|
US$6,5m for ETF second phase |
 |
 |
 |
|
Tuesday, 21 February 2012 18:15 |
 The education sector has received a major boost after Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU) signed a US$6,5 million financing agreement under the second phase of the Education Transition Fund (ETF).
The agreement will see the local education sector benefitting through the re-introduction of a national school grant initiative, teacher training and second chance programmes for children forced to dropout from school.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Senator David Coltart (pictured), who bemoaned the failure by treasury to adequately fund the Ministry, described the agreement as a milestone which will assist the country’s education to recover.
“The money is critical in the externalisation of the education sector and guarantee a long term development of any nation,” he said.
EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Aldo Dell’Ariccia said the second phase of the ETF will be managed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture.
He added that it is part of the 2011 EU Short Term Strategy and road map in the context of the political dialogue between Zimbabwe and the EU.
The ETF started in 2009 with a 12 donor pooled funding budget of around US$52 million.
In its first phase, it provided stationery and textbooks to primary school pupils, trained school committees and built capacity.
 |
