FG launches national policy on gender in education

The Federal Government on Monday launched the National Policy on Gender in Education and its implementation guide was recently approved by the National Council on Education.

Minister of State for Education Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, presented the document to stakeholders in Abuja, as part of the political will of the current government to remove all encumbrances to acquiring basic knowledge competencies and necessary skills to enable girls and boys to lead safe and productive lives.

The document is a review of the National Policy on Basic Education carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and World Bank.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja yesterday, the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of education, Mr Sonny Echono, said the revised National Policy on Gender in Education was a step in the right direction as it cuts across all levels of education.

He said it captures emerging issues, cross-cutting issues, and a whole lot more while urging all sectors and states to ensure that it is used as a tool for achieving not only gender equality and equity but the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 Agenda.

“It may interest you to know that FME has done a lot in the area of improving access and retention in schools. Despite these efforts, a large number of girls and boys are still out of school and we must all jointly ensure that these children return to school,” Echono said.

Saadhna Panday, a UNICEF representative, expressed satisfaction in bringing the policy to fruition. She said there is a rich store of data on the benefits accruing to girls, women, and to societies when investments are made in girls’ education, in particular secondary education.

“It dramatically increases the lifetime earnings of girl child marriage rates decline; child mortality rates decline and child stunting drops Nigeria has made bold strides in closing the gender gap in education, but significant regional disparities remain in enrolment, retention, and transition rates for girls.

“This is fueled by among other factors, high rates of poverty, safety and security concerns, gender biases and social norms and traditions.”

Clement Idoko

Nigerian Tribune

FG launches national policy on gender in education