Côte d’Ivoire makes progress on the way to schoolAbidjan, 26 September 2007 – And three! The national campaign to get all children, especially girls, to return to school, launched in 2005 by UNICEF with financial support from the European Union (EU), has resumed. The 2007 edition focuses on « maintaining » children in school, particularly girls. After organizing, for the first time since the outbreak of the crisis, all school examinations at the same time on the entire national territory, this year’s campaign testifies to the desire of development partners, notably the European Union and the United Nations System, to support the restoration of the unified educational system. Gesco School Complex, situated in the poor district of Yopougon (Abidjan), will host the launching of this third edition. For the event, the Ministry of Education will be accompanied by its traditional partners, namely UNICEF, and other agencies of the United Nations System, as well as the European Union. The event will also benefit from the active participation of the population and the Management Committees of schools. The launching ceremony will be marked by public enrolment of children, especially girls, as well as the supply of recreational and pedagogical kits to the pupils and teachers. On this occasion, ordinary women from the district as well as famous women (like Fatou Keita – writer, and Ivorian Women Parliamentarians) will send strong messages to stress the importance of school for all children, including girls. The campaign is aimed at sensitizing parents on the importance of education and will cover the entire national territory, particularly in the CNW zones (Centre, North and West) – zones where the educational system was particularly effected by the socio-political crisis. The other objective of the campaign is to facilitate the enrolment and maintenance of at least 836 071 children aged 6 – 12 years, 50% of whom are girls with particular emphasis on the rural areas. One of the peak events of this campaign will be the distribution of about 550,000 school kits amounting to about 27 million CFA francs to primary school children and teachers. Sensitization and mobilization activities, involving local radio stations, traditional communicators, local leaders and women, will be organized in the Regional Education Offices (DREN) of Abidjan (Abobo), Bouaké, Yamoussoukro, Korhogo, Odienné, Daloa, Boundoukou, Man, San Pedro and Dimbokro. The operation, implemented by UNICEF with financial contribution from the EU, will cost 2,369,418.39 Euros (CFAF 1,554,236,578). UNICEF benefited from a funding of 2,000,000 Euros (CFAF 1,311,914,000) granted to the Ivorian Government as part of the resources of the 4th Emergency and Rehabilitation Programme (PUR IV) put in place by the EU to accompany the crisis recovery. The two previous editions organized in 2005 and 2006 made it possible to double the number of schools opened and the population of primary school children. With the 2007 edition of the « Back-to-School for All Children » campaign, Côte d’Ivoire is making headway in the realization of the right of children to quality basic education.
For further information, please contact: Lucien Houédanou, Information Officer, European Commission Delegation
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