Educationist says girl-child education key to societal transformation

FOUNDER, Noble Hall Leadership Academy for Girls, Abuja, Mrs. Mariam Mutallab Duba, says educating the girl-child and providing her with the required knowledge and life skills, alongside strong family values were critical factors in driving change and transforming any given society. 

  Duba, who made the disclosure in an interview with The Guardian in Abuja, stressed the need to give the girl-child all necessary platforms that would enable her excel in her endeavors. 

  The founder revealed that her decision to set up the school was borne out of the need to nurture girls for leadership roles in the 21 century, adding that the school has a vision of enriching girls’ lives through holistic world-class education critical to developing tomorrow’s leaders.

  “We aim at providing first-class educational environment for girls; create a new cadre of female leaders, equip girls with the required knowledge, skills and strong family values to influence change in Nigeria and Africa, Duba stated.

  She explained that the vision behind the creation of the school was borne out of the desire of its directors to contribute their quota to bringing the girl-child to the front burner and making leaders of tomorrow out of them. 

  “We want women in the society to understand that they have places as leaders. Being leaders does not mean occupying offices as presidents or ministers alone. One can be a leader within her community, within her home and in the wider community. Here, we are trying to create a sense of community, and to bring up girls that are morally upright and have the Nigerian dream imbued in them,” she said.

  The founder of the all-girl school informed that the school currently runs a curriculum that enhances girls’ learning abilities and facilitates their acquisition of critical and creative thinking.

  “What we are putting as part of the curriculum is that we take cognizance of our environment. For instance, when we teach history, we are teaching international history as well Nigerian history. When we teach geography, we teach them about the Nigerian environment as well as international. Whilst not trying to limit ourselves to any kind of curriculum, we try to instill in them the technique of skills acquisition and not just knowledge for knowledge sake. We want them to use what they learn to acquire skills, so that when they go out in the society, they would be able to function in any kind of environment. The curriculum is skills- based.  

  Also speaking, vice principal of the school, Hussaina Ishaya-Audu, explained that the school was using the British curriculum, though it has been embellished with Nigerian educational flair.