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| Sunday, 14 December 2003 |
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Free education resulted in more school-going girls by Shanika Sriyananda The free education system introduced in sri Lanka without gender discrimination resulted more girls to attend school and attain a high female literacy rate, Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka, said in launching the World's Children Report 2004. He said that the distribution of free text books and mid-day meals had also contributed to this progress. "The education, which made compulsory under the convention on the 'Rights of the Child', helped all 14-year olds to attend school", he said. Chaiban said that the efforts made in Sri Lanka to breakdown gender stereotypes were critical in achieving these successes and the formal education system had been used to promote gender parity by including gender sensitization content into school, teacher and university curricula. However, according to him, despite the great achievements, the quality of education, access to education and recurring disparities in Sri Lanka required urgent attention. "Although 90 per cent of country's children attend state-run schools, most schools could not be considered as 'child friendly'. There is a basic lack of services such as water and sanitation in schools. Access to health services are inadequate for students and nutritional problems", he pointed out. According to him, in the North and East, it was estimated that 94,000 children were out of school and the drop out rate was 15 per cent. Chiaban stressed the need for special protection for those in child labour, street children, child recruits and children in commercials sex trade, who lacked the non-formal education. Recognising the urgent need to improve the accessibility and quality of education, the UNICEF provided catch-up education to 23,500 primary and secondary schoolchildren, implemented re-admission programs for school drop-outs, rehabilitated 50 per cent of damaged schools in the North and East and provided school kits to over 100,000 poor children this year. "Since more things have to be done to improve educational standards, the UNICEF will continue its support in providing resources for a better access and standards of education for the benefit of Sri Lankan children", he pledged. |
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