Girl Child Education: Rising to the Challenge

Abstract

Northern Nigeria‟s high gender inequity in education places the\nmajority of young girls at a severe disadvantage. This cross-sectional\nstudy examined enrolment, dropout, and primary school completion rates\nin three communities in Kaduna State. Less than half of young people (6\n– 25 years) living in northern Nigeria are currently enrolled in\nschool and the majority of students are males (60%). This study‟s\nfindings indicate there are nearly twice as many boys graduating from\nprimary school as compared to girls, and the dropout rate for boys is\nclose to half (3%) of the dropout rate for girls (5.4%). Sustained\nimputs are needed to boost female enrolment in junior secondary\nschools, create girl-friendly school environments, and to better enable\ncommunities to understand the value of girls' education