The implementation of the Sixth Education Project coincided with
the Fifth Five-year Development Plan (1982-86), during which the formal
primary and secondary education structure was changed from a 7-3-2 Y! to a
6-3-3 system. The old education system was characterized by an overly
academic bias, regional disparities in opportunities for education,
inefficient teacher utilization, and ineffective education and manpower
planning. The project was to address these weaknesses by pursuing two
broad objectives: (a) improve the access, relevance, quality and
efficiency of lower secondary education in disadvantaged areas; and (b)
strengthen the national capacity for edu.eation and manpower planning and
management. The project financed: (a) civil works, equipment, furniture,
fellowships. training and technical assistance for lower secondary schools
selected according to criteria based on their disadvantaged conditions; and
(b) technical assistance, fellowships, training, equipment and materials
for education agencies at central, regional and provincial levels