Mogadishu, Somalia, November 25, 2021: The Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somalia (MOECHE), in collaboration with the Federal Member States’ Ministries of Education, is providing grants to 616 primary schools to support the enrolment of 25,000 out-of-school children.
The grants are supported by funds provided by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to the MOECHE as part of the $25.9 million Education Sector Program Implementation Grant (ESPIG).
This activity will help address a critical challenge in Somalia’s development journey. According to the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey, only 27 percent of primary school aged children and 25 percent of primary school aged girls are currently attending primary school.
The grants will expand equitable access to quality education in underserved areas, particularly for girls, vulnerable individuals, and children with disabilities. They will also support in the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic which has increased social and economic pressures on parents, caregivers, and students. An initial tranche of school grants during the previous school year resulted in the enrolment of over 37,000 out-of-school children.
The school grants have also been used to expand Somali schools’ infrastructure and capacity to absorb additional students in the future.
The disbursement of the school grants will be marked by a ceremony on November 25, 2021 in Mogadishu. The event will include the participation of His Excellencies Mohamed Hussein Roble, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Abdullahi Abubakar Haji, Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education (MOECHE).
Of the program, His Excellency Abdullahi Abubakar Haji, Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education (MOECHE), said “The sustained support from GPE will go a long way in expanding access to education for Somali children. The funds will help schools to enroll more children, particularly from disadvantaged groups and girls, and help to create the conditions to improve the quality of education.”
“GPE’s support to get children in Somalia into school and learning is more critical now than ever before,” said Alice Albright, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education. “Families, schools and governments are struggling to cope with the impact of the pandemic. This funding will help get more children into classrooms and support efforts to transform the education system to be more equitable and inclusive.”
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About GPE
GPE is a shared commitment to end the world’s learning crisis. It is the only global partnership and fund dedicated entirely to helping children in lower-income countries get a quality education, so they can unlock their potential and contribute to building a better world.
For nearly 20 years, GPE has mobilized partners and funds to get 160 million more girls and boys in school and improve learning in 76 partner countries around the world.
Now, GPE is working to help governments transform their education systems to get the most vulnerable children in school, improve teaching and learning, and build resilient education systems capable of withstanding shocks and adapting to new challenges. Between 2020-2025, GPE will support transformative change in up to 90 countries and territories, which are home to 1 billion children.
For more information, please contact:
- Tamara Kummer, GPE Media Lead. Tel: +33 7 82 26 07 18. Email: @email