Ethiopia: Girls' Primary School Enrolment Reaches 77 Per Cent in SNNPS
By Addis Ababa

June 18, 2006 -(The Ethiopian Herald) Primary school enrolment of girls in the SNNPS has reached 77 per cent, the State Education Bureau said. Bureau Head Redwan Hussen told WIC Thursday that the increase in the enrolment of female students is due to affirmative actions taken to motivate women and expansion of educational provisions.

He further attributed the increase to the construction of more than 500 primary schools in rural kebeles of the state thus helping girls to attend classes near their localities. Tutorial classes have also been given to female students and prizes awarded to those who get good results, he stated. Efforts were again exerted to maximize the number of women teachers for the first and second levels, cycle which have risen to 77 and 44 per cent respectively, with a view to making women role models.

According to Redwan, the education coverage of the state is close to 90 per cent. The number of schools in the state is over 3,500, he stated, adding that 13 primary schools are currently being constructed in resettlement centres of Bench Maji and South Omo zones as well as Basketo Special Woreda to access education to children of resettled farmers. Some 180,000 children and adults are also attending alternative basic education in areas where there is no formal education, the bureau head concluded.

According to a related ENA report, the number of female students in Bale Zone of Oromia State has been growing over the past three years, the Zonal Capacity Building Department said. Planning and programming Head with the department, Yali Bejo told ENA that the number of female students in primary and secondary schools that has been limited to 90,257 in 1996 E.C. has increased to 133,600. Yali said the increased participation of female students is the result of the construction of several primary schools through governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the public participation.

The awerness raising activities schools and teachers in the zone undertook has also contributed to the increase in the number of female students, he added. Relevant Links East Africa Ethiopia Education Women and Gender The number of primary schools increased to 578 now from 538 in 1997 E.C., where as that of secondary schools increased to 26 from the previous 20. Yali said the construction of 20 new primary schools is in progress in the low-land areas of the zone to benefit pastoralists in the zone. He added that 751 additional classrooms have been constructed this year at 208 schools in the zone through the public participation.

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