Nasarawa State Unveils School Re-entry Guidelines for Adolescent Mothers

Nasarawa State Government has launched the guideline for the re-entry of adolescent mothers into the formal education system.

The State Commissioner for Education, Dr John Mamman, while unveiling the guideline in Lafia, said the project supported by Teenage Network with funding from Rise Up for Girls aimed to foster a more inclusive and supportive educational system for adolescent girls.

Dr. Mamman, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr. Mohammed Bala, said the ministry recognizes the unique challenges faced by adolescent mothers in the state, hence the development of the guide for their school re-entry.

“Education is a fundamental right and ensuring that adolescent mothers have access to quality education is crucial for their personal development and the well-being of their families.

“This document serves not only as a roadmap for schools and educators but also as a call to action for the community to support and uplift these young mothers,” he noted.

The Commissioner appreciated the partnership between the Ministry and Teenage Network and expressed optimism that the guideline for the education of adolescent mothers would address the issues affecting them.

He, therefore called on other stakeholders to support the school re-entry programme for young mothers to enable them to succeed in their educational journey.

The Executive Director of Teenage Network, Olanike Timipa-Uge, said her organisation supported by Rise Up for Girls had been working with the ministry to develop the guidelines for the school re-entry programme for the past year.

She said that the guiding principles of the guideline include; inclusion and non-discrimination, gender equality and equality, safeguarding the best interest of children, and empowerment which emphasized self-independence, and self-determination among others.

The Executive Director also said the target beneficiaries include; adolescent mothers, children born to adolescent mothers, educational institutions as well as stakeholders in the education sector.

She appreciated the commissioner, permanent secretary, directors, and all staff of the ministry as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the support given to them throughout the process of developing the document.

“We look forward to a continuous partnership with this ministry as this is just the first step. The second step is to ensure that there is an uptake of the provisions that this guideline has made available for girls in Nasarawa State,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Schools at the ministry, Mr. Sylvester Yakubu appreciated the Stakeholders, especially the state adolescent mothers for sharing their experiences which had helped in identifying the needs of the beneficiaries.

He equally thanked the development partners for dedicating their time and resources to the success of the project.