By joshua 
Nasarawa Govt launches school re-entry guideline for adolescent mothers
From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Nasarawa State Government has launched guideline for the re-entry of adolescent mothers into the formal education system of the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr John Mamman while unveiling the guideline at on Thursday in Lafia , said the project supported by Teenage Network with funding from Rise Up for Girls was aimed at fostering a more inclusive and supportive educational system for adolescent girls.
Dr Mamman represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr Mohammed Bala said the ministry recognised the unique challenges faced by adolescent mothers in the state , hence the development of the guide for their school re-entry.
” Education is a fundamental right and ensuring that adolescent mothers have access to quality education is crucial for their person development and the well-being of their families and the society at large.
” By addressing the barrier they face be it stigma , financial constraint or childcare challenges. We can empower these young mothers to achieve their academic goals and improve their future prospects.
“This document serves not only as a roadmap for schools and educators but also as a call to action for the community to support and uplift these young mothers,” he said.
The Commissioner appreciated the partnership between the Ministry and Teenage Network and expressed optimism that the guideline for the education of the adolescent mothers would address the issues affecting them.
He, therefore called on other stakeholders to support the school re-entry programme for the young mothers in order to enable them succeed in their educational journey.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of Teenage Network, Olanike Timipa- Uge ,said her organisation supported by Rise Up for Girls had been working with the ministry to develop the guideline for the school re-entry programme for the past one year.
Timipa- Uge explained that the school re-entry guideline was designed to provide a structured approach to aid the re-entry of adolescent mothers into the educational system of the state.
She said that the guiding principles of the guideline include; inclusion and non-discrimination, gender equality and equality, safe guarding , best interest of children and empowerment which emphasised self independence,self determination among others.
The Executive Director also said that the target beneficiaries include; adolescent mothers, children born to adolescent mothers, educational institutions as well as stakeholders in the education sector.
She, therefore appreciated the commissioner, permanent secretary, directors and all staff of the ministry as well as Civil Society Organisations ( CSOs) for their support given to adolescent mothers .
“We look forward to a continuous partnership with this ministry as this is just the first step . The second step is to ensure that there is an up take of the provisions that this guideline has made available for adolescent mothers in Nasarawa State,” she said.
Earlier, the Director of Schools at the ministry, Mr Sylvester Yakubu appreciated the Stakeholders, especially the state adolescent mothers for sharing their experiences who had helped in identifying the needs of the beneficiaries.
He equally thanked the development partners for dedicating their time and resources for the success of the development of the guideline.