Adamawa State adopts guidelines on re-entry of married, adolescent girls into school

Mariam Abeeb

The Adamawa State Government has formally adopted the“Adamawa State Guidelines on The Re-Entry to Education for Married and Pregnant Adolescents” in a major policy step aimed at improving access to education for adolescent girls across the state.

The guidelines were formally adopted by the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Dr Umar Garba Pella on behalf of the State Government in Yola, with the Commissioner reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring that no girl is permanently excluded from education due to pregnancy, marriage, or related life circumstances.

The development of the re-entry guidelines was supported by ACE Charity and funded by the Malala Fund, and developed through a broad consultative process involving education stakeholders, child protection actors, development partners, and adolescent girls, the guidelines provide a structured framework for supporting married, pregnant, divorced, widowed, teenage mothers, and out-of-school adolescent girls to either remain in or return to formal and non-formal education pathways.

Speaking at the event, stakeholders noted that adolescent pregnancy and child marriage remain significant barriers to girls’ education in Adamawa State, and emphasized the need for coordinated, system-wide responses to address these challenges.

In a significant policy commitment, the Ministry of Education also pledged to integrate the implementation of the guidelines into the 2027 state education budget, ensuring that key components such as school re-entry support systems, capacity building, community sensitisation are adequately funded.

Participants at the event welcomed the adoption, describing it as a landmark step toward strengthening gender-responsive education policy in the state. They further stressed that effective implementation will be critical to translating the guidelines into improved school retention and learning outcomes for adolescent girls.

The guidelines are expected to enhance coordination between schools, education authorities, child protection systems, health services, and community structures to ensure a more consistent and supportive re-entry process for affected girls.

The Adamawa State Government reiterated its commitment to inclusive education and to ensuring that every girl in the state has the opportunity to complete her education and reach her full potential.