Washington, D.C., Thursday, March 3, 2011- -- In a keynote speech at the World Bank’s Human Development Network Forum, U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, yesterday singled out EFA-FTI's new report, Fast-tracking Girls' Education, praising EFA-FTI's work on girls' and boys educational progress.

He said: "I am pleased to see that Education for All's Fast Track Initiative is releasing a report tomorrow on the status of girls' education. It finds that enormous strides in access and equity have been made worldwide but that formidable challenges remain ahead. The EFA's report reminds us that education is the great equalizer. It is the one force that can consistently overcome differences in background, culture, and privilege. The EFA's report, and others before it, also highlight that expanding educational access for girls is not just an urgent economic and social need. In many cases, it is literally a matter of life and death. A mother who can read can better protect her children from chronic illnesses, from AIDS, and from dying young. A child born to a mother who can read is 50 percent more likely to survive past age 5. And in Africa's poorest states, UNESCO projects that the lives of 1.8 million children could have been saved if their mothers had at least a secondary education.”

Fast-tracking Girls’ Education, released today, details the encouraging progress that girls have made in enrolling in school and, increasingly, completing their education. At the same time, the publication warns that in developing countries, too many girls are not in school, and many girls face continuing health risks, harassment, and danger just walking to class. The report also reviews the ‘girl-friendly’ policy interventions which built the foundation for this progress – illustrated by countries such as Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Yemen.

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Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education on the Report

Prema Clarke, author of the report on the progress on girls education