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A real boost for our education sector

Nov 28, 2016, 9:58 AM

Last week, on the sidelines of the “4th Africa-Arab Summit, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed two financing agreements with The Gambia, exactly on 22 November 2016, worth 5.5 million Kuwaiti Dinars (equivalent to US$18.04 million).

The US$18.04 million project is centred on boosting the country’s education sector to develop basic and secondary schools and to finance the preparation of a feasibility study for supporting human resources capabilities and for capacity building and training programmes.

This project or support initiative by Kuwait must be commended as, if implemented successfully over the 4-year period 2016 – 2020), it would make a significant impact on our education sector.

This is because the project is aimed at supporting the social and economic development of the country, through supporting the government’s education Sector Strategic Plan (2016 – 2030) by developing and expanding about 39 Upper Basic and Secondary Schools in six Education Regions of the country.

According to Finance Ministry, the project also includes constructing, equipping buildings and provision of new facilities, as well as institutional support for the Project Implementation Unit (PIU).

The project, which involves consulting services for design review and supervision of works, would also help in meeting the growing demand of student’s enrolment in Upper and Senior Secondary Schools, as well as contribute to the improvement of the quality of teaching  and learning outcomes in the education sector of this country.

Education is the most powerful weapon which a nation can use to change its economic, political, cultural and social situation for the better.

All nations that have transformed their economies and brought about growth and development to their society have done so through first of all focusing strongly on and upholding the education path.

It has been proven that education prepares young people for the demands of work life and mitigates the risks of poverty. Educated people also recognize the importance of social justice and sustainability and are more apt to apply their knowledge and skills beyond their job roles. Increased education plays a role in a person’s social mobility and likelihood to remain in good health (www.reference.com).

We must, therefore, commend the authorities for placing much emphasis on our education sector, and hope and pray that the US$18m KFAED project is realised for the better.

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”

Walter Cronkite