Successful stepto better education [Archives:2005/829/Last Page]

Yasser Mohammed Al-Mayyasi
The Ministry of Education recently discussed their strategy to develop primary education at a cost of $121 million in ten Yemeni governorates. The strategy will last for ten years with the aim of upgrading the standards of primary education across the country.

The inauguration ceremony of the strategy was held a few days ago in the presence of donors who believe that the project will successful and that Yemen was selected from among nine countries that work hard to improve education.

The educational goals are due to be achieved by 2018, and the support offered by donors and the World Bank follows Yemen's extensive educational reforms. The percentage of children enrolled in schools has risen from 14 per cent in 1974 to 74 per cent in 2002, motivating the World Bank and other donors to continue their support for Yemen.

Donors are the main pillar for upgrading the education system. The project to develop primary education will be co-financed by the World Bank, the Government of Netherlands and the Government of United Kingdom, that offered $65 million, $23 million and $25 million respectively.

The Yemeni Government contributed $5 million while other beneficiaries paid $2.72 million, bringing the overall cost of the project to $121 million.

The project aims to improve girl's education and will include all Yemeni children, particularly those with special needs, and will be concentrated more on rural and remote areas. It also aims to train teachers and develop their skills, supply schools with visual aids and enhance the administrative and supervisory abilities of the Ministry of Education.
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