Girls Kept Out of Formal Education

The Ministry of National Education (MEB), has done a nationwide study to determine the number of girls who are kept out of formal education. According to the results of the study revealed by the ministry;

* During the education year of 2001-2002, 152 thousand and 703 girls at ages 6-14, who should be receiving compulsory primary education, were kept out of formal education.

* The study revealed that the number of girls not attending school is very high in Istanbul, Adana and Izmir, because of the population density. However, in regional terms, eastern and southeastern provinces outrun other regions.

Non-Attendance is Decreasing

* The study showed that the number of girls not attending school dropped with the extension of compulsory primary education to 8-years. During the period 1997-98, the number of girls not attending school was 397 thousand and 212. This number dropped to 317 thousand and 684 in 1998-99, 272 thousand and 782 in 1999-2000, and finally to 173 thousand and 208 in 2000-2001.

Cultural structure and religion

* The study looked into the reasons why the 152 thousand and 703 girls were kept out of formal education during the last education year. The main reasons were, "the percipience of religion within the cultural structure," "forcing girls to get married at a young age," "regarding girls as helpers of their mothers," and "delaying the registration of girls into the population."

* This year, a total of 4 million 821 thousand and 795 girls went to primary schools nationwide. (BB/NK/EA/NM)