot partnerships with the private sector should be removed and replaced with measures to strengthen the public sector, and a stronger focus on equity built in.

The collective letter below details key concerns with the loan. 

Letter to World Bank to Postpone its Load to MHRD for Project STARS

Read more below.

📢Oxfam India is now on Telegram. Click here to join our Telegram channel and stay updated with  latest updates and insights on the social and development issues.