On the 11^th January, the Ministry of Education Culture and Science provided MNT 1.2 billion in financial grants to 200 high schools. The grants are financed with World Bank support. Each school is receiving MNT 6 million, for the implementation of their various projects.

The purpose of the grant is to improve the study of the Mongolian language, natural sciences and mathematics. There was a special selection program – in the first phase, 635 schools applied for grant aid of which 400 were shortlisted. The final selection of 200, was made on the basis of the specific needs of the pupils in elementary schools.

For example, a school in the Teshig Soum (district) of Bulgan Province has proposed a project entitled “Promoting Buryat Tradition and Lifestyle to Children”; this is considered necessary because, 30% of the Teshig population are ethnic Buryats. Another example is the Ugii-Nuur Soum School in Arkhangai Province which has a project to provide natural history and ecological education for children from the elementary classes. The Headmistress, Sh.Badamtsesteg, said “The essence of natural science is fieldwork and experimentation. Our local school, however, does not have enough possibility to provide expirements – this, therefore, was the basis of our request for grant funding”.