Unesco honours Hasina for promotion of girls’ education

By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday got recognition from Unesco for her “tireless efforts to promote girls’ education in Bangladesh.”

Unesco director general Irina Bokova presented a memento titled, ‘Peace Tree’, to the prime minister in recognition of her outstanding contribution to girls’ and women education.

Bokova handed over the memento at the inaugural ceremony of an International Conference on ‘Girls’ and women literacy and education: Foundations for sustainable development’ marking International Literacy Day 2014 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

The programme was organised by Bangladesh in partnership with Unesco, in support of the UN secretary general’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI).

According to an information note of the foreign ministry, Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in education and literacy, especially in the areas of girls’ and women’s literacy and education.

Bangladesh has already achieved gender parity in primary and secondary education at the national level.

Official sources said since 1990, the primary school enrolment increased from 12mn in 1990 (with 6.6mn boys and 5.4mn girls) to 19.58mn in 2013, half of whom are girls.

Since 1991, the enrolment of female students in secondary education has increased significantly with girls’ enrolment surpassing boys’ in 2000 (52% for girls and 48% for boys).

This positive development has occurred due to some specific public interventions focusing on girl students, such as stipends and exemption of tuition fees for girls in rural areas, and the stipend scheme for girls at the secondary level.

“This has contributed to promoting the objectives of ensuring gender equality in education having far-reaching effects on literacy of girls in Bangladesh,” said a senior official of the education ministry.