In a recent announcement, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) disclosed its approval of grants amounting to $110 million to enhance children’s education in Afghanistan, as stated in an official release.
Over the next two years, the allocated funds are set to facilitate the continued participation of Afghan girls and boys in community-based education and enhance their proficiency in basic skills within public schools. The programs are anticipated to benefit more than 7.66 million children throughout the nation.
Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education, expressed her satisfaction, stating, “We are very pleased to be able to continue our support to education in Afghanistan. This funding, channeled through UNICEF and Save the Children, partners that have a lot of experience working in complex settings, will help the hardest-to-reach Afghan children to access the education they need to become productive members of society and build a better future.”
The $59.5 million grant, managed by UNICEF, will ensure the continuity of education for children in remote and challenging-to-reach areas, particularly girls. This involves supporting community-based classes by providing essential supplies and textbooks, along with backing community teacher salaries. Furthermore, the initiative will distribute new textbooks, teacher guides, and school supplies to approximately 15,000 public schools. Over 28,000 teachers and headmasters are slated to undergo training aimed at enhancing the teaching of mathematics and reading, as well as classroom management. An early-grade student learning assessment will also be conducted.
Save the Children will manage the $50 million grant, focusing on community-based education to guarantee that children, especially those residing in remote areas, can continue learning in secure environments. This includes infrastructure enhancements to school buildings, rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, and the procurement of equipment and textbooks for classrooms. The grant will also facilitate the training of young women to become primary school teachers.
