By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh /Kano
The Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP), has identified absence of requisite facilities, lack of qualified educators and mass poverty as among the major factors militating against the girl-child smooth transition from primary to secondary education in Kano state.
This was contained in a Communique released after a Roundtable Discussion on “retention and completion of girl-child education in Kano state,” organized by AHIP, in collaboration with Christian Aid, held at Hotoro GRA, Maiduguri Road, Kano, on Thursday.
The Communique was signed by Barr. Priscilla kwatwa; Sa’adatu Hashim; Dr. Zubaida Nagee; and Dr. Mariya Aliyu Waziri.
According to the Communique: “Indeed, an assortment of tribulations converges to menace the educational landscape within Kano State, encompassing the absence of requisite facilities and qualified educators.
” The dire need for greater accessibility, the problem of mass poverty among the populace, the lamentable deficit of human resources to oversee educational institutions, the harmful menace of ignorance, the deceptive pervasion of examination malpractice, and the lamentable inappropriateness of an education system grieving of productivity.”
AHIP lamented that, “despite the laudable enactment of a policy decreeing free and compulsory Basic and Secondary Education, enrollment figures have surged. Yet, a perplexing problem persists, for even in the wake of rising enrollments, the specters of retention, transition, and completion remain critical.”
The Communique recalled that: ” In Kano, a striking augmentation in girl child enrollment transpired since 2017, with 1,978,884 girls; however, by 2020, only 273,471 transitioned to junior secondary schools, with a mere 168,239 progressing to senior secondary schools, as per the Kano State Annual School Census.
“This vexing reduction is intensified by the restrictions of qualifying examinations, which, for children attaining nine credits, determine sponsorship for NECO or SSCE/WAEC examinations.
” Notably, Kano State persists as the citadel of the highest number of out-of-school children, nearly 1.5 million by the metrics of UNICEF, an undeniable cause for grave concern.”
Unlettered youth stand as vulnerable outsiders, repeatedly exposed to systemic discrimination based on age, social status, education, and health.
The plight of girls and young women is further compounded by the dual fluctuations of gender discrimination, both within the domicile and the broader community range.
These vulnerabilities are magnified within rural divisions, where the universal threats of poverty, established culture, traditions, infrastructural dearth, and service deserts hold influence.
Furthermore, the female adolescent, aged between 13 and 16, bears a difficult mantle, being up to sixfold more prone to humiliations and maltreatment than her male counterpart of commensurate age.
They, however, advocated for an augmented allocation of fiscal resources to the education sub-sector of Kano State, sustained by a steadfast commitment to transparency and judicious fiscal stewardship.
“It is incumbent upon us to inculcate within the populace an unwavering awareness of the intrinsic value of education, compelling them to embrace it wholeheartedly.
” To mitigate the negative effects of poverty upon education in Kano State, we passionately beseech the State Government to institutionalize social protection programs.
” We urge for the amplification of the capacities of pertinent educational agencies in Kano State, including the State Ministry of Education and SUBEB.
” We endorse a collaborative overture with donor agencies, thereby facilitating the execution of pivotal programs. It is our sincere belief that a moral renaissance is requisite, a clarion call to be heeded by the State Government with unflagging commitment. This would encompass the resolute pursuit of moral instruction within our schools.
“We vehemently emphasize the necessity of recruiting educators of consummate quality, underpinned by a rigorous regimen of retraining. We strongly support the establishment of additional schools in Kano State, specifically tailored to provide entrepreneurship and vocational education.
“To advance the adoption of legal frameworks, we propose the formation of a coalition named “Champion Legislative Initiatives,” aiming to harness the recommendations and insights presented by the Coalition for Girl Child Education in their advocacy efforts,” the Communique added.