Actors Seek To Open School Doors To Girls

A workshop aimed at making education accessible to girls took place in Yaounde on July 30, 2013.

"Educating a girl child is educating a nation." This common saying was upheld yesterday July 30, 2013 by partners of the Ministry of Basic Education working in the domain of girl-child education and vulnerable children. Discussions during the one-day workshop which aimed at making education more accessible to the girl-child were opened by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Basic Education, Professor Ivo Leke Tambo, on behalf of the Minister of Basic Education.

Pr. Ivo Leke said in spite of efforts taken by the government and its partners, statistics indicate that much is still to be done to untie the blockages that obstruct the education of the girl-child in Cameroon. He said there is need to push a little bit more in order to overcome challenges such as early marriages of the girl-child particularly in the northern Regions of the country as well as high dropout rates of female pupils who quickly get into economic activities instead of continuing their education.

The Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Zakari Adam, said at the end of the workshop, they elaborated a common plan of action to boost their efforts in making education more accessible to the girl-child as required by the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) which is a partnership of organisations committed to narrowing the gender gap in primary and secondary education with girls and boys having equal access to free and quality education.

Zakari Adam said it is important to look at some of the causes as to why parents do not send their girl children to school, such as poverty and harmful cultural practices that includes early child marriages, in a bid to sensitise them towards achieving Education For All as required by the Millennium Development Goals.