DHAKA: To mark the second International Day of the Girl Child, UNICEF on Friday highlighted the power of innovation to get more girls in school and improve the quality of learning for all children.

Despite the decreasing number of girls out of school, too many around the world are still denied a quality education and a chance to reach their full potential.  

Evidence shows that even a single year of secondary school for a girl correlates with as much as a 25 per cent increase in her future earnings.  But today, millions of girls are still out of school, including 31 million primary school aged girls.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said, “Education can transform the lives of girls and strengthen their communities. Innovation can help us reach every girl by transforming education.”

With its partners, UNICEF is exploring how technology can increase access to education for out-of-school girls and improve the quality of learning for every child.

Innovation is also helping governments and their partners to reach the hardest to reach children who are at the greatest risk of being out of school. In Uganda, EduTrack is using SMS text messaging to connect students and schools with UNICEF, enabling them to report on learning, teacher quality, and violence in schools.

Innovation is not only about technology. It can mean embracing new ways to overcome other barriers that keep girls out of school, like improving sanitary facilities and keeping girls safe as they walk to and from school.


BDST: 1957 HRS, OCT 11, 2013
SR/AKA/RIS