I.Introduction
1.At its sixty-sixth session, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will examine the national reports of El Salvador, Germany, Ireland, Jordan, Micronesia (Federated States of), Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Ukraine.
2.As a specialized agency of the United Nations system, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) contributes to the building of peace, the alleviation of poverty, the promotion of sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture and communication and information. In accordance with the UNESCO medium-term strategy for 2014-2021, gender equality is a global priority of the Organization. It is pursued through a two-pronged approach: (a) gender-specific programming; and (b) mainstreaming of gender equality perspectives into all the fields of competence of UNESCO.
3.UNESCO has a major role and responsibility within the United Nations system for the implementation of the Convention. Article 10 of the Convention provides that States parties are to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in order to ensure to them equal rights with men in the field of education. The right to education is at the very heart of the mission of UNESCO and represents an integral part of its constitutional mandate.
4.Efforts by UNESCO to promote women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality are guided by its medium-term strategy for 2014-2021, its biennial and quadrennial programme and budget documents, its Organization-wide Priority Gender Equality Action Plan for 2014-2021, the Convention and the Beijing Platform for Action, as well as resolutions and international and regional instruments relevant to its areas of action.
5.The UNESCO commitment to pursuing the priority of gender equality is facilitated by the Division for Gender Equality in the Office of the Director General. The Division provides policy guidance and recommendations to senior management and programme sectors for mainstreaming gender equality considerations in UNESCO policies, strategies and programmes, carries out capacity-building, monitors gender parity and work-life balance within the secretariat and develops and establishes partnerships with other United Nations bodies, regional bodies, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, private foundations and private sector partners that support women’s empowerment and gender equality initiatives.
II.Measures taken to implement the provisions of the Convention in the countries to be considered at the sixty-sixth session
El Salvador
6.El Salvador is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) and did not report to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
7.Article 3 of the Constitution states that all persons are equal before the law and that no restrictions on the exercise of civil rights may be established on the basis of differences in nationality, race, sex or religion. In accordance with article 33, the law regulates the personal and patrimonial relations between spouses, and between them and their children, establishing the rights and reciprocal duties on an equitable basis. It also regulates family relations resulting from the stable union of a man and a woman.
8.The right to education and to culture, as guaranteed under articles 53 to 61 of the Constitution, is inherent to the human person and it is thus the duty and primary purpose of the State to preserve, promote and disseminate education and culture. The State is responsible for organizing the education system and creating the necessary institutions and services. Individuals and entities are guaranteed the freedom to establish private education centres. Education aims to achieve integral human development, including in relation to its spiritual, moral and social dimensions; contribute to the building of a more prosperous, just and humane democratic society; inculcate respect for human rights and the observance of the corresponding duties; combat intolerance and hate; reflect the national reality and promote self-identification with the values of the Salvadorean nationality; and foster the unity of the people of Central America. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that their children will receive. All inhabitants have the right and the duty to receive a preschool and basic education that will enable them to become useful citizens. The State promotes the establishment of special education centres. Preschool, basic and special education imparted by the State is free of charge. No educational establishment may refuse to accept students because of the marital status of their parents or guardians or because of social, religious, racial or political differences. Literacy is in the interest of society and all inhabitants of the country must contribute towards it, as determined by law. Higher education is governed by a special law. The University of El Salvador and other State universities enjoy teaching, administrative and economic autonomy. They serve society and respect academic liberty. They are governed by statutes establishing the general principles underpinning their organization and functioning.
9.On the basis of these constitutional principles and the general objectives of education, the General Education Act (1996) determines and regulates the organization and the functioning of the education system. Preschool education is provided from the age of 4 years and aims to develop socioaffective, psychomotor, sensory-perceptual and language skills through early stimulation. Primary school is for children between 7 and 15 years of age, lasts nine years and is compulsory and free of charge in State schools. Two options are available at the secondary level: a general stream lasting two years or a technical stream lasting three years. At the upper secondary level, technological, professional and scientific qualifications may be obtained and the duration of study depends on the subjects chosen.
10.Recently, a new vision on education has emerged, based on the principles of respect for diversity, social equality and the right to equal opportunities, which means that educational processes must be designed and developed to adapt to learners’ specific needs and the diversity of their requirements. The national curriculum addresses important issues at every level, providing education on topics such as human rights, the environment and equality of opportunities.
11.Since 2014, an extrabudgetary project on building inclusive education systems has been implemented in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including El Salvador. The main goal of the project is to contribute to the effective implementation of the right to education without any discrimination, including on the basis of gender, and enabling equal access, equal learning opportunities, participation in and the completion of good-quality education, with a special focus on students with disabilities. The activities of the project have included strengthening the capacities of State actors, in particular decision makers in the ministries of education, to develop the education system in line with the concept of inclusive education.
12.El Salvador is also involved in a regional project on women in engineering in Latin America and the Caribbean, which aims to bridge the gender gap in this field. Participants discuss the key determinants of gender disparities in engineering in the region and activities are put forward to bridge the gender gap, including by mentoring, using role models, enhancing communication and improving infrastructure.
Germany
13.Germany has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 17 July 1968 and reported to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
14.Germany has actively adopted legislation, administrative decrees and regulations designed to eliminate discrimination in education. One example is the General Act on Equal Treatment (2006), which aims to prevent or remove disadvantages due to race or ethnic background, gender, religion or philosophy, disability, age or sexual orientation in employment and vocational training. Germany promotes equal educational opportunities and recently focused on eradicating gender stigmatizing in vocational training. The country also strives to ensure universal access to education of good quality. It has undertaken various initiatives aimed at reducing school dropout and increasing vocational training opportunities.
15.Article 3 of the Basic Law guarantees equality before the law. The State promotes the enforcement of equal rights for women and men and takes steps to eliminate existing disadvantages. No person can be favoured or disfavoured because of sex, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith or religious or political opinions. No person can be disfavoured because of disability.
16.Article 7 guarantees the right to education and determines the principles of the school system, which is supervised by the State. Parents and guardians have the right to decide whether children will receive religious instruction, which forms part of the regular curriculum in State schools, with the exception of non-denominational schools. Without prejudice to the State’s right of supervision, religious instruction is given in accordance with the tenets of the religious community concerned. The right to establish private schools is also guaranteed. Private schools that serve as alternatives to State schools require State approval and are subject to federal laws. They must meet the same standards as State schools in terms of their educational aims, facilities and the professional training of their teaching staff, and they must not encourage the segregation of students according to the means of their parents. A private elementary school is approved only if the education authority finds that it serves a special pedagogical interest or if, on the application of parents or guardians, it is to be established as a denominational or interdenominational school or as a school based on a particular philosophy and no State elementary school of that type exists in the municipality.
17.Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children aged between 2 and 6 years, after which school attendance is compulsory until the age of 15 years. All children attend elementary school from grade one to grade four in most federal provinces. The education system is divided into three tracks at the secondary level and children and their parents must choose the type of secondary school that they will attend. Many higher learning institutions charge low or no tuition fees. Students are required to have passed final examinations at the secondary level in order to enter university.
18.The 16 federal provinces are responsible for providing education, and the national conference of provincial education ministers serves to coordinate educational practices at the national level. There are specific arrangements for the education of linguistic minorities. For example, children of the Danish minority in Schleswig-Holstein can attend privately maintained alternative schools instead of German-language public schools, as long as the educational standards and objectives of those schools conform to the provisions of the Schleswig-Holstein education law.
19.Boys and girls enjoy the same educational opportunities, as guaranteed by the law on education and implemented in practice. Test results show that girls’ reading skills are stronger than boys’, while boys are ahead of girls in mathematics, but not to the same extent that girls surpass boys in terms of their reading ability. The gender gap in the natural sciences is narrow: boys tend to perform better in chemistry and physics, but not in biology. There are numerous initiatives aimed at encouraging girls to take an interest in mathematics and sciences, such as Girls’ Day, which is sponsored by a number of entities, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, and the federal provinces.
Ireland
20.Ireland is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) and did not report to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
21.Under article 40 of the Constitution, all citizens are held equal before the law. According to article 41, the State guarantees to protect the family as the necessary basis of social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the nation, “in particular, the State recognizes that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved. The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home”. Under article 45, the State directs its social policy towards securing, inter alia, that the citizens (all of whom, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood) may through their occupations find the means of making reasonable provision for their domestic needs.
22.The State has specific constitutional duties concerning education. Foremost among these is to provide for free primary education and to supplement and support other educational initiatives. Article 42 of the Constitution guarantees the right to education, acknowledging that the primary and natural educator of the child is the family. The State guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious, moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children. Parents are free to provide this education in their homes, in private schools or in schools recognized or established by the State. The State does not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State, or to any particular type of school designated by the State. The State, however, as guardian of the common good, requires in view of actual conditions that children receive a certain minimum moral, intellectual and social education. The State provides for free primary education and endeavours to supplement and give reasonable aid to private and corporate educational initiatives, and, when the public good requires it, to provide other educational facilities or institutions with due regard, however, for the rights of parents, especially in the matter of religious and moral formation.
23.The Education Act (No. 51 of 1998), last amended in 2012, was the first comprehensive education legislation to be passed by the State. The Act places the central features of primary and secondary education on a statutory basis and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of all of those involved in education, including school principals and teachers. The values of equality and inclusion, justice and fairness, freedom and democracy and respect for human dignity and identity apply to education in general and are values that have been traditionally accorded respect in society. The Department of Education and Skills is responsible for the administration of public education.
24.Since 1922, the Government has sought to accord the Irish language and culture a suitable place in the primary school curriculum and schools thus play a key role in transmitting the national and cultural heritage.
25.The Employment Equality Act (1998) established the Equality Authority, whose mandate was expanded under the Equal Status Act (2000), prohibiting discrimination in the provision of education and training services.
26.An initiative introduced in January 2010 secured the provision of universal, free preschool education. Children typically complete primary education at 12 years of age. The minimum school-leaving age was raised to 16 years under the Education (Welfare) Act (2000). Secondary education consists of a three-year junior cycle followed by a two-year or three-year senior cycle, while the duration of higher education depends on the areas chosen. The duration of programmes leading to the first university degree is usually three years and a higher diploma is normally awarded after one year of study following the bachelor’s degree. A postgraduate diploma usually takes one year to complete.
27.In the framework of the National Development Plan 2007-2013, entitled “Transforming Ireland: a better quality of life for all”, two critical areas of focus for skills development and lifelong learning were identified, namely continuing efforts to expand the workforce, including through an appropriate skills-based, immigration strategy, and improving literacy and numeracy attainment levels.
Jordan
28.Jordan has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 6 April 1976 and reported to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
29.The education system in Jordan is based on aspirations to freedom, justice and human and economic development, with a view to achieving a significant level of productivity and modernization. The philosophy of education is based upon the Constitution, the principles of the Islamic Arab civilization and the Great Arab Revolt, and the country’s experiences. A high-quality education system aims at shaping citizens who believe in Allah and who are committed to Islamic and Arab supreme values, providing learning opportunities for all, and achieving equality and equity in educational services in respect of both qualitative and quantitative measures. The vision is for Jordan to have good-quality competitive human resources systems that provide all people with lifelong learning experiences relevant to their current and future needs.
30.The most recent education reforms at all levels, from primary to senior secondary, were introduced in 1997. At the junior secondary level, the social studies curriculum was changed to introduce concepts relating to peace education, human rights, gender equality and environmental conservation.
31.Children may enter kindergartens, which offer non-compulsory preschool education, at the age of 4 years. These are operated mainly by private and non‑governmental organizations. From the age of 6 years, all children are required to begin the compulsory 10-year basic education cycle. Secondary education is free but not compulsory. It consists of two years of study for students who have completed the basic education cycle. Students should be able to use Arabic to communicate, reflect Arab, Islamic and humanistic values in their behaviour and pursue self-learning and lifelong education opportunities. Higher education is provided at two levels: two-year diploma programmes offered by community colleges and similar institutions owned by either public or private organizations; and university-level programmes.
32.The Ministry of Education is responsible for the administration of the education system and the achievement of the general education objectives. Its tasks are defined in the Education Act (1994).
33.Several gender equality-related projects have been launched under UNESCO programmes in Jordan. The Net-Med Youth programme focusing on Syrian refugees in Jordan aims to create inclusive, transparent, gender-sensitive and disability-sensitive and proactive youth networks or organizations seeking to mobilize young people around common themes and challenges. It also aims at building capacities in order to empower young men and women to participate in reviewing and revising national legislation on young people, advocates the development of national youth policies and lobbies for the sound implementation of those policies.
34.A project in the Mafraq governorate seeks to empower rural women by enabling them to improve their livelihoods through the management, preservation and promotion of the Umm al-Jimal archaeological site in the north of Jordan.
35.The project entitled “Empowering rural women in the Jordan Valley” has enabled women in the village of Ghawr al-Safi to improve their skills to produce and promote handicrafts and thus establish an income-generating activity. At the same time, the project trains women on natural dyeing, art, design, production, sales and marketing and supports them in promoting and marketing their handicrafts.
36.A joint programme on accelerating progress towards the economic empowerment of rural women in Jordan has been developed by UNESCO, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme. The programme provides support for gender equality and rural women’s economic empowerment in Jordan, in line with the Jordan response plan for the crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic and with the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women made in 2012. This initiative addresses various aspects of women’s empowerment in the agricultural, tourism and culture sectors.
Micronesia (Federated States of)
37.The Federated States of Micronesia is not a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) and did not report to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
38.According to article 4 of the Constitution, equal protection of the laws may not be denied or impaired on account of sex, race, ancestry, national origin, language or social status.
39.Under article 13 of the Constitution, the national Government recognizes the right of the people to education, health care and legal services and has a constitutional duty to take every step reasonable and necessary to provide these services.
40.At the end of the Second World War, a United Nations trusteeship agreement gave the United States of America administrative authority over the Micronesian islands, which became known as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and also the responsibility for helping the people of the Pacific Islands to become self-reliant. Under this agreement, the United States was charged with the task of promoting the educational advancement of the Islands’ inhabitants. To date, the Federated States of Micronesia runs a United States-style education system. Eight years of public schooling is mandatory. Students begin primary school, which is free of charge, at the age of 6 years. The eight-year curriculum includes science, mathematics, language, arts, social studies and physical education. Religious groups also offer private schooling. Public secondary education is available free of charge. Residents may attend private secondary schools. The College of Micronesia-FSM is the only institution of higher education. It offers two-year and three-year associate degree programmes. Instruction is strictly the responsibility of the states, with the national Government providing support and assistance.
41.With the aim of improving education, the Federated States of Micronesia adopted a national plan entitled “Education for all” in 2015. The plan was developed in recognition of the need for the education system to provide for the country’s economic growth and social development. The plan includes such priorities as expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education; achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults; ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory education of good quality.
42.More than 15 languages are used in the Federated States of Micronesia. English is the official language, the primary means of communication among the citizens of the four states and the language of government and business. It is, however, the first language of less than around 2 per cent of students. To preserve the culture and traditions of its people and to prepare them for communication with the world at large, the Federated States of Micronesia endeavours to promote bilingualism.
Rwanda
43.Rwanda has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 28 December 2000, but did not report to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
44.Under article 15 of the Constitution, all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law. Article 16 guarantees protection from discrimination. Under this provision, all Rwandans are born and remain equal in rights and freedoms. Discrimination of any kind or its propaganda based on, inter alia, ethnic origin, family or ancestry, clan, skin colour or race, sex, region, economic categories, religion or faith, opinion, fortune, cultural differences, language, economic status, physical or mental disability or any other form of discrimination are prohibited and punishable by law. In addition, under article 17, spouses are entitled to equal rights and obligations at the time of marriage, during the marriage and at the time of divorce.
45.Under article 20, every Rwandan has the right to education. Freedom of learning and teaching is guaranteed in accordance with conditions determined by law. Primary education is compulsory and free in State schools. Conditions for free primary education in schools subsidized by the Government are determined by law. A law also determines the organization of education.
46.According to the law on the organization of education of 2003, the aim of education is to prepare citizens free from any kind of discrimination or favouritism. Comprehensive education for all Rwandan people must be based on ethical values, intellectual and physical growth, and social and professional well-being. In this regard, it is vital to overcome the obstacles that impede access to education by women and any persons with particular requirements.
47.The law of 2003 determines the organization of preschool, primary and secondary education. Preschool education is for children aged 3 to 6 years. Primary education is mandatory for all children from the age of 7 years. It is provided free in State schools and lasts six years. Secondary education is not compulsory and lasts six years. Non-academic training programmes provided by higher education institutions, including colleges and universities, last two to three years. At the university level, undergraduate courses last two years and students must then complete a further two or three years to obtain a bachelor’s degree. The Ministry of Education manages all the education levels. In the post-conflict context, the teaching content at the primary and secondary levels has been reviewed. The sociocultural situation calls for the use of three official languages: Kinyarwanda, French and English.
48.Several projects relating to gender equality have been launched under UNESCO programmes in Rwanda. The Agaseke Project addresses women’s poverty and lack of education in Kigali by equipping vulnerable, unemployed and landless women with entrepreneurial skills relating to the weaving of agaseke peace baskets.
49.A capacity-building project focusing on women journalists teaches them how to produce radio programmes on issues affecting women in Rwanda through a five-day training workshop.
50.UNESCO was involved in a project on girls’ education in information and communications technology implemented at a girls’ school established by the Forum for African Women Educationalists, created as a centre of excellence for girls. The project seeks to resolve the lack of computers in the school’s laboratory, contribute to the improvement of teaching and stimulate innovation and creativity in the institution. The beneficiaries are 780 students of the school, 33 teachers and the public in general.
Sri Lanka
51.Sri Lanka has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 11 August 1983 and reported to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
52.The Constitution guarantees the right to equality. All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law. A citizen cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, language, caste, gender, sex, political or other opinion, national or social origin, place of birth, mode of acquisition of citizenship, marital status, maternity, parental status or any other grounds. Furthermore, a person cannot, on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, language, caste, gender, sex, political or other opinion, national or social origin, place of birth or any other grounds, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels, places of public entertainment and places of public worship of such person’s own religion. Nevertheless, special measures may be taken by law, subordinate legislation or executive action, where necessary, for the sole purpose of the protection or advancement of disadvantaged or underprivileged individuals or groups, including those who are disadvantaged or underprivileged because of ethnicity, gender, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
53.It is the duty of the State to establish a just, equitable and moral social order, the objectives of which include raising the moral, cultural and educational standards of the people and facilitating the full development of the human personality. Every child between the ages of 5 and 14 years has access to free education.
54.The traditional objectives of education policy can be summarized as follows: to develop and understand the cultural and religious heritage and democratic traditions of the country, as well as an appreciation of the contributions made by the different ethnic groups to the national culture; cultivate an appreciation of the arts, literature and science; develop attitudes conducive to harmonious relations among ethnic groups; promote lifelong education and knowledge renewal through formal and informal education programmes. The education policy provides universal access to education from kindergarten to the university level.
55.Pre-primary education caters to children aged 3-5 years. It is estimated that about 90 per cent of children attend preschool, although on a non-systematic basis. Admission to the five-year primary education programme begins at 5 years of age and laws and policies ensure the universal and free availability of primary education. Technical and vocational secondary education is available and accessible to all, junior secondary education lasts four years and senior secondary covers grades 10 and 11. At the university level, bachelor’s degree programmes usually require three to four years of study. Master’s degree programmes take two years to complete. Doctoral degree programmes normally last three to five years.
56.Sri Lanka faces the problem of early dropout from school and has established community learning centres to service the education needs of children who drop out of school and those who cannot be enrolled in formal schools. The main objective of enforcement of the regulation on compulsory education, which entered into force in 1998, is to ensure that all children aged 5-14 years attend school.
57.Overall gender parity in enrolment has largely been achieved in primary and secondary education, but disparities remain in the choice of subject area specialization at the upper secondary level, where girls are more strongly represented than boys in the arts stream, and vice versa in the science stream.
58.Sinhalese and Tamil are official languages and English is the link language. The medium of instruction in school is generally Sinhalese or Tamil. English is taught from the middle of primary school.
59.The Ministry of Education is responsible for general education, monastic education and teacher education nationwide. The responsibility for education is shared between the central authorities and the provinces. The Ministry is responsible for national policies and plans, the management of national schools, teacher education, higher education and the maintenance of standards in all schools, including quality assurance. Policy implementation is increasingly becoming a provincial function owing to the establishment of the provincial councils of education.
Ukraine
60.Ukraine has been a party to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) since 19 December 1962, however, the country did not report to the eighth consultation of member States on the implementation of the Convention and the Recommendation against Discrimination in Education.
61.Articles 21 to 24 of the Constitution guarantee the right to equality. All people are free and equal in dignity and rights. Citizens have equal constitutional rights and freedoms and are equal before the law. There may be no privileges or restrictions on the basis of race, skin colour, political, religious or other beliefs, gender, ethnic and social origin, property status, place of residence, linguistic or other characteristics. Equality of the rights of women and men is ensured by providing women with opportunities equal to those of men in public, political and cultural activities, in obtaining education and in professional training, in work and remuneration for it; by taking special measures for the protection of the work and health of women; by establishing pension privileges; by creating conditions that make it possible for women to combine work and motherhood; and by adopting legal protection, material and moral support of motherhood and childhood, including the provision of paid leave and other privileges to pregnant women and mothers.
62.Under article 53, everyone has the right to education. Complete general secondary education is compulsory. The State ensures accessible and free preschool, complete general secondary, vocational and higher education at State and communal educational establishments. Scholarships and privileges are available to students. Citizens have the right to obtain free higher education at State and communal educational establishments on a competitive basis. Citizens belonging to national minorities are guaranteed, in accordance with the law, the right to education in their native language, or to study their native language at State and communal educational establishments or through national cultural societies.
63.Preschool education caters to children aged 3-5 years and is not compulsory. According to the law on preschool education of 2001, preschool education should be provided free of charge in State and municipal institutions. There are about 18,400 preschool institutions with a total of 1.7 million children enrolled. About 837,000 children are taught in Ukrainian and 329,000 in Russian. There are also institutions teaching in Hungarian, Romanian, Crimean Tatar and other languages. Elementary education, which is the first stage of compulsory education, covers a period of four years and the admission age is 6 or 7 years. Compulsory education is completed at basic secondary schools. General secondary education is mandatory and represents a component of lifelong education. To enrol in higher education institutions, students must obtain a secondary school-leaving certificate and pass entrance examinations. The Ministry of Education and Science is the central body supervising and managing the education sector.
64.A project on boosting capacities for the sustainable delivery of skill-based HIV and sexuality education and parents’ involvement was implemented in Ukraine in the period 2014-2015. The project provided assistance to develop technical resources for teachers’ pre-service training to deliver comprehensive sexuality education, develop and promote a parents’ guide on sexuality education and Internet-based resources for adolescents on HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health. It also supported the development and introduction of HIV-related policies at all levels and types of education institutions to protect HIV-positive learners and educators from discrimination and to reduce stigma.
Annex
Educational statistics for countries reporting to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its sixty-sixth session: gross enrolment ratios and gender parity index
|
Gross enrolment ratio, primary |
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, gender parity index |
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary |
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, gender parity index |
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary |
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary, gender parity index |
|||||
|
Country |
Year |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
|||
|
El Salvador |
2009 |
118.62 |
122.94 |
0.96 |
69.64 |
69.86 |
1.00 |
27.01 |
24.37 |
1.11 |
|
2010 |
118.04 |
123.61 |
0.95 |
71.78 |
72.26 |
0.99 |
27.62 |
25.01 |
1.10 |
|
|
2011 |
116.87 |
122.60 |
0.95 |
74.24 |
75.42 |
0.98 |
28.69 |
26.42 |
1.09 |
|
|
2012 |
114.92 |
120.70 |
0.95 |
76.56 |
77.72 |
0.99 |
29.65 |
27.54 |
1.08 |
|
|
2013 |
112.47 |
117.95 |
0.95 |
77.82 |
78.39 |
0.99 |
30.33 |
27.95 |
1.09 |
|
|
Germany |
2009 |
104.13 |
104.30 |
1.00 |
100.44 |
106.08 |
0.95 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
2010 |
103.60 |
103.77 |
1.00 |
101.22 |
106.62 |
0.95 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
2011 |
102.94 |
103.26 |
1.00 |
100.89 |
106.26 |
0.95 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
2012 |
102.97 |
103.20 |
1.00 |
99.97 |
105.66 |
0.95 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
2013 |
102.66 |
103.40 |
0.99 |
99.69 |
105.13 |
0.95 |
58.56 |
63.47 |
0.92 |
|
|
Ireland |
2009 |
108.09 |
107.77 |
1.00 |
122.18 |
115.81 |
1.05 |
62.91 |
52.83 |
1.19 |
|
2010 |
106.96 |
106.63 |
1.00 |
126.22 |
120.83 |
1.04 |
66.54 |
59.61 |
1.12 |
|
|
2011 |
105.25 |
105.16 |
1.00 |
123.82 |
120.45 |
1.03 |
68.60 |
63.01 |
1.09 |
|
|
2012 |
103.98 |
103.32 |
1.01 |
127.45 |
124.80 |
1.02 |
69.73 |
65.60 |
1.06 |
|
|
2013 |
103.14 |
102.60 |
1.01 |
127.75 |
125.26 |
1.02 |
75.24 |
71.18 |
1.06 |
|
|
Jordan |
2009 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
47.49 |
42.41 |
1.12 |
|
2010 |
90.88 |
91.14 |
1.00 |
91.08 |
86.10 |
1.06 |
43.49 |
37.68 |
1.15 |
|
|
2011 |
89.58 |
89.99 |
1.00 |
89.15 |
84.18 |
1.06 |
43.76 |
37.09 |
1.18 |
|
|
2012 |
88.16 |
89.25 |
0.99 |
86.43 |
82.27 |
1.05 |
51.55 |
43.82 |
1.18 |
|
|
2013 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
Micronesia (Federated States of) |
2009 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
2010 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
2011 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
2012 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
2013 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
|
Rwanda |
2009 |
145.78 |
141.79 |
1.03 |
26.20 |
28.25 |
0.93 |
4.22 |
5.48 |
0.77 |
|
2010 |
144.14 |
140.54 |
1.03 |
32.62 |
32.91 |
0.99 |
4.88 |
6.25 |
0.78 |
|
|
2011 |
143.70 |
139.67 |
1.03 |
36.91 |
35.75 |
1.03 |
5.79 |
7.70 |
0.75 |
|
|
2012 |
142.75 |
139.84 |
1.02 |
39.68 |
37.07 |
1.07 |
5.85 |
7.26 |
0.81 |
|
|
2013 |
139.25 |
136.23 |
1.02 |
41.59 |
38.71 |
1.07 |
6.64 |
8.46 |
0.79 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
2009 |
94.20 |
95.94 |
0.98 |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
|
2010 |
98.44 |
100.96 |
0.98 |
97.54 |
96.33 |
1.01 |
20.87 |
11.69 |
1.79 |
|
|
2011 |
97.71 |
101.75 |
0.96 |
100.10 |
98.15 |
1.02 |
19.11 |
11.25 |
1.70 |
|
|
2012 |
98.89 |
101.29 |
0.98 |
101.95 |
97.38 |
1.05 |
21.04 |
13.16 |
1.60 |
|
|
2013 |
99.42 |
101.86 |
0.98 |
101.97 |
97.50 |
1.05 |
22.93 |
14.83 |
1.55 |
|
|
Ukraine |
2009 |
98.96 |
98.82 |
1.00 |
93.92 |
95.90 |
0.98 |
94.55 |
74.34 |
1.27 |
|
2010 |
103.10 |
102.41 |
1.01 |
93.90 |
96.22 |
0.98 |
91.51 |
72.81 |
1.26 |
|
|
2011 |
107.51 |
106.02 |
1.01 |
91.84 |
94.59 |
0.97 |
90.52 |
76.47 |
1.18 |
|
|
2012 |
108.95 |
107.02 |
1.02 |
96.03 |
98.13 |
0.98 |
88.03 |
76.51 |
1.15 |
|
|
2013 |
108.88 |
106.79 |
1.02 |
96.83 |
99.80 |
0.97 |
87.28 |
73.21 |
1.19 |
Note: Two dots (..) indicate that data are not available or are not reported separately.