In the village of Mai Habar in Northern Eritrea's Red Sea region, 14-year-old Seida is excited about the construction of a school for students with hearing impairments.

As new classrooms take shape, she is one of 35 students already learning at the school, which will eventually accommodate 150 students once construction is complete.

For the first time, Seida and her peers are able to learn in classrooms designed around their needs. The school is part of Eritrea’s efforts to make quality basic education accessible to and inclusive of all children.

In addition to this school, Eritrea has constructed 189 classrooms in rural and remote communities where access to learning has been limited. Thanks to a GPE grant of US$17.2 million (2020–2026) and implementation support from UNICEF, the government has been opening doors to education in the most underserved areas of the country.

“Education is wonderful. We learn new things every day, and the teachers at our school support us greatly in our studies,” says Seida.

Fatna is one of three teachers working at the school. They are proficient in Eritrean Sign Language—an indigenous sign language standardized by the Eritrean National Association of the Deaf—and their classrooms are equipped with materials to support instruction, such as posters displaying the alphabet and vocabulary words and a screen to project interactive videos of lessons in sign language.

The school is an inclusive and nurturing space that empowers students to thrive. For Seida, every school day is a step toward independence—a future filled with hope and possibility: “I want to attend high school in Sawa, gain skills, and become a tailor to earn a good living.”

Involving communities in classroom construction

Community participation has been crucial to the construction of Eritrea’s new classrooms, including at Mai Habar Boarding School for the Deaf.

The Ministry of Education developed guidelines for how communities contribute to construction, and covered labor costs and expenses for locally available materials.

Collaboration with local governments of administrative regions and consultations with communities ensured successful implementation and ownership at the local level.

Improving education quality

While new classrooms increase access to education, the quality of learning has also received a boost.

With GPE funding, Eritrea printed and distributed over 1.3 million student textbooks and teachers’ guides across core subjects, supporting the government’s commitment to maintain a 1:1 student-to-textbook ratio.

Additionally, over 4,400 teachers have participated in training in education planning, school record management, special needs education, and information and communications technology.

To better support teachers and strengthen education delivery in hard-to-reach areas, Eritrea has constructed new teachers’ quarters at 10 remote schools. By improving living conditions, the government aims to improve teacher well-being and retention, ultimately enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in underserved communities.

Building on gains

These efforts are transforming the education landscape in Eritrea, contributing to a more equitable and resilient system.

Subsequent GPE funding—including a system transformation grant of $11.8 million (2024–2027), a Girls’ Education Accelerator grant of $5.9 million (2025–2028) and a system capacity grant of $2.2 million (2024–2027), all implemented with support from UNICEF—builds on the success of the previous program.

These grants align with Eritrea’s national priority to ensure quality foundational teaching and learning for all girls and boys.

The positive impact of the national reforms is felt throughout communities across Eritrea, including Mai Habar, where Seida and her peers are finally getting the education they deserve.