The Kano State Government has announced plans to provide scholarships and budgetary support for married adolescents and adolescent mothers who wish to return to school, as part of efforts to improve access to education and promote economic self-reliance.
The announcement was made during the launch of the Kano State Re-entry Guidelines for Married Adolescents and Adolescent Mothers, jointly organised by the state government, ACE Charity and the Malala Fund.
Speaking at a joint press conference, the Head of Office of ACE Charity, Mrs Eno Simon, and the organisation’s Grants and Partnerships Officer, Ms Rahina Opotu, said the new guidelines represent a major step towards ensuring that marriage does not permanently end a girl’s education.
Presenting findings from a study conducted by ACE Charity with support from the Malala Fund, the officials disclosed that 99 per cent of married adolescents expressed a desire to return to school, demonstrating that marriage does not diminish girls’ educational aspirations.
According to them, the state government had committed to making adequate budgetary provisions to support married adolescents and adolescent mothers with the financial resources needed to continue their education.
The guidelines were developed by the Kano State Ministry of Education with technical support from ACE Charity and funding from the Malala Fund after extensive consultations with education stakeholders, government ministries, community and religious leaders, development partners and married adolescents.
The research identified financial hardship, childcare responsibilities, transportation costs, domestic duties and social stigma as the major barriers preventing married girls from continuing their education. Many respondents said scholarships, flexible learning opportunities and childcare support would enable them to return to school successfully.
The study also found strong support from community and religious leaders for married girls’ education. According to the findings, many leaders rejected the notion that religion or culture should prevent girls from continuing their education and pledged to encourage families to support their return to school.
Similarly, many husbands indicated their willingness to support their wives’ education if challenges such as affordability, childcare and flexible learning arrangements were addressed, recognising that educating women strengthens families, improves children’s welfare and contributes to community development.
The newly launched re-entry guidelines provide a framework for implementing flexible learning pathways, strengthening learning centres, providing childcare and psychosocial support, training facilitators, increasing community awareness, and establishing monitoring systems to track enrolment, retention and completion rates.
The guidelines also outline the responsibilities of government ministries, schools, community organisations, development partners, civil society groups, traditional and religious institutions, and the media in ensuring successful implementation.
The event attracted senior government officials, education stakeholders, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, and married adolescents. It featured the presentation of the research findings, the formal unveiling of the guidelines, and a high-level panel discussion on translating the policy into concrete action.
The organisers called on development partners, communities, schools, parents and the media to support the implementation of the guidelines, stressing that their success would ultimately be measured by the number of married adolescents and adolescent mothers who are able to return to school and complete their education.
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