The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing number of girls who may be physically present in classrooms but gradually disengage from learning due to bullying, abuse, exclusion and other unsafe conditions.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, raised the concern on Monday in Abuja at the National Trainers’ Workshop on Safe Learning Environment, Gender-Responsive Technology and ICT Skills for Educators in Teacher Training Institutions in Nigeria.
Ahmad, represented by the Director of Colleges of Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Uchenna Uba, said school attendance should not be used as the only measure of whether a child was benefiting from education.
She explained that some girls could attend school regularly while gradually withdrawing from classroom activities after being ignored, ridiculed, bullied or made to feel unsafe.
According to her, teachers must pay closer attention to pupils who become withdrawn or stop participating, as such signs could indicate that the child was struggling with bullying, abuse or exclusion.
The minister stressed that Nigeria must move beyond simply enrolling children in schools to ensuring that they are safe, included and actively learning.
She cited data indicating that 74 per cent of children aged seven to 14 lacked basic reading and mathematics skills in 2024, stressing the need for urgent interventions to improve learning outcomes.
Ahmad also highlighted the National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools and its implementation guidelines, noting that the effectiveness of such policies would depend largely on teachers and other school personnel.
She urged teachers to learn how to identify bullying, respond appropriately to reports of abuse and create environments where children can confidently seek help.
The workshop is expected to train 45 master trainers from 15 teacher-training colleges in areas including gender-responsive pedagogy, safe learning environments, prevention of school-related gender-based violence and digital teaching.
The trained master trainers are expected to extend the knowledge to about 500 teacher educators across the country.
The Federal Government also commended Japan, through UNESCO, for supporting the beneficiary institutions with ICT equipment, urging the colleges to ensure the facilities are effectively used to improve teacher training and learning outcomes.
