Women move to keep Kaduna schools safe

The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) is working with Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) to keep schools safe in Kaduna State through the ‘Safe School Alliance Project’.  The project was meant to protect students and teachers from harassment and violence.  Speaking at the launch of the project which was funded by the United Nations […]

The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) is working with Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) to keep schools safe in Kaduna State through the ‘Safe School Alliance Project’. 

The project was meant to protect students and teachers from harassment and violence. 

Speaking at the launch of the project which was funded by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDF), the founding Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Afolabi, said research had shown that Kaduna State accounted for 266,517 out-of-school children in 2010 and the number would have increased due to insurgency. She said threat to safe school existed, including crowded classrooms and hostels, little or no security personnel, lack of perimetre fencing, absence of clear labelling of exits and muster points, amongst others.

She said the project was designed to address the challenge of safety and security in schools in the states of Bauchi, Borno and Kaduna

“The challenge of poor policy direction on issues of security and safety in schools is a major concern in need of urgent intervention. Schools in many parts of the country have been left porous and unprotected as safety and security has not been prioritised or in some cases utterly neglected, she said. 

She is of the opinion that through participatory approach the groups would build capacity of schools, communities and the civil society to engage authorities on school security and safety programmes, design and establish early warning signs and the adoption of minimum standards and action plan for safe and secure schools.