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EFA Goal Five: Achieving Gender Parity and Equality 53Figure 5: Primary Education: Improving Gender Parity in GER1.11.00.90.8◆▲◆▲◆▲◆▲◆▲◆▲◆▲◆◆▲◆▲◆▲▲ 1990◆ 20010.70.6▲0.50.4BangladeshCambodiaIndiaIndonesiaJapanLao PDRMongoliaNepalPhilippinesThailandViet NamSource: 2005 EFA Global Monitoring Report.However, data collected from around the region indicate that while some countries maybe close to achieving gender parity in girls’ and boys’ enrolment (at the national level, ifnot across sub-national areas and populations groups), gender parity is lacking withregard to school directors, who are most often male; teachers, the majority of whom aremen, in some cases, or overwhelmingly female, in others, with men viewing teachingas “women’s work”; and classroom leaders, who are usually boys.Parity requires equal proportions of girls and boys being enrolled in school. However,achieving EFA Goal 5 is not only about “numbers”, it is not only about “women andgirls”. We must put a “face” to the learners behind the numbers and look into thelearning environment in its entirety.Gender equality in terms of ACCESS requires equal opportunities to attend school; interms of QUALITY: equality in the learning process, equality of learning outcomes, andequality of job opportunities and earnings.To look beyond parity, one must examine carefully textbooks, learning materials forstereotypic images, unequal educational opportunities, and burden of household chores(care of siblings usually falls on girls, resulting to a lack of time for homework and studies).In the classroom, it is critical to consider:● Curriculum: little relevance to daily life needs, sex-stereotype in subjectoptions, timetable not taking into account girls domestic chores, etc.Education for All: Reaching the Unreached