It said the African Girls' Education Initiative, begun in 1994, was having a noticeable impact in several countries, including Chad, Guinea, Senegal and Benin.
Nevertheless, it said the UN millennium goal of providing primary education for all children by 2015 was in general lagging behind in sub-Saharan Africa.
"An extraordinary level of progress in Africa must be made in the next few years if these goals are to be achieved," UNICEF said.
"According to a recent estimate, it will take sub-Saharan Africa until 2119 to achieve universal primary education if progress is not accelerated." The agency singled out Chad for special praise, saying that in 1996 gross primary school enrolment was 51 percent, and girls' enrolment was only 37 percent. Within only two years, girls enrolment increased fourfold, the dropout rate fell and the number of female teachers increased from 36 to 787.
"By 2000-2001, gross enrolment for all children in Chad has risen to 75 percemt, a remarkable achievement in a country where one in five children still die before reaching the age of five and nearly three quarters of the population have no access to fresh water." UNICEF also cited Zambia, where it said a special program to promote girls' education was operating in 1,000 schools in all 72 of the nation's districts, and Kenya, which abolished school fees making it possible for 1.3 million more children to enter primary school in 2003 - Sapa-AFP
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