Senate Committee Laments Nigeria’s 7.6m Out-of-school Children

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com

Senator Lawal Adamu Usman, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), has raised concerns over Nigeria’s staggering number of out-of-school children, with UNESCO estimating the figure at 7.6 million. Alarmingly, 3.9 million of these children are girls at the primary and junior secondary levels.

Senator Usman highlighted that more than 50% of Nigerian girls do not attend school at the basic education level. He noted that nearly one million girls drop out between the first and last year of primary school, while another 600,000 leave school between Primary 6 and JSS1.

The senator identified child marriage, poverty, and gender discrimination as key barriers preventing girls from completing their education. He emphasized the critical role that religious and traditional leaders can play in challenging harmful cultural norms and advocating for girl-child education.

“Our religious and traditional leaders engage and influence families, communities, and decision-makers. They possess the power to address gender inequality and unlock the challenges facing girl-child education and empowerment,” Senator Usman stated.

He called on these leaders to actively promote girl-child education, work with parents, civil society organizations, and teachers, and help prevent child marriages within their communities.

Read more of the story here: https://childreninfobank.com/safebank/senate-committee-laments-nigerias-7-6m-out-of-school-children/

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