Girls need at least N89,200 to stay in school per term in Oyo

Despite the Oyo state government’s free education policy, a girl child still requires at least N89,200 per term to attend school, a new report has revealed.

The research, launched by the Onelife Initiative in Ibadan, highlights several local government areas, including Iseyin, Ibarapa North, Lagelu, Iwajowa, Kajola, Ibarapa East, and Oyo West, as high-priority regions for improving the educational opportunities for the girl child.

The report, titled State of Girl Child Education (SoGE) in Oyo State, outlines the challenges faced by girls in accessing quality education in public secondary schools.

Supported by the Malala Fund, the study found that this amount covers sundries such as uniforms, sanitary pads, socks, underwear, stationery, transportation, school bags, sandals, and hair maintenance—expenses that remain outside the scope of the free education policy.

The event also saw the launch of a website, www.teachher.ng, for tooling corps members posted to schools to be better educators. It also featured a photo exhibition titled Visualising Girls Education.

Giving the highpoint of the findings while speaking at the launch and dissemination of the report, the Executive Director of Onelife Initiative and the Principal Investigator of the research, Mr Sola Fagorusi said a total of 34 schools spread across the three geo-political zones in the study were surveyed with 1,280 girls responding to questionnaires, 83 inept interviews and 36 Focus Group Discussions with key education stakeholders

He urged stakeholders at the event to take advantage of the findings to fill the gaps in the education of the girl child in the state.

Fagorusi said: “Using a mixed research methodology with qualitative and quantitative components, a total of 34 schools spread across the 3 geo-political zones in the study were surveyed with 1,280 girls responding to questionnaires, 83 inept interviews and 36 Focus Group Discussions with key education stakeholders.

“Complimented by the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate examination result, the following local Government Areas were highlighted as high priority for improving the lot of the girl child — Iseyin, Ibarapa North, Lagelu, Iwajowa, Kajola, Ibarapa East, Oyo West.

“In Iseyin Local Government Area, for instance, only 11 girls in public schools across the LGA had 5 credits in the exam including Mathematics and English out of the 1,267 girls that sat for the exam.

“We hope the various stakeholders here will take the recommendations, spot gaps and act.”

Speaking on the website, he said “the website has 5 modules specially designed for first-time educators, specifically corps members, on the various issues and knowledge they need to arm themselves with for effective classroom teaching targeting the girl child.

“The modules also bear gifts for corps members upon completion of each module.”

Earlier in his opening address, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Salihu Abdulwaheed Adelabu, represented by the Permanent Secretary/Inspector General of Education, Elder Delani Binuyo congratulated Onelife Initiative and her partner for the success achieved on the findings while also urging stakeholders that “education should not be seen as the affair of the state government alone.”

Also, in her remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun represented by the Director of Child Welfare, Mr. Gbemileke Ojerinde assured participants of the “government’s unwavering commitment to implementing policies and programs that will empower the girl child to thrive academically and socially through strategic initiatives like scholarships, school feeding programs and advocacy for gender-sensitive curricula.”

Present at the event were representatives from SUBEB, NYSC, other Civil Society Organisations and students from 9 secondary schools and their teachers from across the state.