Say Yes, Autumn 2002: Editorial

There is global recognition that education is the key to human development, poverty reduction and peace. Yet, millions of children are denied their right to quality education. At any given time around the world, there are one hundred and twenty-five million children who have never seen the inside of a classroom. And most of those children are girls. The same is true in Turkey, where the majority of children not attending school are girls. UNICEF's work is geared towards ensuring that all children realise their right to a quality education, and that every learner, boy or girl, has the opportunity to develop to his or her full potential. Girls' education is a priority for UNICEF because quality education for girls equals quality education for boys.

Education for girls not only helps the girls themselves but it also benefits the children they will bear in future life. The more educated the woman, the healthier and happier she and her family will be. More children will be better nourished and fewer infants will die prematurely. More girls and women will enjoy the full range of their rights and their families will be better off as a consequence. More women will marry later and have fewer children. We will see many of these women serving in leadership roles, being actively involved in financial decision-making and contributing to social policy from the unique perspective of their gender.

A good basic education can transform an individual, a family, a community, and eventually a nation. However, simply attending school is not enough. The quality of education the child receives at school -- what he or she actually learns and how it is taught -- is just as important as the access. Access without quality is no kind of access at all.

So we are faced with yet another challenge: to step up the quality of the input in order to ensure the quality of the outcome.

In Turkey, UNICEF and others, notably the EU and the World Bank, are working with the Ministry of National Education (MONE) on these issues of access and quality. Fuelled by political support and public demand, the signs are promising that before long not a single girl or boy in the country will be denied their right to a quality basic education.

But let’s step on the accelerator and reach that goal sooner rather than later.

Edmond McLoughney
UNICEF Representative, Turkey

PS: We’d very much like to hear readers reactions to this issue, so please feel free to contact us with your comments and suggestions.

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