By Abubakar Ahmed
Stakeholders in the education sector have met in Bauchi to review the Draft Bauchi State Guidelines on the School Re-entry of Married and Pregnant Adolescent Girls, a key component of the proposed Bauchi State Gender in Education Policy (BSGiEP).
The consultative meeting, held on Wednesday, was convened by the Young Leaders Network (YLN) under the Strengthening Advocacy for Girls Education (SAGE) Project, with funding support from the Malala Fund, and in partnership with the Bauchi State Ministry of Education and the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project.
The forum brought together school proprietors, principals, teachers, students and other relevant actors who will drive the implementation of the Gender Policy in Education once domesticated in the state.
Project Manager of SAGE at YLN, Charity Solomon, said the engagement was organised to ensure the draft policy reflects the lived realities in schools and communities across the state.
“We have drafted the Gender Policy with re-entry guidelines for married and pregnant adolescent girls, and deemed it necessary to consult those who will implement it,” she said. “We want the document to reflect our reality.”
Executive Director of YLN, Seun Justin Onarinde, recalled that the consultation builds on a three-day co-creation workshop and subsequent expert review sessions held earlier.
“Today’s meeting is to engage those at the heart of implementation – school managers and proprietors – to critically examine the provisions of the re-entry guidelines,” he said. “We want a policy that will not sit on the shelf, but one that will be alive in our schools, guiding teachers, protecting learners and giving every girl a second chance to learn and thrive.”
Education consultant, Hajiya Aisha Kilishi, facilitated a technical session on Addressing Stigma and Reintegration Challenges in Schools, offering practical strategies to curb discrimination and enhance psychosocial support for returning students.
At the end of the meeting, participants’ recommendations and observations were harmonised for incorporation into the final guidelines and the overall Gender in Education Policy.