Antananarivo, July 22, 2025 — The newly approved Transforming Access and Learning in Madagascar (TALIM) Project aims to benefit 4.7 million Malagasy students in pre-primary and primary education, along with 135,000 teachers and 27,000 public primary schools across the country. With a budget of $185 million—$150 million from the International Development Association (IDA) and $35 million from the Global Partnership for Education—the project is part of the Advancing Innovative Methods to Promote Learning in Eastern and Southern Africa (AIM4Learning) Program. This third phase focuses on increasing completion rates and improving learning outcomes in Madagascar's primary education.
The country's education sector faces significant challenges despite improved access to education and narrowed gender gaps. Only 63.3 percent of girls and 57.6 percent of boys complete primary school, while a staggering 95 percent of children at the end of primary school cannot read proficiently. High repetition rates and underqualified community teachers contribute to these issues, compounded by inadequate infrastructure where cyclones destroy up to 2,000 classrooms annually.
"In a country where nearly half the population is under 18, children and youth are Madagascar’s greatest strength and hope for change," said Atou Seck, World Bank Country Manager for Madagascar. "This new education project aims to build on government efforts to address the learning crisis."
The TALIM Project targets three key areas: teaching quality and teacher management; school infrastructure; and governance within the education sector. It will support new teacher reforms by financing testing, training, and qualification for all primary school teachers. Additionally, it will transition 26,000 qualified teachers into contractual posts.
School environments will be improved by rehabilitating over 1,000 schools affected by cyclones. Essential materials like early learning kits will be provided in print and digital formats in Malagasy, French, and mathematics.
"TALIM builds on the strong foundation of the previous Madagascar Basic Education Project," said Almedina Music, Senior Education Specialist for TALIM. "It will support new teacher reform...and drive lasting education reforms."
Contacts:
In Madagascar: Dia Styvanley
In Washington: Daniella van Leggelo-Padilla