Adamawa Launches School Re-Entry Policy For Married Adolescents, Teen Mothers

Adamawa State Government has launched re-entry guidelines for married adolescents and teenage mothers to help them return to school.

The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Umar Pella, unveiled the guidelines in Yola with support from ACE Charity and Malala Fund.

Pella described the launch as a major win for education and for women and girls in the state,stating that the guidelines have reinforced the government’s commitment that no child should be left behind.

The commissioner urged husbands to allow their wives to go back to school and called on girls and young mothers to take advantage of the new policy.

Pella, who described the guidelines as “a big win” for the education sector and for women in general, stressed that adolescent girls are the most vulnerable group, often forced to drop out of school due to early marriage, pregnancy, and economic and social challenges.

He added that education is a tool for survival and girls are more vulnerable at the adolescent stage as they are exposed to social abuse,and commended ACE Charity for the initiative.

Earlier, the Senior Programme Officer of ACE Charity, Hassana Shuaibu, said the organisation was committed to empowering children, youth and women through education and economic opportunities.

She stated that their mission is to support development in Africa through access to quality education and economic opportunities, driven by the vision of a world in which all Africans are educated beyond the basic level to enjoy economic inclusion.

Shuiabu said it was her hope that the guidelines will help the girls effectively actualise their dreams if properly implemented by the state government and various stakeholders in the education sector.

Also, giving an overview of the guidelines, Anguma Nkiruka of the Federal Ministry of Education said the guidelines target in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls who are married, pregnant, divorced, widowed or teenage mothers.

She enumerated the objectives of the guidelines to include promoting re-entry, retention and completion of education, and strengthening the capacity of school management to handle cases of schoolgirl pregnancy and re-entry after childbirth.

The event brought together education stakeholders, NGOs, traditional and religious leaders, as well as adolescent girls and young mothers.

It also featured a panel session on “Translating Policy into Action” before the official unveiling, signing and handover of the guidelines by Doctor Umar Garba Pella.