Low enrolment of girls in school a concern

A school principal has questioned parents whether they were producing only males as the enrolments of girls in school was low.

Kisam Tare, the principal of Sir Tei Abal Secondary School, in the Wabag district of Enga Province emphasised the importance of the enrolment of girls in school during the school’s 40th Grade 10 and 17th Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony on Monday.

Tare said it was a concern as out of the 345 Grade 12s, only 124 were females and out of the 376 Grade 10s, only 124 were girls.

“The total number of girls’ enrolments must equal that of the total enrolments of boys,” Tare said.

“I am beginning to wonder if the women are only giving birth to boys and not girls as the enrolments of girls in my school seem to be much lower than expected,” Tare said.

“The national and provincial government fully supports and prioritises education and I see no reason why girls are not attending school,”

“ I am challenging you parents and guardians to send your daughters to school as keeping them back home and sending them away to get married was only spoiling their lives and contributing towards unemployment, violence against women, sorcery, prostitution and the high number of infant and maternal mortality cases,” Tare expressed.

Tare was concerned as the number of girls enrolments were low and urged all parents and guardians to send their girls to school.

“Don’t allow your girls to go get married as they are supposed to get themselves educated in school,” Tare said.

Tare said that when a girl or woman is educated, in one way or the other, it empowers the community and promotes financial empowerment and healthy lifestyle living.

Tare said that over the past number of years, it was common to see many girls withdrawing from their studies and leaving school which was a bad good practice and urged parents and guardians to encourage and support their daughters to attend to class everyday.

“Many girls withdraw because their parents and guardians allow them to do so which is not good,” Tare said.

“Parents and guardians must strictly discipline and allow their daughters to remain in school and get educated.”

“Don’t allow your daughters to go get married so that you would get brideprice and enjoy with the rest of the families while your daughter becomes a slave to the husband,” Tare said.

Tare lectured the parents and guardians who attended the dual graduation ceremony to stop the practice of giving away their daughters to businessmen and prominent people as this has tend to become a common practice in the province and Highlands region has a whole.

Also present at the dual graduation ceremony was the Wabag MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Education Referral Committee Robert Ganim.

Ganim praised the gradution students for successfully completing their years of studies respectively and urged them to abstain from drugs, alcohol, underage marriage and other illegal activities that may be an obstacle in their education.

“Always study hard and give your best in your studies as education is the key to a successful life,” Ganim said.

Ganim urged the parents and guardians to send their children to school as the government was committed to providing quality, free education.

“Soon the government will pass a law that will prosecute parents if they fail to send their children to school,” Ganim said.