USAID Donates 30,000 Books to Teacher Education Institutions

US Embassy Addis Ababa - Press Release

January 23, 2004
No. 04/07

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ethiopia donated nearly 30,000 books to the Ministry of Education today as part of its Basic Education Program on Tuesday January 23, 2007. The reference books, worth more than US $1million, will be distributed to the 22 Teacher Education Institutions throughout the country.

“The American people, through USAID, have helped support the education system in Ethiopia since 1995. The thousands of books we are donating today will help enhance the quality of basic education by improving the classrooms of future teachers,” USAID/Ethiopia Mission Director Glenn Anders said. During the ceremony, Mr. Anders handed over a sample book to His Excellency Dr. Sintayehu Woldemichael, Minister of Education. The ceremony took place at the Ministry of Education office in Addis Ababa.

Through its Basic Education Program, USAID has helped strengthen the pre-service teacher training program in all Teacher Education Institutions. In the last five years alone, USAID technical and financial assistance provided to these institutions has exceeded US$2.3 million, or Birr 20 million.

USAID contributions to improve the quality and equity of Ethiopian primary schools also include expanding alternative basic primary education for out-of-school children and functional literacy education for adults in remote areas of the country. The program has helped develop and install computerized personnel and material management systems that are now being used in regional state education bureaus. Another accomplishment of the USAID Basic Education Program has been the strengthening of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Kebele Education and Training Boards, making family and community members an integral part of basic education.