By Asmau Ahmad
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said its girl’s child enrolment project has exceeded its initial target of one million across Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger States since 2012.
The Education Manager of UNICEF Filed Office in Kano State, Mr Michael Banda, disclosed this on Wednesday at a three-day Media Dialogue on Girl’s Education organised for journalists from Abuja, Kano and Katsina States held in Kano.
The dialogue was organised by the Kano State Qur’anic and Islamiyya Schools Management Board (KSQISMB), in collaboration with UNICEF with funding support from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)UK office.
He said that the impact of the GEP3 was meant to improve social and economic opportunity for girls in target states, complete basic education and acquire skills for life and livelihoods.
“The key Interventions include among others community enrollment drives by the School Based Management Committee (SBMCS) and MAs with support from state and Local Government Education Areas (LGEA).
“Action to build girl-friendly learning environments, creating better retention and demand for new access of SBMCS, Mothers Associations (MAs) and Girl for Girls (G4G) groups, using gender-sensitive whole school development plans.
“Action to improve attitudes towards girls’ enrolment and completion, through community campaigns, peer support to girls and family negotiation by SBMCS, MAs and G4G groups.
“Cash transfer schemes to support families with the direct and opportunity costs of girls’ basic education,” he said.
On the learning outcomes of the girls, Banda said that end line percentage of pupils achieving basic literacy had increased from about 10 per cent at baseline to about 32 and 40 per cents at midline and end line respectively in the GEP3 Intervention schools.
He said that over 10,000 teachers and facilitators had been trained through GEP3, with teachers’ effectiveness.
Banda revealed that UNICEF had also supported the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in developing and in the dissemination of Safe Schools Guidelines.
He said that the GEP3 project had also led to the enrollment of about 1.3 million girls in primary and Integrated Qur’anic Schools (IQS) in the targeted six northern states.
