MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Gambaro
The Australian aid program will give children across Asia and the Pacific better access to primary and secondary education, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Teresa Gambaro said today on International Literacy Day.
In 2006-07 Australia is providing over $100 million to support education in the region. A further $100 million will be provided for education through the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development. This special initiative was extending education assistance across the country, including to areas devastated by the tsunami, Ms Gambaro said.
'Around $13 million will support improvements in the quality and accessibility of primary and secondary school education in the Philippines, in provinces where literacy rates are far below the national average,' said Ms Gambaro.
'Last year the aid program upgraded over 40,000 school facilities and equipped more than 200,000 teachers to better deliver lessons in their classrooms.
'Australia is committed to ensuring as many children as possible in our region receive good-quality schooling as we know education, including literacy skills, is a powerful weapon in the fight against poverty.'
Ms Gambaro said Australian aid assisted the Government of Papua New Guinea to prepare a new 10-year national education plan and supported primary schools across the country to fix rundown school facilities.
'Australia will continue to work closely with countries in the region to help ensure that children develop the skills and knowledge for work and life,' she said.
'It will take a long time but enabling all children to complete school is a practical way to reduce poverty and maintain political and social stability in the region.'
Media inquiries:
Dean Savage (Ms Gambaro's Office) 0438 171 330
AusAID Public Affairs 0417 680 590