One hopes that this is the beginning of a long term Australian aid effort to support education.
The last paragraph is interesting. How much Australian funding contributed to the fifty million condoms and ten million needles? It would be easy to do the math on that one.
Australia spends gazillions in Indonesia. Why not Myanmar?
[him] moderator
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Australia will provide $80m to improve Burmese education system
Brendan Nicholson
The Australian
June 09, 2012 1:11PM
WELCOMED by dozens of Burmese children waving Australian flags, Bob Carr has announced that Australia will provide $80 million over four years to give a desperately needed boost to the impoverished country's education system, which is near collapse.
The foreign minister noted that only half of Burmese children finished primary school, while many that did go to school were so hungry and malnourished that they could not study properly.
This major new education package would train more teachers, lift student attendance and provide nutritious meals at primary schools in Myanmar, Senator Carr said.
As well, the number of tertiary scholarships would by increased from 20 next year to 50 by 2015.
“This new Australian assistance to be provided through AusAID will give hope and opportunity to children in the poorest country in south-east Asia,’’ Senator Carr said.
Senator Carr visited AusAID education projects in the Delta region south of Yangon which was devastated by Cyclone Nargis.
He said that millions of children risked missing out on the basic right to an education
“Fewer than half of children who attend primary school in Myanmar complete the full five grades,’’ Senator Carr said.
“That means this generation of children in Myanmar may become the first in the country’s history with a lower level of education than their parents. Australia is determined to try and prevent this from happening."
“This program supports the basic rights of the poorest children in the country - the right to education, the right to learn in a safe environment, and the right to clean water and sanitation,” Senator Carr said.
The aid will help give more than a million children textbooks, as well as providing teacher training and food. Water and sanitation facilities are being built at primary schools to stop children getting sick and children who stay at school for a year will be given take-home meals to encourage their families to keep them there.
“Australia will also reach out to the most remote and underdeveloped regions of the country through Buddhist and community schools. In some of these schools less than half of teachers are properly trained,” Senator Carr said.
In the health area, Australia has contributed to international efforts which have since 2007 provided Burma with over 1.9 million mosquito nets, treated 127,000 TB and provided more than 51 million condoms and 10 million needles to reduce the rate of HIV infection.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/australia-will-provide-80m-to-improve-burmese-education-system/story-fn59niix-1226389791528
