Eritrea - Ministry of Information

“Climate change is the first issue that is truly global, you can’t get away from it -- the atmosphere is one big pool. Everybody is at risk.”  said Hagan, a scientist specializing on global warming. Indeed breaking news like flooding, the melting of the poles, the rising of the sea level and the consequent sinking of coastal areas, ozone depletion, no more come as a surprise. They have come to constitute expected events and also common agenda in the media.

“If I were asked what the best investment was,” said a certain proponent of education at one occasion “I would make no bones about saying ‘education’”. His down-to-earth statement is crystal clear; for someone who favours an immediate return it may be a bitter pill to swallow though. The big question at hand is ‘how to make this golden point well taken by some individuals who prize fi nancial and material possessions more than the potential education offers?’As stated above, it is palatable to say that educational investment is the most profi table one even though it doesn’t have an immediate return. As a necessary condition, it can easily be equated to any development with which it plays a symbiotic role in interplay. Without education, one can hardly think of any fruitful move; for any activity without it becomes a walk in the dark.

It is an often-quoted that a country that out-educates inevitably out-vies others in the course of time. This is suggestive of the very idea that there is no developmental activity where education doesn’t make a difference when it matters. In other words, education is a tried and tested means for multi-faceted development; it cannot be a panacea to all social maladies though. As a driving force, it also leads and ensures the individual to a better life beyond being a gateway to national development. Noting the above stated value and mission and considering that education is not a special privilege but a fundamental human right, the National Macro Policy (1994) has unequivocally stipulated that the provision of basic education to all citizens is free and obligatory.

Eritrea, a country located in northeast Africa on the western coast of the Red Sea, shares abundant coastal natural attractions. It possesses an escarpment with spectacular views from the highland plateau to the coastal plains. The country is also endowed with around 2,234 kilometers of coastline that entertains a varied natural unique features including “three seasons in two hours, and a place with the lowest point on land: Denakil Depression. Along the Eritrean coast, temperatures average is from 27°C to 30°C in the daytime; whereas in the Danakil Depression in the southeast, temperatures may reach 60°C. Hence, what makes  a potential destination for tourists to this region is  not only  the above mentioned unique features but also the magnificent  scenery  and hot springs, and   rich   natural habitat of  bird life,  wildlife, and marine life . For this reason, part of the coast, the Semenawi Bahri (Filfil), a few kilometres from Asmara, is protected area for the county’s national park for it is a region with numerous species of fauna and flora.

Eritrea has a history of colonial occupations and has never had a national archive for the preservation of its indigenous heritage. Collecting and preserving historical documents started during the armed struggle period by the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF). EPLF has invested greatly on the preservation of its documents. In 1975, Research and Documentation Units were established under various departments of the EPLF.

A two-day national conference on effective utilization of science laboratories to ensure and enhance quality education in Eritrean secondary schools was held in Costina Hotel, Keren, in the Anseba region from 4 to 5 November, 2010. Regarding the situation of science laboratories: developing secured and sustainable mechanisms: defining appropriate and 'implementable' policy and guidance for science laboratories: and the appraisal of the role that school administration can play in running science laboratories were at the hear of the Conference. The Conference was officially opened by Mr. Semere Russom, the Minister of Education of the state of Eritrea.