49 In eastern and central Europe, what may be the main reason for children to leave school?
(A) Children have to work to earn their own living.
(B) Children cannot afford educational fees and other expenses.
(C) The increase of girls’ school attendance makes boys leave school.
(D) UNICEF does not offer aids to the children in this region.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says 115 million children worldwide are still missing out on an education, most of them girls.

2005 is the year set by the UN to achieve實現 gender equality in primary education小学教育. 

UNICEF says many countries in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East中東cannot meet the target of gender equality in 2005.

UNICEF is especially concerned about the situation in west and central Africa.

Only five countries out of 24 are set to achieve gender equality there.

In South Asia, UNICEF says, progress進展 has been made but not enough.

Forty-two million children across the region區域 don’t go to school.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have the widest最廣 gender gaps.

For Pakistan to have the same number of girls as boys in school by 2015, it would have to increase girls’ school attendance出席 by over three percent each year.

And in eastern and central Europe there is cause for concern擔心, too.

The introduction of fees for tuition, school books and uniforms has led to rising drop out rates—and girls drop out sooner than boys.

UNICEF insists the effort must be made.

The UN’s primary goal is to get rid of poverty貧窮, and education is fundamental基本 to achieving that.