Some of the growth is due to a 15 percent increase in the number of primary schools during that time, Ms. Tadelech says. Accessibility of schools is a major problem for Ethiopian children, especially those in rural areas. But Tadelech also credits efforts the government has taken to change long-entrenched attitudes about schooling for girls. Recognizing that many parents may not see the value in that, the Ethiopian government has launched a series of songs, poems, newspaper articles, radio discussions, and even short plays staged in public places, all designed to illustrate the benefits of schooling girls. Also, many girls in Ethiopia still marry at ages as young as 12.
Education has a long-term benefit and that's harder for people to see.
The government campaign has included efforts to knock down some of the more-subtle barriers to progress for girls. Curriculum and textbooks have been revised to winnow out negative images that might suggest boys can hold professional positions but girls cannot. An affirmative-action program has also been set up to offer girls more role models by adding to the ranks of female teachers. One encouraging sign for young girls may be the fact that the current minister of education, Guerent Zawdie, is a woman, the only woman holding a key ministerial position. In Ethiopia, a turbulent political past has also kept many children from their school desks.