Some 1.2 million students in drought affected areas are benefiting from the school feeding program of the Ministry of Education.
This was disclosed by Education Minister Shiferaw Shigute during his presentation of the eight-month performance report of the ministry to the House of People’s Representatives today.
Over 230 million birr was allotted for the first phase of the program underway so that students would not drop out of school, he said.
According to Shiferaw, some 338 million birr is also allocated and distributed to regional states for the second phase school feeding program.
Additional 42 million birr is allotted for the purchase of educational materials to more than 730,000 students in six regions, he further indicated.
Shiferaw pointed out that the Addis Ababa and Haramaya universities were selected this year to become African centers of excellence.
The universities are chosen to be centers of excellence for eastern and southern Africa in four areas, namely water management, railway technology education and training, health science and pharmaceuticals, climate smart agriculture and biodiversity conservation, the minister elaborated.
