SOMALIA: Access to education remains a major challenge - EC

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

NAIROBI, 8 Sep 2005 (IRIN) - The European Commission (EC) said on Thursday that access to basic education remained a major challenge in Somalia despite tremendous gains in literacy in recent years.

"Much remains to be done to ensure that Somalis, especially the poor, have access to basic education and lifelong learning opportunities," the EC delegation in Kenya, which also handles Somalia operations, said in a statement on the occasion of the international literacy day.

The European body said that it had allocated 20 million euros [US $24.8 million] to fund education and training projects in Somalia between 2002 and 2007.

The EC-supported interventions focused on improving enrolment and attendance rates, particularly of girls and women in primary and basic education, and on the raising of quality standards through pre-service teacher training.

"Much more, however, needs to be done particularly towards enhancing capacity of education authorities, including revising curricula for learners and organising pre- and in-service training of teachers," according to the statement.

[ENDS]