http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/04/middle_east_a_school_for_girls/html/1.stm
A school for girls (SEE THE PICTURES ON THE LINKED PAGE)
Of the 70 million illiterate people in the Arab world, two-thirds are
girls.
According to Unicef, illiteracy is at critical levels in Sudan and
Yemen, where more than one million girls between six and 13 years of
age are not enrolled in school.
The BBC Arabic Service series "A School for Girls" talked to female
students from several Arab countries - such as these girls at a school
in Manfalout, Egypt - about the educational barriers facing girls
across the Arab world.
Egypt - a study in sacrifice
Uneducated girls in the Arab world have suffered major disadvantages
despite efforts to improve their lives.
But some Egpytians in rural areas have been willing to give up
valuable land and property to create schools for girls who have no
access to schooling.
Jordan - combating attitudes
In Jordan, where enrolment in schools is relatively high, conservative
attitudes towards women as well as tribal traditions contribute to
girls dropping out from school to become young wives.
Many of the girls interviewed say most people believe a woman's main
job is to stay at home, cook and take care of the children.
Syria - tough choices
The parents' role is crucial in deciding which of their children to
educate.
Here a father and his 14-year-old daughter from Mohassan village in
the Deir Alzaur province in Syria, are discussing the right to an
education with BBC Arabic reporter Safaa Faisal.
The father has six girls and two boys.
He says he is willing to finance a private education for his sons but
does not want his girls to attend school.
The struggle for knowledge
This girl in Deir Alzour province in Syria is talking about her
experience of education.
She was taken out of school against her will by her parents in order
to work on a farm.
She then managed to convince them to let her return to school and now
farms land in the morning and attends a literacy class in the evening.
Local NGOs are also helping her school meet costs by providing books
and salaries for teachers.
Yemen - tough conditions
Here teachers in a village close to al-Hoidida city in Yemen are
discussing their working conditions.
They talked about low wages, inadequate training and the lack of
resources and toilet facilities in the school buildings.
They also have to travel long distances in order to get to school.
Classrooms, they say, are overcrowded - some have more than 100
students.
There are no chairs and the students sit on the floor.
A student's dream
This disabled student in al-Rahaa village, close to the port city of
Aden, travels four kilometres (2.5 miles) every day to get to her
local primary education school and back home.
But she doesn't complain about the time she spends travelling.
Her main concern is that she wants to go to university.
Her dream is to become a doctor - but there are no secondary schools
nearby.
Embarrassment and fear
In al-Hoidida city, Yemen, this girl is learning how to read and write
thanks to an illiteracy eradication programme.
Girls in Yemen say going to school can sometimes be embarrassing for
them, particularly when they practice sports or other outdoor
activities.
Some schools are so poor they have no walls surrounding the grounds;
neighbours can look in and the students lack privacy.
Sudan - legacy of war
This is a one-room school in a refugee camp in Wad Madani village, one
hour away from Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
Civil war has left Sudan with few resources for education.
Despite parents' strong commitment towards girls' education, enrolment
is low.
Staying committed
This Sudanese teacher has to travel long distances to reach a refugee
camp school in Wad Madani village, an hour away from Khartoum.
She says parents are very committed to girls' education.
Despite their poverty, they often contribute to travel expenses as an
incentive to keep her in teaching.
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