Savanes 80,3% 64,6% 72,8% 0,80 Total 86,9% 80,0% 83,6% 0,92 Source: National School Statistics Directory of the Directorate of Pre-School and Primary Education Directorate (DEPP), June 2015 273. The parity is attained from the point of view of access to Primary 1 since the gender parity index (GPI) for the gross admission rate (GAR) is equal to a unit. However, dropouts and repetitions cause a reduction in the number of girls throughout the educational path. That is the reason why this parity is neither achieved for schooling nor for primary completion. Gender equity is a challenge in the area of education. 274. The repetition rates of students decreased by close to 21% in 2011-2012 to about 11.2% in 2013-2014, thus causing dropouts and consequently, a low retention in the educational system. However, the dropout rates are more pronounced in the Kara region (15%) as against the Golfe which records a dropout rate of 9.7%. Though in the public educational system, in practice, there is one mathematics book and one reading book per pupil, special attention must be given to Local Inititative Schools (EDIL) where these important tools for the acquisition of knowledge are still lacking. 275. All over the country, on the average, a pupil has a mathematics textbook and a reading book in the public system. By contrast, in the private system, the ratio is a textbook to two pupils. The pupils/ classroom ratio which is 41% in the public schools is consistent with the standard of the school mapping (40 pupils per classroom). But, it is higher in the public in some regions, particularly in the Maritime and Golfe-Commune of Lomé. The same trend is applicable for the pupil/teacher ratio with an average of 45 pupils per teacher. In spite of the efforts made by the government in the recruitment drive, there is still a gap of 15.000 teachers for all grades of general education. 276. The Togolese government, in its efforts to achieve universal primary education, designed an education sector plan in 2010; it provides for a number of priority actions. Thus, through the Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (PERI), the Togolese government built more than 1.000 fully-equipped classrooms between 2011 and 2014. 277. To promote the learning of reading and language at the primary level, 11.154 panel reader hardware were distributed to public primary schools in Togo. With a 81