The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Dr Hamid Boboyi has described the high rate of school dropout among girl-child as a national problem.
He added that the inauguration of Alternative High School for Girls is not only to ensure academic success but also to equip girls who dropped out of school for certain reasons with life-sustaining skills.
Speaking with newsmen during the week in Osogbo, Dr Boboyi disclosed that a similar project would be built in each of the states of the federation.
He added that when completed in six months, the school is expected to have a kindergarten for children and a workshop for entrepreneurship skills like Fashion Design and Tailoring, Home Economics and Catering among others.
While commending Senator Oluremi Tinubu for the vision of the Alternative Schools, he said the project when completed would be handed over to State Government for management and expansion while UBEC would continue to ensure manpower development.
His words, “Available data show that of the 3,904,713 pupils in Primary Six across the country in 2021, who were expected to transit to JSS in 2022, only 1,602,213 could be accounted for in JSS One of 2022 While there are regional variations, the problem is nationwide and deserves to be addressed urgently. It is necessary to engage this category of children and young adults and give them another chance to complete their education. It is also in this regard that I feel highly obliged to congratulate, once again, Her Excellency First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her foresight in adopting the Alternative School and indeed her choice of Osun State as her next destination in launching the programme.
“The school is also responding to the shifting emphasis on acquisition of entrepreneurial skills. When completed, the school will provide opportunities for the learners to acquire life sustaining skills that will make them, self-reliant income generators and ultimately improve the standard of living of the family.
“The school when completed, will have workshops for entrepreneurial training in the vocational trades like Fashion Design and Tailoring, Home Economics and Catering. It has a laboratory equipped with Desktop computers and tablets to provide digital literacy to all leamers and enhance access and utilisation of
digital resources.
“In addition to these, there is provision for fully furnished and equipped classrooms and Nursery play area for the Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE). It is expected that women who will be enrolled in the school will be accompanied by young children of nursery school age. The facility will not only allow their mothers to concentrate in their programme, but it will also entice the young children to learn how to learn and provide the foundation they require to excel in their educational careers.
“The other supporting facilities to be provided in the school include cafeteria sickbay, staff rooms andother offices designed to provide a conducive work environment and support teaching and learning”.
