The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has tasked parents in Katsina State to ensure the transition of their female children from primary to secondary schools.
A UNICEF facilitator, Mr Sylvester Anammah, gave the encouragement at a transition commitment town hall meeting in Kankara Local Government Area (LGA), on Wednesday.
The meeting was organised by the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), at Nuhu Primary school and Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Primary school Kankara, with the support of UNICEF, through Adolescent Girls Programme (REACH).
Anammah said the meeting with the parents, was to join hands together to ensure that they allow their female children to go to secondary school after graduating from primary school.
He further explained that UNICEF and SUBEB would ensure that each parent in attendance committed themselves to allowing their female children to transit to secondary school.
Anammah told the parents that, “After your commitment, our officials are coming in January next year, to follow up with you to see if you are complying with the agreement.”
The facilitator called on the parents to ensure that they provide their girl children with all the necessary support to go to secondary schools.
In his remarks, Alhaji Rabiu Idris-Funtua, the SUBEB permanent member II, explained to the parents the importance of educating female children.
According to him, “if a girl child is educated, the majority of the society would be educated, “therefore, you are encouraged to allow your female children to be educated.”
He advised the parents that their female children are highly protected in schools from being sexually harassed by the bad lecturers and students.
Idris-Funtua told them that when he was a member of the state assembly, he endured the enactment of a sexual harassment law in the state, providing 14 years’ imprisonment for defaulters.
The SUBEB permanent member assured the parents that the state government is committed to the girl-child education in Katsina.
“Therefore, the government will do everything possible to provide the children with a conducive learning environment,” he said.
Malam Jamila Ahmed, UNICEF’s desk officer in Kankara, said no fewer than 306 parents, 437 girl-children across eight schools in the area were engaged for the meeting.
While signing the written commitment note, the parents promised to do everything possible to support their girl children to go beyond primary school level.
At the meeting, the children were lectured on benefits of education, education as a right, and encouraged to develop interest in gaining admission to institutions of higher learning.
A similar meeting was also organised in Baure LGA, while that of Kafur would take place on Thursday, Mani and Rimi on Friday, and Katsina LGA on Saturday. (NAN)
