‘Girls should be given free sanitary pads in schools’

You recently said that most schools in Kaduna State lack facilities to cater for the girl child; can you shed more light on that? There are 4,450 public primary schools in Kaduna State and most of these schools have been characterized by insufficient, unsuitable and sometimes unavailable infrastructure and instructional materials for some time now, […]

You recently said that most schools in Kaduna State lack facilities to cater for the girl child; can you shed more light on that?

There are 4,450 public primary schools in Kaduna State and most of these schools have been characterized by insufficient, unsuitable and sometimes unavailable infrastructure and instructional materials for some time now, which affect teaching and learning for all children with more inconveniences for girls.  Toilet, classrooms, desks, boards as well as materials like chalkboard are insufficient.

My emphasis on the girl child is based on the fact that girls have physical and psychological things to deal with just like the boys but girls are usually ill prepared to handle the changes that come with every stage of their growth. Where a boy looks forward to having a deep voice, a girl might not be so excited about having breasts though this differs when considerations like the community the child resides in, level of knowledge of caregivers or parents, family values, belief systems and so on are made.

So our schools need to be brought to the point where children can come and learn conveniently and don’t forget that for every difficulty a child experiences, it is about twice as difficult for a child with a disability.

What are the required facilities to cater for the girl child in school?

There should be toilets in schools where girls, in particular, can be comfortable to use when they are menstruating. I am an advocate for sanitary towels to be given to girls in school. Just the way schools receive supplies of chalk, registers and other things, pads can be included. There should also be water in schools for the girls to learn and maintain proper hygiene. Guidance and counselors or teachers should talk to girls about these changes and how best to manage and cope with them. Enlightening them can reduce the rate of early marriages, teenage pregnancies and infections among others.

The challenges facing girls are found in both public and private schools but most private schools can be said to thrive better in making the necessary provisions for kids. Public schools on the other hand have a long way to go considering that they are not for profit and don’t charge monies from students. However, companies can be brought in to do one thing or the other as part of their corporate social responsibility. I remember not too long ago as a student in Bauchi, a sanitary company used to come and talk to us and give us pads and it was quite helpful, though I don’t know if they still do that. 

What is your general assessment of the girl child enrollment?

I think the enrollment is good. Girls are actually enrolled in schools to a great extent but the challenge is in having them attend school regularly and complete their education. In primary schools, parents send girls to school because they can do little or nothing for them at home but once they get to a certain age say like six, the truancy begins. Parents assign them task which is not bad in itself but some of these chores affect how often they go to school or how early they go to school. In rural communities, it is not strange to see girls come to school with their younger ones who are not of school age because their parents have gone to their farms and this affects how much they can learn that day.

For secondary schools, parents’ preference of educating a male over a female child has a lot to do with girls’ enrollment, retention and completion. Sometimes if a father permits the girl to go to school, it is the responsibility of the mother to cater for her educational needs. This is common in rural and some semi urban places. 

What are the factors militating against the girl child enrollment into school and your call to government?

Parent’s preference of educating male children over female children is one. Though a lot of awareness has been created in respect to this, there can be a complete shift in this way of thinking considering the immense benefits of educating a girl which ranges from family life, child care, health and nutrition, etc.

Another factor is lack of infrastructure. If a girl knows she is not going to be comfortable in school, like when she is ovulating and having cramps or a heavy flow when menstruating, with a short period cycle and menstruates for five to seven days, she might decide not to go to school at all because she will be too self-conscious to learn.

Also, if teachers don’t act professionally, it could affect enrollment. Schools where teachers are known to sexually harass or molest girls will not record good enrollment rates.

It is true that government has a lot to deal with when it comes to education but, there should be prioritization of the needs of students and then meeting them accordingly. The government should engage in programmes that are beneficial to the girl child, like supplying sanitary towels, toilets and water for their use so that it mitigates unnecessary absenteeism and so on. It will also be good for the government to motivate teachers and guidance and counselors alike so that girls can have the necessary information that can guide their choices.

Another truth is that government cannot do it all, therefore School Based Management Committees should be encouraged to function optimally where they have been formed and where there are none, they should be established so that there can be smooth day-to-day running of the schools.

Furniture should be given due consideration, this is because of the discomforts girls go through while adjusting to the changes their bodies go through and at the same time, the self-consciousness of being in class with boys sitting in close proximity or on the floor which is not a convenient posture or circumstance for learning.