Islamic scholars (Ulama”u) in Kazaure emirate of Jigawa State have called on the state government to initiate direct scholarship to rural girls for enhancing girl child education in the state.
The Ulama”u made the called during an interactive session with a civil society group known as Jigawa Education Partners which was organised in collaboration with Partnership To Engaged Reforms and Learning funded by FCDO.
The clerics identified poverty and lack of awareness among rural parents on state government free girl child education policy as major factors retarding the development of girls child education in rural communities of the state.
According to them, direct scholarship under which government will select best primary and secondary schools girls graduate from each rural community and give them direct scholarship, extra monitoring and encouragement to acquirer higher education will help in addressing the challenges militating against the sector.
“Such girl children will return to their communities after graduation and serve as role models and source of inspirations to other girls and parents on the importance of education,” they said.
The Islamic scholars also promised to intensify their efforts on public enlightenment on the importance of girl child education as enshrined in Islamic doctrine which says “If you train or educate a single girl, it is like you educate the whole community”.
In his speech the leader of the Jigawa Education Partners Team, Tasiu Abubakar, said the issue of girl child education in Jigawa State is still in a story state despite the billions of Naira budgeted for education by successive Jigawa State governments annually.
