AGILE Visits Ajingi For fact-Finding on Female Dropouts
By Khadija Aliyu
Stakeholders in Ajingi local government area Kano described poverty, and lack of books and uniforms as contributing factors to the setback in the retention and completion of girls’ education in the community.
The stakeholders disclosed during an interactive session with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), case management team.
The stakeholders comprising parents, teachers community members and leaders explained that the current economic hardship has contributed immensely to the drop in retention and completion of girls’ education.
The principal of government girls secondary school Ajingi, Malam Jamilu Toranke stressed that the percentage of students attending the school has significantly dropped in the last few months.
He emphasized the need for AGILE to expedite action to enable students to access the conditional cash transfer (CCT).
Toranke pointed out that, the lack of some basic learning structures and support for the students played a vital role in increasing the number of dropouts in Ajingi.
The deputy coordinator AGILE Kano Alhaji Salisu Idris Dakata, explained that available statistics show that, Ajingi and Makoda local government areas have the highest number of female dropouts.
He said they were in the local government area to seek cooperation from parents and stakeholders to address the challenge.
The district head of Ajingi who doubles as Madawakin Gaya, Alhaji Wada Aliyu, explained that the Gaya emirate council would provide all the necessary support and cooperation to address the menace of female dropouts.
He described the initiative as an innovative approach to the reform of public schools for the advancement of education in the entire nation.
Radio Nigeria reports that the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, (AGILE) Project is a World Bank-assisted project of the Federal Ministry of Education geared at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between 10 and 20.
