JAPAN INAUGURATES SEVEN SCHOOLS IN ADDIS ABABA
An inauguration ceremony took place on 23 September 2010 for a project to build seven schools in Addis Ababa comprising one secondary and six primary schools in Yeka, Kolfe Keranyo, Akaki-Kaliti, Nefas Silk Lafto and Bole Sub-cities. The schools have been constructed through the financial assistance of the Government of Japan. The inauguration was held in one of the project sites, Kolfe Keranyo Sub-city, and conducted by the Honorable Mr. Yoshiaki Ito, Minister and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia and the Honorable Ato Kefyalew Azeze, Deputy Mayor of the City Government of Addis Ababa, with other invited guests, to commemorate the event.

The project was implemented by the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) to the amount of 115.74 Million Ethiopian Birr (600,000,000 Japanese Yen), and is to support the government of Ethiopia in the Education Sector Development Program (ESDP) with the objective to improve educational quality and expand access to education with special emphasis on primary education in the under-served areas of the city.

Currently, Ethiopia is celebrating the successful accomplishment of the five year plan that registered about 11% average economic growth and is beginning a new five year plan, which is expected to double the economic growth based on the achievements of the last seven years. The new plan aims to increase the net enrolment rate of primary education from the current 86.5% to 100%, and the gross enrolment rate of secondary education from 38.1% to 75% at the end of the new plan period. Thus, it is believed that this school construction project inaugurated on 23 September will play a significant role towards that end.