Today, there are nearly 120 million primary and lower-secondary school-age children who are not able to attend school.

Violence and civil war deny 34 million children (aged 6-15) this opportunity. Many more are denied schooling because they are from minority groups, while others have disabilities, are in dire poverty in the countryside or  cities, or are refugees living far from home. Girls are one of the most marginalized groups of all, however, with more than half being excluded from education, often because of inherited beliefs about gender and schooling.

Launched in 2011, Let Us Learn is a UNICEF initiative that addresses the urgent need to provide educational opportunities for the most marginalized children — especially girls. This initiative, which operates in in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Liberia, Madagascar and Nepal, has three primary outcomes in mind: reaching out-of-school children, expanding girls’ education, and improving learning outcomes. UNICEF works to understand and address the root causes of inequality in education by working with donors, national governments, and local communities. While the methods in each country vary, the goal remains the same — to empower young children to reach their fullest potential.

Case Study: Madagascar

Supporting post-primary education in an important pillar for the Let Us Learn initiative in Madagascar. Because schooling is not free in this country, UNICEF is working to break down financial barriers to educational access by providing nearly 4,000 scholarships and cash transfers. UNICEF also seeks to increase school attendance by providing children with transportation such as bicycles and canoes or by building dormitories. Let Us Learn also helps ensure high quality education by training teachers, reinforcing local training institutes, and creating teacher networks to share best practices and foster mentoring of new teachers by experienced instructors.

In addition, UNICEF promotes a child-friendly atmosphere in schools by developing and distributing gender-neutral educational material and extracurricular activities by building improved sanitation facilities and libraries.

UNICEF’s efforts have enabled 5,000 young girls in Madagascar to re-enter school, explore options for future careers, and work toward making their dreams a reality. One of the girls in the Let Us Learn Madagascar program, Leone, offers a concrete example of the positive impact of this UNICEF initiative on children’s lives. When Leonie became a young mother, she was forced to drop out after only completing one year of junior secondary school. When Leone’s mother learned about the Let Us Learn program, however, she applied on her daughter’s behalf, winning a scholarship to cover Leone’s monthly school expenses, including: tuition fees, school supplies, essential clothing and personal hygiene products. After completing history courses and civic education, Leonie now aspires to become a civil servant and wants to attain a good job to ensure a decent life for her own child.

Dorlys, 13, plays with her classmates and siblings on the ground of a UNICEF-supported school in Southern Madagascar. 

The Way Forward:

Research shows that an educated girl is not only more likely to delay childbirth and to immunize her children but also that she is more likely to increase her earnings as an adult and contribute to the prosperity of her community. So supporting access to an education also accelerates the fight against poverty, inequality, and discrimination. When we invest in girls’ education, we invest in communities and futures, too. UNICEF has committed to ensuring a brighter future for girls not only in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Liberia, Madagascar, and Nepal — where we are implementing Let Us Learn programs — but also around the world. Through partnerships with communities and governments and a holistic, rights-based approach, UNICEF is hopeful that we will see a day where every child, no matter where he or she may live, has proper access to an education and can fully realize his or her potential.