Background

Despite the fact that access to formal education in Nigeria is a fundamental human right, a UNICEF report states that 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school.^[1] Only 61% of 6 to 11-year-olds regularly attend primary school. Some states in the north east and north west of the country have more than half of the girls not enrolled in schools as marginalization ensures that girls are deprived of basic education. A struggle was on-going prior to COVID-19 to ensure young children stay in school and have access to proper education, as Nigeria contributes approximately 20%^[2] of the total global out-ofschool population.

In crisis situations as prevailing in Northeast Nigeria, access to education has been affected by an over ten (10) year-long insurgency. The recurring communal conflicts, gives a high number of out of school children, high mortality rate, early marriage, child trafficking and slavery amongst others. A significant number of these are girls have lost the opportunity of enrolment or completion of formal education, as a consequence of limited safety and security. Acute poverty in average families discourages the return of their daughters to school as a priority^[3]. This presents a major barrier to those girls desiring to return to formal school systems and complete their basic education.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most governments around the world to temporarily close educational institutions to contain the spread of the virus. At the peak of the pandemic, more than 1.5 billion learners, or over 90% of the world’s student population from preprimary to higher education, have seen their education disrupted and at times interrupted.^[4] As the COVID-19 Pandemic runs its course, many governments are implementing measures that limit the number of people congregating in public places. Such measures have disrupted the normal functioning of schools. Due to the fluid infection indices in different locations, the duration of such measures have varied, with the likelihood of phased continuation of learning in countries.

The adverse effect of lost educational opportunities would mean- girls are likely to be exposed to domestic violence, rape, early and forced marriage, early pregnancies, and other forms of human rights violations, and loss of dignity. To mitigate these risks, there is a compelling need to seek innovative ways of ensuring that these girls return to school and complete secondary education.

Problem Statement

On March 19th, 2020 a circular from Federal Ministry of Education granted an approval for the closure of all schools to prevent the spread of the Corona virus (COVID-19). States in Nigeria contextualized this circular at different times and cautionary forms. The closure of schools affected close to 46 million students throughout the country, however, 4.2 million school age children were more likely to be affected in Bauchi, Adamawa & Yobe States. These are the most vulnerable groups of children targeted by the education partners through the mechanisms of the HRP. About 400,000 IDP children attending some form of learning in the camps and host communities have been acutely affected by the stoppage of learning activities. Planned school activities for the first and second quarter of 2020 have not been completed as planned.

The FCT remains a high COVID-I9 infection location second to Lagos State. Research and experience show that most crises situations and public health outbreaks have distinct gendered impacts, with preparedness and response efforts being weak or totally blind to the gender dimensions of the crises. There is usually a widening of inequalities and opportunities to advance gender equality are lost to non-prioritization of the needs of women, girls and other vulnerable and marginalized populations that are often disproportionately affected. Increased risks for girls and young women increase with gender-based violence, exploitation, early marriage and unintended pregnancy being impact indices. This is especially the case as girls are out of school.

The impact of restrictions and school closures in the FCT has registered disproportionate impacts of increased domestic violence, a high spike in rape of minors and teenage girls across the country^[5]. Marginalised girls are also left out of opportunities of alternative learning channels either due to poverty, lack of requisite technology tools and infrastructure or sheer pressure on the skewed time use weighted to care giving responsibilities. Compounding the weaknesses in effective compliance and timely testing, there are apprehensions on health safety.

Justification

Recovery is slow in the FCT, and other states in Nigeria, where a daily infection index calls for caution and strict compliance. Confidence levels to re-open schools remain low, with prospects for re-opening schools looking at a 12 months window (July – June 2021). Meanwhile, the overwhelming economic impact will cause marginalised girls to drop out even when schools re-open having missed over one year months of schooling (March 2020 – June 2021). The vulnerability of these adolescent girls will persist due lost opportunities to return to school and few or no support to catch up on lost learning. These cumulatively will adversely affect their chances for quality education.

As COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts are strengthened and personal responsibility camapigns increase, the policy and practice considerations for learning to continue through alternative delivery modalities. Recovery efforts should be tailored to seize the window of opportunity to promote innovation, strengthen the resilience and gender-responsiveness of education systems, to close gender gaps and other inequalities in and through education in select states experiencing high level of out of school girls.

WRAPA will be working in 10 schools in the FCT schools to probe school responses as they struggle and are being reframed and redefined as safe spaces for learning during and beyond COVID-19, while carrying out high level advocacy with a national focus in Adamawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa & Plateau States. Focus will be on rapid design processes, adaptation and implementation of inclusive and affordable responses within and beyond COVID-19 recovery phases. Activities will include creating awareness and engaging both the girls and stakeholders to ensure return, retention and safety for girls’ educational continuity.

Project Goal & Objectives

a) Goal: Girls access to education, as a right is not truncated by the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in the FCT, Adamawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa & Plateau States.

b) Objectives

1. Facilitate support for marginalised girls to access alternative community driven learning opportunities to mitigate the impact on teaching and learning arising from school closures.
2. Facilitate and support access to Mental Health and Psychological Support Services (MHPSS) for girls to build resilience through catch up interventions to close gaps in lost learning
3. Advocacy for policy and practice innovations to ensure the school environment is gender sensitive and able to respond to girls special needs within and beyond public health, social and economic crises.

Geographical Prioritization

Planned interventions will target 10 schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and policy interventions in Adamawa, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto & Plateau states of Nigeria. The focus will be Primary and Junior Secondary schoolgirls.