Statistics from the State Ministry of Education reveal that the enrollment of girls in primary schools in Gombe State stands at 44.6 per cent, while in junior secondary schools, it drops to 41.5 per cent .
This indicates that more than half of the school-aged girls in the state are still out of school. The situation worsens at the senior secondary level, where enrollment falls further to 38.5 per cent, instead of showing any improvement or stability.
When it comes to the northeast, Gombe is at the top of the list for children roaming the streets. We call them out-of-school girls,” asserted Amina Haruna Abdul, the state project coordinator for the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE).
Other stakeholders have pointed to the low representation of females in teaching roles and school administration as a major factor behind the lack of progress in girls’ education in the state.
A female lawyer and women’s activist in Gombe, Barrister Martha Daniel,
highlighted the issue of female representation in leadership roles, particularly as principals, noting that having more women in these positions could significantly improve the enrollment and retention of girls in schools.
She lamented that women are typically only appointed as principals in female boarding schools, a practice she believes is insufficient. “Boys also need to see women in leadership roles as principals, so that as they grow up, they won’t oppose women holding significant positions,” she stated.
She called for an urgent review of the state’s education sector plan to ensure the appointment of more female principals in schools.
“When it comes to female principals, that’s where the problem lies. We need female principals in our secondary schools, not just vice principals. We need role models,” she emphasised.
When I see a woman in a position, I feel more comfortable,” she said in a conversation with our correspondent. “It can enhance the enrollment and retention of girls in schools in northern Nigeria. But when girls see that a man is always the principal, they often can’t open up when confronted with issues. To ensure we don’t leave the girl child behind, it’s crucial to increase the number of female principals, especially in Gombe State.”
Our correspondent’s checks revealed a significant gender gap in the number of female teachers and principals compared to their male counterparts in the state.
Data from the State Ministry of Education shows that out of a total of 18,878 teachers in government primary and secondary schools, only 6,984 are female, making up 37 per cent. Males account for the remaining 63 per cent. Additionally, the number of female principals in the state is alarmingly low, with only 9 female principals recorded in the available data.
The Northeast zonal coordinator of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), Halima Mahadi, emphasided the importance of recruiting more female teachers in Gombe State.
She argued that this should be explicitly included in the state’s new education sector plan. Mahadi pointed out a troubling trend in female schools where, despite female principals, all other teachers are male. “In many of these schools, only the principal is female,” she lamented.
Ali Baba Dalhatu, the State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), mentioned the Female Teachers Scheme (FTS) outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the state government.
This scheme aims to provide permanent and pensionable appointments every two years for qualified female teachers undergoing training. Dalhatu expressed optimism that, if implemented, female teachers will soon outnumber their male counterparts.
In line with this, Fatima Ali Baba, the Principal of Government Girls Mega College in Doma, suggested that recruiting more female teachers would motivate girls and significantly enhance their educational experiences in Gombe State.
“More teachers to be employed especially the female teachers. You know female teachers are different from male teachers in terms of counselling and guiding the students.
“Student will feel free to express her mind to a female teacher be it a science teacher or an art teacher. But if it is a male teacher, that female student will not feel comfortable even to ask questions where she doesn’t understand any topic in the class”, she said.
An analysis of the education sector plan being used in the state for years, shows gaps in terms of gender responsiveness, thereby impeding significant improvement in girl child education in the state.
Also commenting on the state education plan, head of Education Management Information System (EMIS) of the ministry of education, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, noted that the state’s previous education plan failed to critically address gender issues, but the newly developed plan prioritises gender equality and parity.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi field office, in charge of Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba States reviews and develops comprehensive State Education Sector Plan (SESP) and State Education Sector Operational Plan (SESOP) aimed at addressing gaps in the previous education plans of Gombe State.
Moreover, the state project coordinator of AGILE, Amina Haruna Abdul, said to address out-of-school girls in the state, AGILE, a project of the state government supported by the World Bank would offer a second chance education, providing training, materials, and registration for out-of-school girls to acquire skills and education.
While responding on the low female teachers and female principals in the state, commissioner for education, Aishatu Maigari, pledged they are changing the narrative.
“We are now changing the narrative,” she said. “Because of the governor’s policy, I have also directed that where a female is well-equipped to be a school administrator, she should be appointed. Let’s encourage women. We need more female principals and head teachers, as opposed to how things were before.”
Our correspondent observed that a gender-responsive education sector plan could help address the shortage of female teachers and principals in the state, while simultaneously encouraging higher enrollment and retention of girls in schools across Gombe.
