Bauchi Parents allegedly withdraw daughters from school to generate marriage capital

Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs,
Bauchi House of Assembly, Maryam Begel, said
female students in some schools in the state were
being withdrawn to engage in menial jobs to
generate capital for their marriage.
Begel told newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday that
an interactive session she had with 60 secondary
schoolgirls in the state revealed such practice.
Her words: “I had an interactive session with 60
girls of a particular tertiary school in Bauchi state
and what I gathered from them was shocking.
“They complained that some parents were in the
habit of withdrawing their daughters from school
when they reach JSS two or three.
“They said such parents initiate their daughters
into engaging in menial jobs to generate funds
that would be used in buying items preparatory to
their marriage.
“The girls were so disturbed and were lamenting
that a lot of their colleagues have had their
education either temporarily suspended, or
completely terminated, on such grounds,” said
Begel, who once served as a Child Protection
Officer with an international non-governmental
organization, ‘Save the Children’ (UK).
The lawmaker lamented that such action by
parents was inimical to the development of the
Girl-Child at a time campaign was being
intensified to encourage the education of female
children.