Education:51% Children out of school in Adamawa

The report of a research conducted by a non-governmental organisation, African Centre for leadership Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), has established that 51% of school-age children in Adamawa State are not in school.

The acting Executive Director of the Centre, Mr Monday Osasah, who elucidated some contents of the report in Yola on Tuesday said girl-child enrolment is particularly low in Adamawa State, that in Maiha LGA for example, only about 3 or 4 out of every 10 school-age girls are in school at both primary and secondary levels.

Explaining that the Malala Fund-supported research was conducted in three LGAs: Maiha (Adamawa North Senatorial Zone), Numan (Adamawa South), and Song (Adamawa Central) to achieve statewide representation, Mr Osasah said information establishing statistical facts for all the other LGAs were obtained from relevant ministries and departments to draw statewide conclusions.

The Baseline Study Report on the Community-led Collective Action for Girls’ Education (C-CAGE) in Adamawa State, which Mr Osasah handed to newsmen at the workshop venue, shows that while total population of persons of school age in the state in 2018 was 1,736,546; only 849,912 (49%) were enrolled in primary and secondary schools.

It further shows that while the total population of school-age females across the state was 843,024; only 383,380 (45.5%) were in school.

It identified a view by many parents that girl-child education ‘is a waste because the girl would be married out soon enough’, as a predominant cause for poor girl-child enrolment in school.

The research report also mentioned fear of being kidnapped by Boko Haram, early marriage and unwanted pregnancy as being among other barriers to girl-child enrolment.

It recommended critical evaluation of the barriers by communities and political leaders as the way forward