Cover(final) - United Nations Girls' Education Initiative

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Number enrolled (millions) 28 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION The top scorers of the indicator of political commitment (Figure 3) are countries which have displayed concrete progress in the recent past. Bhutan, through the rapid expansion of community primary schools, construction of boarding facilities, provision of school meals and appointment of female teachers, has in the last decade ensured that the growth rate of girls’ enrolment in primary education (49.6 per cent) has been twice as fast as that for boys (Box 1). However, greater inclusion of ‘non-nationals’ with access to quality education in their mother tongue is imperative. 62 Invest sustainably Though Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as historic high-achievers seem to have been pushed away from the limelight in this indicator, there are many lessons to be learned from their historical achievements. Sri Lankan policy makers in the forties and fifties were generations ahead of their time by emphasizing public financing and provision of universal basic education. In Bangladesh, consistent political commitment across successive governments, especially with democratic political competition in the nineties, has been crucial for increasing school enrolments especially of girls (Figure 4). 63 However, more recently, with the rapid expansion of madrasas, the emphasis unfortunately seems to have shifted to largely prepare girls for marriage. Figure 4 | Growth of secondary school enrolments in Bangladesh, 1970–2003 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Girls’enrolment over 50% from 2000 Introduction of stipend programme, 1994 Free tuition for girls in classes 6–8, 1990 Free, compulsory primary education, 1990 Girls’ enrolment about 18% 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 girls boys 2000 2001 2002 2003 Source: J. Raynor (2005). Educating Girls in Bangladesh: Watering a Neighbour's Tree? In S. Aikman and E. Unterhalter (eds), Beyond Access: Transforming Policy and Practice for Gender Equality in Education. Oxford: Oxfam GB. This analysis considers four attributes of political commitment for the pursuit of universal basic education, which have an intensified effect on girls’ enrolment and survival in school: i) The enshrinement of the right to free education, ii) public expenditure on education, iii) the existence of specific policies to address the gender gap and iv) the ban on corporal punishment. 62 HRW (2007). Last Hope – The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India. Human Rights Watch. 63 N. Hossain and N. Kabeer (2004). Achieving Universal Primary Education and Eliminating Gender Disparity, Economic and Political Weekly, September 4.
GOVERNANCE: THE BIG PICTURE 29 i) Right to Free Education The right to free education constitutes one of the most basic of human rights. The International Bill of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) commit ratifying governments to guarantee the right to free and compulsory education at least in primary schools. Once fees are abolished, subsequent governments find it politically difficult to reintroduce any student fees or costs. For girls, free education holds greater significance as, although parents want to send their girls to good quality schools, they are often reluctant to pay for them. Figure 5 | The right to free education Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Right to Free Education Free Free Free Free Free Fee Free education is free for all at the primary level in Bangladesh, it is extended up to secondary school for girls. Sri Lanka is leagues ahead as it even offers tuition-free education up to university for all children. The only exception in the region is Pakistan, which despite its constitutional emphasis on free education does not provide any legal guarantees. The New Education Policy 2009, however, does attempt to steer in a progressive direction by stating that ‘free’ education covers all costs including expenditure on stationery, school bags, transport and meals. 64 But it remains one of the few nations in the world in which compulsory secondary education is not a legal requirement. 65 Guarantee constitutionally In the last decade, there has been a distinct trend of several countries in South Asia using the opportunity of the construction or amendment of their constitutions to enshrine the right to free education. After the first parliamentary elections in 2008, the Bhutanese constitution enforced free education for all ‘national’ citizens up to tenth standard. 66 While Afghanistan too adopted similar guarantees in 2006, 67 Nepal has yet to enact its draft constitution with similar commitments. Make free and compulsory Most countries in South Asia guarantee free, compulsory education, if only on paper. While Bangladesh too falters on this step. Though a Compulsory Primary Education Act was passed in 1990, education is still not a fundamental 64 Sarwar (2009). New education policy: A review. Pakistan Observer, 18 September 2009. 65 McCutcheon, S. (2007). Education in Pakistan. Riding for Education. http://www.r4e.org/education/Pakistan/ education_in_pakistan.htm (last retrieved November 2009). 66 The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan 2008, http://www.constitution.bt/TsaThrim%20Eng%20%28A5%29.pdf 67 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 2004, http://www.president.gov.af/sroot_eng.aspx?id=68
Page 1: GENDER, EQUALITY & EDUCATION A Repo
Page 4 and 5: © Asia South Pacific Association f
Page 6 and 7: iv GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION D
Page 8 and 9: vi GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION p
Page 10 and 11: viii GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION
Page 12 and 13: © Swati Narayan, 2009
Page 14 and 15: xii GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION
Page 16 and 17: © Indivar Mukhopadhyay, 2008, A.P.
Page 18 and 19: xvi GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION
Page 20 and 21: xviii GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATIO
Page 22 and 23: xx GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION G
Page 24 and 25: 2 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION El
Page 26 and 27: 4 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION ma
Page 28 and 29: 6 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION Fi
Page 30 and 31: xxviii GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATI
Page 32 and 33: 10 SOUTH ASIA GENDER EQUALITY IN ED
Page 48 and 49: Afghanistan’s journey towards uni
Page 52 and 53: 30 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION c
Page 54 and 55: 32 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION B
Page 56 and 57: 34 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION T
Page 58 and 59: 36 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION p
Page 60 and 61: 38 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION c
Page 62 and 63: 40 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION t
Page 64 and 65: 42 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION B
Page 66 and 67: © Indivar Mukhopadhyay, 2008, A.P.
Page 68 and 69: 46 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION E
Page 70 and 71: 48 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION s
Page 72 and 73: 50 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION i
Page 74 and 75: © Swati Narayan, 2009, Haryana, In
Page 76 and 77: 54 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION S
Page 78 and 79: 56 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION F
Page 82 and 83: 60 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION I
Page 84 and 85: 62 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION T
Page 92 and 93: 70 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION F
Page 98 and 99: 76 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION H
Page 100 and 101:
78 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION T
Page 102 and 103:
80 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION F
Page 104 and 105:
82 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION E
Page 106 and 107:
84 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION r
Page 108 and 109:
86 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION
Page 110 and 111:
88 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION C
Page 112 and 113:
90 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION W
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
94 GENDER, EQUALITY AND EDUCATION S
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130:
show all

Cover(final) - United Nations Girls' Education Initiative

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?