Teachers Forum
February, 2003

In the global political arena, the on-going debate and action on the upliftment of the Girl-Child continue to stimulate the involvement of designated UN agencies. Notable among the range of initiatives is that of the United Nation’s Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) which is a concomitant of the Millennium Development Goals. Established in April 2000, it draws its constitution from 13 UN entities. It charges like-minded national and international actors to work in concert with the program to attain Universal Primary Education and also, by 2015, to bridge the gender hiatus encountered in primary and secondary education. This landmark in the annals of the Girl-Child Education is unrivalled. It dovetails into existing educational models, policies and projects already set in motion by Non-Governmental Organizations, bi-lateral agencies and national governments on Girl education. In August 2002, UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, visited a school in the region to assess informally for himself, the work being done with the girl-child. His clarion-call to Girl-Child protagonists was to continue the good work they had started and find more ingenious ways of retaining staff and pupils.