Why Gombe needs a gender-responsive education sector plan

BY MUHAMMAD AUWAL IBRAHIM

For years, Gombe state has been operating without a comprehensive education sector plan. This oversight has exacerbated the challenge of reducing the number of out-of-school children, especially girls. Alarmingly, many adolescent girls are forced to miss school during their menstrual cycles due to inadequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. 

The last time Gombe had an education sector plan was in 2010. According to data from the state ministry of education, 624,416 children are out of school, with approximately 300,000 of them being girls. The glaring challenges facing the education sector are the consequences of operating without a State Education Sector Plan (SESP) or Education Sector Plan (ESP), let alone a gender-responsive ESP. Reports indicate that many school-age girls are engaged in child labour, such as farm work, rather than attending school.

A breakdown of the data reveals 334,173 boys and 290,243 girls are out of school. The Annual School Census (2018–2021) paints a bleak picture, “there is an upward trend in the number of out-of-school (OOSC) children 344,403 (55.2%) in pre-primary schools; 78,676 (12.6%) in primary school; 190,201 (30.5%) in junior secondary schools and 11,136 (1.8%) for SSS in all the local government areas of the State.”

Despite Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahya’s claim of transforming the education sector and declaring a state of emergency on education from 2019 to 2022, progress in addressing gender disparities in basic education has been limited.

Why GRESP?

GRESP is a crucial policy tool designed to address gender barriers in enrollment, retention, transition, and completion rates. It provides a roadmap for governments to ensure equitable and inclusive education. While Gombe State is reportedly developing a new education sector plan (2025–2034), it is imperative that this plan is gender-responsive, unlike the previous one.

This policy is essential for guiding the actions of any serious government committed to improving access to education. However, Gombe State has been operating without such a policy for some time. While I am aware that the state is in the process of developing a new sector plan for 2025–2034, it is crucial to fast-track the implementation process and ensure it is not gender-blind, unlike the previous plan.

A report by Leadership Newspaper highlights that school-aged girls often work on farms during harvest season instead of attending school. This corroborates the data from the ministry of education on out-of-school children, a situation partly caused by the absence of a gender-responsive education sector plan.

The alarming rate of out-of-school girls roaming the streets underscores the urgency of this issue. To address it, Gombe State must adopt a gender-responsive Education Sector Plan to reintegrate these girls into the school system. Such a plan would help identify the unique challenges faced by girls, such as low enrollment, retention, transition, and completion rates. Addressing these issues is essential for closing gender gaps in basic education and achieving equitable, quality education for all.

However, these goals cannot be realized without a comprehensive and robust policy framework to oversee, monitor, and evaluate the education sector effectively.

Gender gap in retention rate

A closer analysis of the data reveals a significant disparity in the retention rates of public primary school pupils, with girls consistently lagging behind boys. In the 2018/2019 academic session, only 29,892 girls were retained compared to 31,913 boys. The trend continued in the 2019/2020 session, where just 26,757 girls remained in school out of 58,670 pupils enrolled. In the 2020/2021 session, the number of retained girls rose slightly to 29,887 but still fell short of the 35,472 boys retained.

In junior secondary schools (JSS), the gap persisted. During the 2018/2019 session, only 12,592 girls were retained compared to 15,928 boys. In the 2019/2020 session, 13,504 girls remained in school, while the number of boys retained increased to 17,469. By the 2020/2021 session, boys’ retention climbed to 18,141, whereas girls lagged at 14,093.

The trend was similar in senior secondary schools (SSS). In the 2018/2019 session, 9,792 boys were retained compared to 7,059 girls. The 2019/2020 session saw 9,542 boys staying in school, while only 7,198 girls managed to continue. By the 2020/2021 session, boys’ retention rose to 12,988, with girls still trailing at 9,023.

Gender gap in completion rate

The situation is similar when it comes to primary school completion rates in Gombe. In the 2018/19 session, 30,128 boys graduated, compared to only 21,147 girls. The trend persisted in the 2019/20 session, with 31,567 boys completing their primary education while only 22,147 girls did the same. In the 2020/21 session, 33,048 boys finished primary school, whereas the number of girls who graduated increased slightly to 23,574.

In junior secondary schools (JSS), the disparity also remains evident. In the 2018/19 academic session, 23,458 boys graduated, while only 20,888 girls completed their studies. Similarly, in the 2019/20 session, 27,531 boys finished JSS compared to just 20,093 girls. The gap persisted in the 2020/21 session, with 20,101 boys completing JSS against only 15,693 girls..

The trend becomes even more alarming at the senior secondary school (SSS) level. Completion rates drop significantly, especially for girls. In the 2018/19 session, 14,826 boys graduated, while a mere 3,839 girls completed their studies. The 2019/20 session showed little improvement, with 11,357 boys finishing compared to only 5,277 girls. However, the 2020/21 session showed slight progress, as 15,074 boys and 13,659 girls completed SSS, marking a marginal improvement in female participation.

Gender disparity in enrollment rate

The school enrollment data reveals that the gender disparity in education does not begin when girls start schooling; it is evident from the outset, with boys consistently outnumbering girls. Why is this the case? Issues such as inadequate WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities often force girls to drop out or stay away from school as they grow older. This shows the urgent need for a robust gender-responsive education sector plan to tackle these critical challenges.

During the 2018/2019 academic session, only 236,178 (45.9%) of the 514,794 pupils enrolled in primary schools were girls. In 2019/2020, girls accounted for 248,189 (46.3%) of 536,317 enrolled pupils. By 2020/2021, this number slightly increased to 249,389 (46.2%) out of 539,831.

The trend continues in junior secondary schools (JSS). In 2018/2019, out of 89,718 enrolled pupils, 39,727 (44.3%) were girls. In 2019/2020, the number of girls increased slightly to 42,962 (44.0%) out of 97,700. By 2020/2021, there were 43,431 girls (44.2%) out of 98,317.

Senior secondary school (SSS) enrollment also reflects a similar pattern. In 2018/2019, girls comprised 39,727 (44.3%) of the 89,718 enrolled students. In 2019/2020, 42,962 (44.0%) girls were enrolled out of 97,700. In 2020/2021, 43,431 girls constituted 44.2% of the 98,317 students enrolled.

Across all levels and years, the female enrollment rate consistently fell below 50%, highlighting a persistent gender gap. This trend demands immediate and strategic interventions to ensure equitable access to education for girls.

More barriers to girls education 

Chief among the challenges contributing to these disparities include inadequate WASH facilities. Data from the Ministry of Education reveals what it describes as “extremely” high pupil-to-toilet ratios: 287:1 in primary schools; 112:1 in junior secondary schools; and 92:1 in senior secondary schools.

Moreover, beyond the high ratio of pupils-to-toilet, there is water poverty in rural areas. Access to safe drinking water is limited in many schools. This makes the toilets unhygienic for female students to use as they risk disease contamination.

Only 75.1% of pre-primary and primary schools have access to safe drinking water, while this figure drops to 58.8% in junior secondary schools and further declines to 47.9% in senior secondary schools. This trend portrays the alarming inadequacy of WASH facilities in public schools across Gombe State. As students progress to higher classes, the percentage of those with access to safe water continues to decrease, which is particularly concerning as adolescents require not only more water but also safe drinking water to maintain their health during this critical stage of development.

Adding to these challenges, most public schools depend on crude toilet systems, such as pit and bucket latrines, which are unsuitable for adolescent girls. This situation discourages attendance, especially during menstruation, and significantly contributes to high dropout rates.

A comprehensive analysis of the data reveals that there are 1,960 crude toilet systems (98%) in public pre-primary and primary schools, 775 (89%) in junior secondary schools, and 662 (83%) in senior secondary schools.

The way forward 

To address these issues, Gombe must expedite the formulation of a gender-responsive Education Sector Plan (ESP). This plan should focus on providing adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities to ensure girls can attend school regularly, eliminating socio-economic barriers that push girls into child labour, and monitoring gender-specific challenges to improve retention and completion rates.

Reducing child labour is essential to ensuring that school-age girls, especially in rural areas, are not forced into farm work or other forms of labour that deprive them of an education. This requires the implementation and enforcement of relevant policies, coupled with strong collaboration between the Ministry of Education, local authorities, and community leaders.

At the same time, the ESP should include statewide campaigns to educate families and communities about the importance of girls’ education. These campaigns should challenge harmful cultural practices, debunk myths, and emphasize the long-term social and economic benefits of educating girls.

Investments in recruiting and training teachers will significantly improve the quality of education in both rural and urban areas. Simultaneously, building and refurbishing school infrastructure will create conducive learning environments, especially for girls.

Safe school environments are crucial, and policies must ensure reliable transportation for students in rural and flood-prone areas. Community-owned buses or boats can help ease access and guarantee safety for students travelling to and from school.

To address disparities in senior secondary school enrollment and retention, more schools should be built closer to underserved communities. Establishing all-girls boarding schools can eliminate long commutes and provide a safe, focused learning environment for girls. In addition, setting up community-driven monitoring committees to oversee school enrollment, attendance, and retention rates for girls will enhance accountability. These committees should work closely with local leaders to ensure government commitments to education are met.

Furthermore, establishing systems to regularly collect and analyze gender-disaggregated data on enrollment, retention, and completion rates will inform policies and ensure interventions are targeted and effective.

Education policy experts advocate for an ESP that addresses the needs of both genders, ensuring equitable access to quality education for all children.

Formulating a gender-responsive ESP  will help Gombe State bridge gender gaps in education and align with global goals for equitable and quality education. Therefore, it is high time for the Gombe State Ministry of Education and the Commissioner for Education to work closely with the Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development, Finance and Economic Development, and Budget and Economic Planning in formulating this plan. An inter-ministerial approach will ensure the ESP achieves its objectives, empowering the state’s children, especially girls to build a brighter future.

Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim is a multiple award-winning journalist and a 2024 Change Reporting Fellow at ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication. He can be reached via [email protected].