The Advocacy and Sensitization Committee set up by the Kano State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, has concluded a two-day working visit to Garun Mallam Local Government Area following a report indicating a significant drop in attendance among teenage female students in public secondary schools in the area.
The committee, chaired by the Director Monitoring and Evaluation of the ministry, Muhammad Auwal Mustapha, engaged with key stakeholders, including the Executive Chairman of Garun Mallam Local Government, the District Head, and authorities of selected girls’ secondary schools within the area.
During the visit, the committee interacted closely with school administrators, teachers and students to understand the underlying factors responsible for the decline in attendance. While preliminary reports had attributed the situation to lack of basic personal care items and inadequate awareness on health and hygiene practices, findings from some of the schools attributed the challenge to the harvest season.
According to the school authorities, many teenage girls abandon classes during harvest periods to engage in farm labour due to the financial incentives involved. This seasonal involvement in agricultural activities significantly disrupts their schooling and contributes to the observed decline in attendance.
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of Garun Mallam Local Government, Barrister Aminu Salisu Kadawa, represented by the vice chairman, Tasi’u Sale Kwiwa, welcomed the committee and commended the Ministry of Education for swiftly responding to the concerns raised regarding school attendance. He assured the delegation of the Local Government’s commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at improving girls’ education.
He noted that while economic activities, especially during harvest seasons, contribute to absenteeism, the Local Government will intensify community outreach to sensitize parents on the importance of continuous schooling. He pledged to work closely with community leaders, school authorities, and the Ministry to develop strategies that balance agricultural needs with the educational rights of children.
He further emphasized that the welfare and education of the girl child remain a priority for the Local Government, adding that measures would be taken to discourage excessive engagement of school-aged girls in farm labour during school days.
Also speaking at his palace, the District Head of Garun Mallam, Sarkin Fulanin Ja’idanawa, Alhaji Abubakar Gwadabe Buhari, expressed gratitude for the committee’s visit and acknowledged the findings as a matter of great concern to the traditional institution. He reaffirmed the commitment of the traditional leadership to support the Ministry’s efforts in promoting education, particularly for girls.
He admitted that the harvest season has long posed challenges to school attendance within the community, as families depend on the labour of their children for additional income. He assured the committee that the traditional authorities will intensify sensitization through community meetings, mosque gatherings, and engagement with parents to stress the importance of keeping girls in school.
The District Head encouraged the Ministry to continue its advocacy efforts and called for joint action involving government agencies, schools, and community leaders to address both the economic and social factors affecting attendance. He expressed optimism that with sustained collaboration, the attendance rate of girls in Garun Mallam will significantly improve.
While commending the efforts of the schools’ principals for providing the basic personal care items and awareness on health and hygiene matters to the students, the committee expressed concern over the long-term implications of the trend on girls’ education and overall development in the area. It assured stakeholders that the Ministry of Education, under Dr Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda will intensify advocacy efforts, strengthen community sensitization, and collaborate with traditional leaders, parents, and school managements to address both the economic-driven absenteeism of the girl child students.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that every child, especially the girl child, has uninterrupted access to quality education in a safe and supportive environment.
