The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Grant Agreement (G/A) with the Government of the Republic of Zambia on January 25 in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, for a grant of up to 1.644 billion yen for the “STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education Enhancement Project. The agreement was signed by the two companies in the U.S. and Japan.
Zambia’s strategy for industrial diversification is to promote applied research and development in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study, which encompass science, technology, engineering and mathematics. On the other hand, many students who have completed compulsory education do not have sufficient basic academic skills, and academic achievement levels in math and other science and mathematics subjects are low in an academic achievement survey conducted in the Southeast African region, making it difficult to fully realize the human resource development in science and mathematics fields required by industry. In addition, the dropout rate of girls in secondary education is particularly high due to the lack of schools with the necessary learning environment for girls, and expanding educational opportunities for girls is also an issue.
This project will contribute to improving access to and quality of science and mathematics education in Zambia, including for girls, by providing equipment for science experiments and constructing facilities for schools selected as STEM promotion schools in Zambia, and by building a dormitory for girls to create a comfortable learning environment for female students, thereby contributing to SDGs The project will contribute to Goal 4 (Quality Education for All) and Goal 5 (Achieve Gender Equality) of the SDGs.
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