Somaliland:President Silanyo Speech at the launching of the EU funded Education Sector Development Project (ESDP)

SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT AHMED SILANYO

your excellency, ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

GOOD MORNING

I am honoured and delighted to be here with you to launch the phase II of the EU funded Education Sector Development Project (ESDP) or (Mashruuca Horumarinta Cilmiga Wajiga 2aad.)

Education is the most precious gift anyone – child or adult, man or women can be given. Education is the key to personnel and national development. The difference between developed and developing countries is basically education and investment in education. That is why my government has spent increasing amounts year after year on education.

This year we increased the education budget by 12% and over the last five years by 540%. Today there are over 1,000 primary and secondary schools in the country attended by nearly 250,000 students.

There are three key features of education which must be an integral part of any educational policy: that is –  access, quality and skill.

To ensure access, my government has rendered primary education free, so that nobody is excluded on the basis of affordability.  The quality of education is as important as access. That quality is determined by the quality of the teachers, the quality of the curriculum and the quality of the teaching facilities and material.

Education should not be just tutorial but should build character and impart skill- life skills as well as technical skills.

I am pleased to know that the Education Development Project addresses all the key points of access, quality and skill. I cannot overemphasize the importance of technical education.

I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to our partners in education to give due attention to the technical steam.

Your Excellency, I must express our gratitude to EU, other donors and implementing agencies including Save Children International, Care International, and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) for their support.

I would like also to acknowledge the critical role played by the Ministry of Education and its staff in the success of the first phase of the program.

I have amble confidence that the second phase will be implemented with equal success and zeal.

Thank you,