Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Wife of the President, voiced her distress on Tuesday regarding the alarming rate of school dropouts among children, especially girls, in the nation.
She emphasized her aspiration to witness the return of young girls and women who had to leave school due to various reasons such as unplanned pregnancies, cultural constraints, or financial limitations.
Speaking in Osogbo, Osun State, during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Alternative High School for Girls, she recalled her initiative for the establishment of such schools, which was embraced by the Lagos State Ministry of Education in 2007, during her husband’s tenure as the Governor of Lagos State.
Senator Tinubu praised Governor Ademola Adeleke for generously offering land for the project in Osun State.
She said, “I proposed the concept of an Alternative High School for Girls, which was adopted by the Lagos State Ministry of Education in 2007 during my husband’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. This school continues to operate successfully to this day.
“My motivation, as an educator and lifelong teacher, stems from the desire to give young girls and women who have dropped out of school another chance to complete their high school education, pursue higher studies, and acquire essential life skills to realize their full potential.”
Providing insights into the school’s operation, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, stated that upon completion, the school would offer workshops for entrepreneurial training in vocational trades like fashion design, home economics, and catering.
He further elaborated on the school’s facilities, which include a computer-equipped laboratory for digital literacy, fully furnished classrooms, and a nursery play area for Early Childhood Care Development and Education, allowing enrolled women with young children to focus on their education.
Governor Adeleke expressed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, affirming Osun State’s commitment to comprehensive transformation with a focus on women’s empowerment.
