The Alternative High School for Girls in Osogbo, Osun State, was launched on April 23, 2024, by Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative. The initiative aimed to provide a second-chance opportunity for women and girls who dropped out of school due to poverty, early marriage, and other social barriers. The school was designed to combine formal education with vocational training and childcare.
Despite the launch, the school's gates remain mostly shut, and the facility has become overgrown with weeds, with classrooms built for tailoring, computer training, home economics, tie-dye, and weaving locked up and unused. The school was expected to accommodate over 100 students, but currently, only about 15 students are registered, according to the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board. The school is one of six alternative high schools being established by UBEC nationwide.
The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, attributed the delay in the school's full operation to funding and manpower issues. He stated that the state had approved the recruitment of at least 40 staff, including instructors, a principal, cleaners, security personnel, and crèche workers. However, the Federal Government's withholding of local government allocations for almost two years has hindered the school's progress.
Eluwole explained that the withheld funds are statutorily used to pay teachers, primary healthcare workers, and traditional rulers. Despite the state's continued payment of salaries, the lack of funding has forced the state to look for alternative sources, affecting the school's ability to become fully operational. The state is currently "borrowing" instructors from technical colleges to run skeletal classes.
The delay in the school's full operation has affected the community, with residents expressing hope that the school will soon become operational. A resident, Komolafe, noted that people in the community are eager for job opportunities, including security guard positions. The irony is not lost on residents that a school built to rescue girls from poverty cannot hire people from the community who need jobs.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had emphasized the importance of education in transforming individuals and building the nation. She stated that no girl should be left behind and that the Alternative High School was designed to provide a second chance for girls who dropped out. The school's facilities are ready, and there is urgent need for it to become operational.
Eluwole insisted that the state is committed to making the school fully operational, with plans underway to provide accommodation for students outside Osogbo. He noted that with full operations, the school would likely have more than 100 students, and the demand for the school's programs is high. The full operation of the school depends on the release of the withheld local government allocation by the Federal Government.
Key points
- The school's delay is attributed to funding and staffing issues.
- The school was designed to provide a second-chance opportunity for women and girls who dropped out due to poverty, early marriage, and other social barriers.
- The school's full operation depends on the release of the withheld local government allocation by the Federal Government.
