KABUL (Pajhwok): The World Bank on Thursday approved the allocation of an additional $25 million in financing from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to increase access to primary and secondary education in Afghanistan, particularly for girls.
The new grant for the EQRA project would help build 100 additional schools, further improve learning and access to education for girls, support teachers’ training, and promote community-based education, said a statement from the World Bank. World Bank Country Director Henry Kerali said: “Afghanistan has made much progress in improving education in the last two decades, but 3.5 million children remain out of school, and half of the country’s school still have minimal infrastructure.”
He hoped the additional financing would help the Afghan government create a better learning environment and enroll more children in schools. Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of GPE, said: “Girls’ education is one of the smartest investments a country can make: It boosts economic growth, curbs infant mortality and improves child nutrition.”
She promised GPE would continue to do its part so that millions of girls and boys, especially the most vulnerable, could go to school and learn. Over the past decade, Afghanistan has made great strides in improving access to education, but learning poverty was among the highest in the world, the statement concluded.
