The World Bank has approved the disbursement of a Rp 3.5 trillion (US$250 million) loan to support the improvement of elementary and junior high school education management under the Religious Affairs Ministry. The ministry provides education to 8 million children who attend madrasah (religious schools) under its supervision. It represents 15 percent of 53 million children going to school of those grades, the Washington-based lender wrote in a statement made available on Friday. These schools, along with those under the Education and Culture Ministry, follow the national curriculum and enroll more children from the poorest families in rural areas inside the fourth-largest education system in the world. “This project is an important component of the Indonesian government's efforts to strengthen human capital and improve the quality of its education system. Improvin...