total of approximately ¥3.3 billion in grant aid through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to provide literacy education to 600,000 people in 100 districts of 18 provinces of Afghanistan.

In recent years, Japan has promoted transnational networking of institutes of higher education and joint research projects among neighboring countries etc. Japan also supports the development of human resources in developing countries by accepting international students to Japanese institutes of higher education in accordance with the “300,000 International Students Plan.” Furthermore Japan implements “International Cooperation Initiative” projects, which are designed to use the knowledge possessed by Japanese universities (their research achievements and capacity to develop high-level human resources) to improve the quality of international cooperation. Major activities under the Initiative include formulating and publicizing teaching materials and guidelines based on the experience and knowledge possessed by Japanese educational academies.

## $ ^{*} $ Basic education

Educational activities designed to enable individuals to acquire the knowledge, value, and skills needed to live. Mainly refers to primary education, preschool education, and adult literacy education.

Moreover, Japan strives to make it easier for in-service teachers to go overseas as Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers under the Special Program for School Teachers.* In-service teachers dispatched to developing countries contribute to the development of education and society locally, and make use of that experience in the field of Japanese education after their return.

An in-service teacher serving as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer at a school for the disabled in Ecuador. The tambourines used by the children were donated by people in Japan. (Photo: Chizuru Iijima)

## $ ^{*} $ Special Program for School Teachers (JOCV)

The system is designed to encourage participation of in-service teachers. For example, teachers who are recommended by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JICA are exempt from the preliminary technical test, and the period of dispatch is set at two years (usually two years and three months), beginning in April and ending in March, to match the regular Japanese school year.

South Sudan

# “Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education in Southern Sudan (SMASESS)” Technical Cooperation Project (November 2009 - Current)

In South Sudan it is a serious issue to ensure the quality of education, due to the lack of teachers to keep up with growing number of students and poor quality of teachers, approximately 65% of whom receive no necessary training. Japan has focused its cooperation on mathematics and science education at primary and secondary schools, which is vital to the development of the country. Japan actively supports for improving the ability of mathematics and science teachers of primary and secondary schools, and the overall quality of mathematics and science education, by supporting developing human resources to train teachers, and creating a model to implement systematic training. At teachers who received training from Japan are expected to become instructors to provide similar training in each province, it is expected that between 1,000 and 1,500 teachers will be trained throughout South Sudan (see page 101 for details regarding South Sudan).

Developing human resources to support future nation-building (Photo: JICA)