Dropouts:AGILE Visits GGSS Dawanau to interact with stakeholders
By Khadija Aliyu
Parents, teachers and stakeholders in the Dawanau community, Dawakin Tofa local government area Kano, have identified poverty, and lack of uniforms and books, as some of the major catalysts, to dropouts in government girls’ secondary school Dawanau.
The stakeholders made the disclosure during an interactive session with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), team at the school premises.
Speaking on behalf of parents, the PTA chairman of the school, Alhaji Hussaini Abdullahi Dawanau pointed out that, providing fencing and additional classes would improve learning outcomes.
He said, the PTA and school-based management committee (SBMC) had on several occasions, mobilized philanthropists to support the school with roofing, equipment and structures.
The deputy project coordinator AGILE Kano Alhaji Salisu Idris explained that they were at the community to find out the reasons behind the increase in the number of dropouts.
He pointed out that, during their interaction, the AGILE case management committee discovered poverty and other factors as major catalysts to the lack of completion of girls’ education.
Salisu stressed that AGILE was committed to providing financial incentives through the conditional cash transfer (CCT), in addition to providing basic learning facilities under the large grant.
The principal government girls secondary school Dawanau, Hajiya Sadiya Muhammad Yakasai hinted that education is the backbone of any meaningful development as such parents should endeavour to ensure completion.
She described the interaction between AGILE and the community as a welcome development, which would go a long way in yielding positive results.
The coordinator of Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA), Kano chapter who doubles as a lecturer with the Department of Adult Education and Community Development BUK, Dr Auwal Halilu noted that research conducted revealed that over 60 students have dropped out from the school, hence the need to engage the parents and teachers to mitigate the problem.
He maintained that CSACEFA would continue advocating to the state government and AGILE to ensure that the school receives speedy intervention.
