TheUNChildren'sFundestimatesthatnearly72millionchildrenofprimaryschoolagewerenotenrolledinschoolin2007.Morethanhalfofthosenotinschoolaregirls,andmorethantwo-thirdsofthemareinsub-SaharanAfricaandSouthandWestAsia.Inthelastdecade,enrollmenthasincreasedandthegendergapinschoolshasclosedinmanyregions,butUNICEF'sExecutiveDirector,AnthonyLake,saysthereisstillmuchworktobedone."Unlessweallworkharder,theremaystillbe56millionchildrenoutofschoolin2015.56millionlivesblighted.56milliondevelopmentopportunitieswasted.Allofourdevelopmentwork--childsurvival,maternalandchildhealth,childprotection--allofitinthemostdisadvantagedcommunitieshingesoneducatinggirls,aswellasboys.Itistheonlywaytomakesustainableprogress,sustainableeconomicdevelopment,"hesaid.Lakeisoneof200scholars,governmentofficials,civilsocietyworkersanddevelopmentpartnersinDakarthisweekforaconferenceorganizedbytheUNGirls'EducationInitiative,aninternationalpartnershipaimedatachievinggenderequalityanduniversalprimaryschooleducationby2015.UNICEF'sLakesaideveninSenegal,wherethenumberofpublicschoolshasdoubledinthelastdecade,thereisstillworktobedonetoachievegenderequalityinschools.HesaidgirlsinoneDakarschoolexplainedtohimsomeofthedailychallengestheyface,suchasthelackofbathroomsintheschool,bullyingfromboys,andalackoftextbooks.Attheweek-longconference,participantsarefocusingonthreeprimaryroadblockstogettingandkeepinggirlsinschool:violence,povertyandthepoorqualityofeducationbeingoffered.Thoughschoolenrollmenthasincreasedinrecentyears,expertssayimprovedaccesstoeducationmustgohand-in-handwithimprovedquality.Ann-ThereseNdong-JattaisdirectorofUNESCO'sRegionalBureauforEducationinAfrica.Shesaidweneedtomodifyoutdatedcurriculumandimproveinstructionmethods,suchasteachingAfricanchildrenintheirnativelanguages,notsimplyinEnglishorFrench."Thedonorsarepumpinginalotofresources,"Ndong-Jattaexplained."Civilsocietyisworkingonaccessbutthetruthis75percentofthechildrenfail.Howdoweensurethatwhatchildrenlearnbenefitsthemandwouldguaranteejobs?Whatwehavetodayisasituationwherechildrenthemselvesshyawayfromcontinuingtosecondaryschoolbecausethereisnofuture."Toensurethatachildstaysinschoolandsucceedsinschool,shesaid,educationmustbeuseful.MayRihani,fromtheU.N.Girl'sEducationInitiative'sGlobalAdvisoryCommittee,gaveanunlikelyexamplefroma"lifeskills"curriculumbeingusedinMali."Oneofthelessonsisaboutdiarrhea.Diarrheaisaboutqualityofeducationbecauseit'srelevant,becausethechildwouldlearnintheschoolaboutdiarrheaandwillgotellthemother.Themotherwouldrecognizethatthiseducationisimportanttoherandtoherfamilyandwouldwantthechildtocontinuetogotoschool,"shestated.UNICEFsaysgirlswhoareeducatedcannotonlycontributetotheirfamiliesandtheircommunities,butarealsoatlowerriskofviolence,abuse,exploitationanddiseases,likeHIV/AIDS.TheEducationforAllGlobalMonitoringReportsaysanadditional$16billioninannualfundingwouldbeneededtoachieveuniversalprimaryschooleducationby2015.
