The sole girls-only secondary school in Numan, a highly populated local government area in Adamawa State, is down on its feet seeking intervention.
The Government Girls Junior Secondary School (GGJSS) in Pare, Numan, which was meant to address a gap in school enrolment skewed against girls in the area, is now failing that role pitiably, facts about the school reveal.
Established in 2009, the school grew rapidly and reached its peak at more than 200 students, according to its pioneer principal, Mrs. Doris Rakiya Saleh, said that the population fell sharply after a clash in 2017 between herders and farmers.
She said the conflict forced most residents out of the host community, resulting in exodus of students out of the school itself.
The principal of the school, Mrs Violet Samdi, affirmed to our correspondent that only 17 students remained in the school: ten in JSS 3, four in JSS 2, and three in JSS 1.
“For fear of another round of violence and loss of lives, parents withdrew their daughters from the school after the 2017 incident and presently we have only 17 students,” she said, adding that the school has seven teachers, including herself.
Mrs. Samdi said the school needs to be fenced round to give students a feeling of security, and that she was working with leaders of the community to persuade residents of Pare that the environment is conducive enough for their daughters to receive education in the school.
A non-governmental organisation, African Center for Leadership Strategy and Development (Center LSD), whose attention was called to the situation of the school and which in turn visited the school with newsmen on Friday, noted that a whole lot is required to get the school running with appreciable impact.
The Center LSD which is executing a girl-child school enrolment programme with support from Malala Fund, agreed that the school needs an all-round fencing as well as water supply and other facilities to create necessary convenience for students.
The visit to the school on Friday was sequel to a town hall meeting organized by Center LSD during which a number of factors militating against the enrollment of more girls in Numan LGA were enumerated and the way forward proffered.
It was at that earlier meeting that a participant called attention to the fate of the GGJSS Pare.
The concerned community leader had only stressed the drastically dwindled population of the school, but the other issues were highlighted at the Friday interactive visit to the school, including lack of water, electricity, toilets and sporting facilities, all of which stakeholders said are necessary to attract enrolment.
The pioneer principal of the school, Doris Rakiya Saleh recalled that during her time and before the farmers/herders crisis erupted, the school was bubbling with life as she grew the initial enrolment figure to over two hundred.
“The situation of this school becomes very worrisome because it is the only girls secondary school we have in the whole of Numan. Something serious must be done to bring the school back to its days of glory,” she said.”
