ADF funds drive to improve education

The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a loan of US $6.8 million and a grant of $0.54 million to help improve education in Djibouti. The money will be used for a Basic and Secondary Education Strengthening Project (Education III Project), according to the ADF, which is part of the African Development Bank Group. It will allow for the construction of a middle school and the expansion of the Industrial and commercial high school. This "will ensure the enrolment of an additional 3,000 students in middle schools and an additional 1,000 students in technical schools", the ADF said in a statement issued on Wednesday. The project is expected to enhance access to education by increasing the sector's intake capacity and to "improve the equity and quality of basic and secondary education as well as delivery of health services to schools". Upon completion, the project is also expected to improve the ratio of teachers to school inspectors from 60 to 1 in 2002 to about 50 teachers per inspector in 2009. Teacher training and the upgrading of 20 middle school inspectors and 600 teachers will also help improve the quality of education, the ADF said. The project will support efforts to increase the enrolment of girls "by sensitisation actions, by putting at their disposal school textbooks and the training of 500 teachers in gender methods". The ADF said it would also finance improvement in the delivery of health services to schools and the fight against HIV/AIDS in schools. The project, which is jointly financed by government and the ADF, is estimated to start in January 2005 and last for 5 years.