    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [March 16, 2002]
    [Pages 420-421]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    March 16, 2002

        Good morning. In one week, boys and girls in Afghanistan will start
    a new school year. For many girls, this will be the first time in their
    young lives that they will have set foot in a classroom. Under the
    Taliban regime, educating women was a criminal act. Under the new
    government of a liberated Afghanistan, educating all children is a
    national priority. And America, along with its coalition partners, is
    actively helping in that effort.
        When Afghan children begin their classes, they will find that the
    United States has already sent more than 4 million textbooks to their
    country. The textbooks are written in the Afghan languages of Pashto and
    Dari. And before the end of the year, we'll have sent almost 10 million
    of them to the children of Afghanistan. These textbooks will teach
    tolerance and respect for human dignity, instead of indoctrinating
    students with fanaticism and bigotry. And they will be accompanied by
    blackboards, teacher's kits, and other school supplies.
        America's children have been extremely generous in helping the
    children of Afghanistan. Through America's Fund for Afghan Children,
    they have raised more than $4.5 million, much of which is used for
    school supplies like notebooks and pencils, paper and crayons, soccer
    balls and jump ropes. The United States will also be funding 20 teams of
    teacher trainers to conduct training sessions with thousands of Afghan
    educators.
        In helping the Afghan people rebuild their country, we have placed a
    central focus on education, and for a good reason. Education is the
    pathway to progress, particularly for women. Educated women tend to be
    healthier than those who are not well educated, and the same is true of
    their families. Babies born to educated women are more likely to be
    immunized, better nourished, and survive their first year of life.
    Educated women encourage their children to be educated as well. And
    nations whose women are educated are more competitive, more prosperous,
    and more advanced than nations where the education of women is forbidden
    or ignored.
        We still have a lot of work to do in Afghanistan. The brave men and
    women of the American military continue to fight Al Qaida forces that
    are trying to regroup and would like nothing more than to strike America
    again. And even as we fight terror, American compassion is providing an
    alternative to bitterness, resentment, and hatred.
        The United States has helped Afghanistan avert mass starvation.
    We're repairing its roads and bridges. We're rebuilding its health
    clinics and schools. And in one week, with textbooks in hand, the young
    girls of Afghanistan will begin school. This will be a remarkable moment
    in the history of Afghanistan and a proud moment for the people of
    America.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 9:25 a.m. on March 14 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on March 16. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    March 15 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.

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