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