Overcoming Gender Differences in Education

Gender equity in education is a global priority aiming to promote the right to education for everyone. It is necessary to ensure equal access to girls and boys for completion of their education cycles, as well as empower equity all through the education education process. Lack of equity between boys and girls schools is not a special specific of one country, but a global problem. Annual reports show that a considerable number of children, mainly girls, have interrupted their education in various levels of Albanian education system, due to a number of reasons. Lack of gender equity in the education system is a big obstacle for dynamic development of the society. The education of girls and women in Albania is important, not only as a matter of respecting a basic human right for half of the population, but also as a powerful force for economic development and achieving other social goals such as improved health and civic involvement. This work will focus on gender disparity in Albanian education system, where number of boys and girls is not the same in all education cycles -- primary, elementary, secondary, according to data in the largest region in the country. A coordination of the qualitative and quantitative analysis is provided to indicate the reasons for this disparity and compare data according to random chosen schools. This work shall offer suggestions and recommendations to improve school curricula and determine the role of teachers in this aspect in order to create a favourable environment for both genders as well as making the education system more inclusive for all children includes improving standards, curricula and a focus on teacher training and development in Albania. [For the full proceedings, see ED630893.]