Afghan Girls_Afghan Times_Education

On International Day of Education 3.7 Million Afghan Children Remain Out of School

January 24 is considered the ‘International Day of Education; Afghanistan also celebrates this day, as in the last 20 years, one of the greatest accomplishments has been increasing access to education for all Afghans. Despite the tremendous achievements, 3.7 million Afghan children are still deprived of education. This country opened its first modern school around 117 years ago, but still has a long way to go to popularize education in the highly traditional society. Opposition to girl’s education is still a serious challenge. During the Taliban regime, girls and women were utterly banned from public appearance and going to schools. That period is considered the darkest era for girl’s education. Complete Article  HERE

Fatima_Bangledesh_WFP_Nalifa Mehelin

Education Day: A Schoolgirl in Bangladesh Reads Her Way to Success

Illuminated by the winter sun streaming through her bedroom window, 13-year-old Fatema reads through the half-dozen books spread across her desk. In Bangladesh, Fatema is one of the 42 million children who have been out of school for almost 12 months. Spurred by the pandemic, inequality between students threatens to grow deeper and wider in 2021. The lack of technology at home and limited connection to the internet, together with economic instability, puts girls, rural students and socio-economically disadvantaged children at risk of being left behind. “I have been studying on my own at home [during the pandemic] and my sister helps me with my studies,” says Fatema. “I like studying on my own because nobody disturbs me, but I will feel very good when the schools reopen.” Fatema has always been self-motivated. Last year, before schools closed, she was ‘book captain’ at her school in Cox’s Bazar. As part of a literacy program with the U.S.-based not-for-profit Room to Read, supported by Washington and the Government of Bangladesh, over 40,000 students across 146 primary schools in the district receive a reading curriculum and storybooks.  Complete Article HERE