The Adamawa State government, in collaboration with the Malala Fund, has unveiled guidelines to enable married adolescents and adolescent mothers to return to school.

The guidelines were launched by the state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, with support from Assisting, Charity and Empowering (ACE) Charity and the Malala Fund, in Yola on Thursday.

The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Umar Garba, said the initiative aimed to ensure that girls who get married or become pregnant are not denied access to education.

He said many girls drop out of school due to poverty, early marriage, teenage pregnancy and other social challenges.

“This launch signifies our commitment to ensuring that no child drops out of school because she gets married or has a child early,” he said.

According to him, the framework outlines procedures for the re-entry of married adolescents and adolescent mothers.

Mr Garba said the ministry would work through relevant agencies, including the Mass Education Agency, to ensure the policy’s effective implementation across the state.

He, therefore, called on relevant stakeholders, especially families and communities, to support the programme.

He commended the fund for its technical support in developing the guidelines.

Also speaking, the Senior Programme Manager of ACE Charity, Hassana Shuaibu, said many married adolescents had their education interrupted due to marriage or pregnancy.

Mr Shu’aibu said there was no policy mandating girls to leave school after marriage or pregnancy.

He said the guidelines would provide school administrators with clear procedures on temporary leave and the process for returning to school.

Patience Aguma of the Federal Ministry of Education, who presented an overview of the guidelines, said married and pregnant girls in the state still face barriers to accessing and completing formal education.

She identified financial hardship, pregnancy-related disruptions, childcare responsibilities and restrictive social norms as major factors preventing many girls from returning to school.

Ms Aguma expressed optimism that implementing the guidelines would improve access to education for married adolescents and adolescent mothers in the state. 

(NAN)