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Norway gives $24 m for girls education in Africa

Friday, 1 November 1996: The Government of Norway today contributed $24 million to the UNICEF Education For All programme in Africa. The contribution, the largest UNICEF has ever received for education initiatives, will go towards developing a learning environment not only to ensure girls stay in school but also to enhance their educational performance.

Thanking the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said: "It is essential that girls' education be made an immediate priority around the world. Education is the key to empowerment of girls and improvement of the situation of women. This donation is a signal to the world not to let girls down and will benefit whole societies in Africa."

Norway's contribution is an acknowledgment of the very serious situation facing girls in need of primary education in Africa. If the goal of universal education set at the World Summit for Children in 1990 is to be reached by the year 2000 as pledged by leaders of 159 countries, this is the kind of action the world needs.

"It is crucial to improve girls' education," said Norwegian Minister of Development Cooperation Kari Nordheim-Larsen. "It is a means of promoting equal rights and opportunities for women and men. Experience has shown that female participation is vital to social and economic development."

The donation will assist 19 African countries for four years: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Girls in Africa have significantly poorer access to education than boys. In 1995, 46 per cent of girls and 54 per cent of boys in sub-Saharan Africa were enrolled in primary school. Worldwide, 69.9 per cent of girls were enrolled last year.

UNICEF believes that improving the education environment for girls will benefit all children. Investment in girls' education is crucial to further economic growth and social development, as girls with basic education grow up to have fewer, healthier and better educated children. As adults they will be more productive and receive better pay for their work.

Several factors contribute to the deplorable status of girls' education in Africa, including lack of facilities, overfilled classrooms, traditional perceptions of the girl's role and outdated education systems. To make matters worse, girls who do enrol in primary school often face an education system that is inappropriate for their needs.

A wide range of initiatives can help increase girls' achievement in the education system. When parents are involved in their daughters' education and in the planning and managing of their schools, girls perform better. If classes relate to girls' background and experiences, if they are taught in local languages, and practical skills are included in the curriculum, girls are more likely to realize their potential. Experience also shows that when schools employ female teachers who can act as role models, it enhances girls' participation.

Through a long-term commitment with clearly defined principles and agreements between the recipient country and donors, the UNICEF Education For All programme strives to change and strengthen the education system. Parents, girls themselves, communities and non-governmental organizations are engaged in building partnerships to make sure that achievements are sustainable.

Key policy issues of the programme include provision of good quality and cost-effective education in reading, mathematics, language and science for children. Special assistance to the most vulnerable children -- including children who work, children in emergencies and pregnant school girls -- is also a central component of the programme.

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