Date: 2016-10-12

The Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) on Tuesday marked the 2016 International Day of the Girl-Child with a call on stakeholders to promote the girl-child education.

Hajia Nimat Labaika, the group Coordinator in Kwara and North Central zone, made the call at a sensitisation to mark the day in Ilorin. Labaika said that this would make the stakeholders to play their roles in educating the girl-child.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 16 girls secondary schools in Ilorin participated in the rally to drum up support for education of the girl-child.

NAN reports that some of the girl schools that took part in the rally include: Ajoke College, Government Girls Secondary School, Ansarrudeen Girls College and Bishop Smith Girls Secondary School.

According to Labaika, the girl-child is already physiologically at disadvantage because of her gender, saying that parents place more priority on the male-child. "The priority given to the male-child in the family results in education discrepancy that is often witnessed in the country.

"Earlier, we sat with these female school children to find out their challenges, and the answer we got is shocking. "Most of them felt left out due to their gender.

"The students told us that the male-child is made to understand that he needs not to do household chores because of sex," she said.

Labaika also said that though, many of the girls were enrolled in primary schools, they hardly transit to higher level. "We appeal to everybody, especially the state government to provide the environment to aid the girl-child education," she said.

Also, Prof. Mohammed Bello of the Bayero University Kano, said that access, retention and completion were the three criteria needed for the girl-child education.

Related Story: APC has not endorsed anyone for Bayelsa guber polls - Aspirant Bello said that the society would achieve better progress with gender balance in the socio-economic sector.

"Poverty should not be a barrier to the girl-child education. "Parents need to prioritise their commitment toward the education of female just like their male counterpart," he said.

In his remarks, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, the chairman of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Ilorin (SUBEB), commended the group for complementing the government's efforts to educate the girl-child.

NAN