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University of Nigeria Virtual Library
Serial No ISSN: 1119-5819
Author 1 NWAUBANI, Okechukwu O.
Author 2 Author 3
Title Improving the Educational
Opportunities of the Female Child in Nigeria for Educational Development
Keywords
Description Improving the Educational
Opportunities of the Female Child in Nigeria for Educational Development
Category Social Science Education
Publisher Assumpta Press
Publication Date
July, 1998
Signature
Journal of Education For National Development and International Co-operation
ISSN 1119-5819 Vol. 2, No. 1 July, 1998
A Journal Publication of the Nigerian Assbciation of Educationists For National Development
NAEND
Printed And Puhlishecl by Assumpta Press, P.M.15. 1017 Owerri, lmo State Plwoc.: 083-230932
For NAISNU.
JENDIC Vol. 2, h'o. 1, July 1998.
Members of the National Executive Committee (NEXCO) of the Nigerian Association of Educationists for National Developnlent (NAEND)
Dr. Don. Nwosu NCCE, Kaduna
Mr. Anthony Olukoya FCE (T), Akoka, Lagos
VACANT
Mallam Y'thnya Usmnn F.C.E., Kalsina
VACANT
Lawrcncc Gojch NCCG. K;duna
Dr. Ahoscdc Igunnu . F.C.E., Ziiira
Mr. Ayo Odumosu FCE (T), Akoka, Lagos
Dr (MIS) L.U.N. Izuwah NINLAN, Aba.
. Dr. Oyctundc Awoyclc TASCE, Ijcbu-Ode
Rcv, I%. (Dr) Ralph Modu Assumpta Press 0wc1.1-i
Mr. A.O. Nzclclrn FCE (T), Umunzc
Rev. Sr. (Dr.) {lirginia Ajuzic Project T.1.M.I:. Akoka, L-agos
Mr. V.I. Uji NCCE, Kaduna
M r s . St11 Okwubu?ka FCE. Ohutlu
Mr. J.A. Oliijidc AOCOED Ijanikin, L.ag~):,
I SI . Na~ional Vicc Prcsidcnt
2nd National Vice Presidcnt
National Sccrctary
i\iationid Publicity Sccrctary
VACANT
Vol. 2, No. I July, 1998
Prof. E. Id. Emcnnnjo Grcurive Dirccrr~r Narional Institurcjiir N i~e r ian hnguages (NiNLAN) A ba
Prof. Aloy Ejloga Dean. .Chon1 11f Po,rt Gradrrorc Srudirs, Univcrsiry of Logos, h g o s
Prof. L.E. Amndi Provorr, Alvon /kah Crrllrge (~~Edrrcalron.
Owerri, Imn Srarc.
hd. Olumlc Usbrnya Dcpf. of Cutriculwn Srudie.~. Unruniry of &go.r, Yaba Lngus Starc.
Mr. S.N. Ikwuvgnu Ag. Prowsr. FCE (T) A k o k Yaba. &gr,s State
Dr. N.A. Ihtbuzor, UNESCO. La+. Rev. Sr. (Dr.) Virginia Ajuzie. Pnbjrct I'lhlE. ;\li&a I.Y~IIY Mr. Lawrence A. Cujeh, NCCE. Ziiri:, Dr. U.W.Uche, hICE, Owerri. Mr. Ayo Odumasu, FCE(T) Lago\. Mr. A. Ellatr. PCE(T). Omoku Dr. M.A. Abclega, NCCE. Kaduna Rev. Fr. (Dr.) I. Ammrzr. FCUT) Urnur~ze Mrs. J.I. Kalusi. COE. Warri.
PmL 3. E. Ehcazu DCM. Fat~rlty (,,/ Eilucarhn hivcrsiry r , l Pwi klurtrc~r. Rivers Sure,
Rol. B- 0. Oblkpe Dept. or Linguistics and Nlgcrtnn h n g u h ~ e s , Unlversliy of Nigrdu. Nsuklra. Unucu Stute
Alhajl Aliyu M. Shika
Dr. 2.0. Odurmnu Pmvosl. T I z i SoIarin G tllcre r ~ f Educ~itirrn Ijrbu-Ode. Ogun Smtc
Prof. Gldmdo Tnhlr Ercculivc Srr rcrnry Na'orionul Conrmirric~n fur N o m d i ~ Education. h'irdunu.
Dr. l b d e Samurl, Pmvosr. U C O P E D . EPE.
Mrs. Sul. Okwubunkn, FCE. O b d u , Crrm R~ver Stale.
Prof. Duro Ajcyd:mi. Univcrsq of Lzgr~.;.
JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATI0 (JENDIC) VOL. 2, N0.1 JULY, 1993.
CONTENTS NI~XCO Editorial Board Subscription Rates Advertisements Editorial Contents
1. Equality of Educational Opportunity ns a critical factor in National Development - Prof. L.E. Amadi Prov- ost, :\ICE, Owerri.
2. Equal Opportunity in education through continuity in Teacher Education: The perspective of Structural Curricular Analysis - Dr. Don. Nwosu, Deputy Director, Acadumic Progranmae NCCII, Kaduna.
3. The Dilema of Planning Equal Educational Opportunity for National I)ovelopment: Some issues involved - Cyprian N. Okafor, Dean, School of Education, Federal college of Edumtion. Obudu.
1. Improving the Educational opportunities of the Fen~alc Child in Nigeria fur N;itirmaI develupnwnt- Dr. \ 0.0. Nwaubani lecturer and Head, Dept. of Social Studies/E:conomics, St. Augustine's College of Educa-
--? tion (Project T.I.M.E.) Akoka, Lagos.
5. Problems and Prospects of Equal Educational Opportunity in the 6-3-3-1 Sysrem- Dr. P. 0. Nwokolo, Prov- ost, Federal College of Education (Tech.) Asaba.
6. Prospects for Equal Educational Oppurtunity in Scicnce and Technolofiy fur National development T.B. Igwebuike, Chief Lecturer and Head, Dept. Of Curriculum and Instruction, Collcge of Education, Warri.
7. Rural Development as Basis for Scicnce and Technology Curriculum Develqment - E.E. Nwagbo, Federal College of Education (Tech.) Akoks, Laros.
8. vocational and Technical Education for National Development - Prof. A.J.A Esen, Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, Uyo.
9. Towards Microteaching in NINLAN Language Teacher Education Programme and E:qu;11 Educational Op- portunity - Dr. (Mrs.) L.U. Nwosu-Izuwah, Reader, NINLAN, Aha
10. Multilingualism as a National Asset: The Situation in Nigeria- PI-of. E. Nolue Enicn:rnjo, Execritive Direc- tor. National institute for Nigerian I a n p a g e s (NINLAN), A h .
11. Nigerian Languages and National Uevt-loplnent - 0l:igoke .4I:ini11, Snr. Lect~rrer ;lnd llead, Dspt. of Lin- guistics and Nigerian languages, National institute fbr Nigeria11 Lrrngui~jys, Aba.
12. Sourcing Information on the Web: Implications for Nigerian Lan~uagcs and National Development- Chris 0. Enyia, Ag. Head, Library Unity, N:itional Inst i ' t~te fur Nigerian l ,angua~cs, hba .
13. The National Policy on Langu:rgc of Instruction (1,Ol) for National Dvvelq~pment: Mcrits Problems and Recnrnn~rndations - Dr. (Mrs) Lucy U. Nwosu-lzurvah, Kendcr, NINLAN, Aha.
14. Translation as the Key to the .Advancement and Continued relevance of Nigtrian Imguage in the Contcm- porary Scientific Age: The lgbo Example- Okcogu, Chidinma I. (hlrs.) tcr turcr , Ccntrc Tor 'l'ranslation Studies, National Institute for N i g h a n langwrges, Aba. .
IS. Nigerian Languages and National I h d o p n i e n t - Felix Edjerei~, 1'rincip;tl Lecturel; Ihpt . of English lam- guage, College of Education, \Vm-ri.
16. ' I 'ow~rds IifkctiveStudy of Nigerian Languages for National Development: Strategies- Ngmi Anyiichonkeya (WIrs) Lecturer, A.I.C.E. Owerri.
17. The Role of the Library In Improving I'roductivity for Enltnncrd National Ikveiupnierit - Obinyan, O.WI., .4g. College Librarian, Feder:~l Collcge of Education (Tecl~.) Akoka, Y;h:r, I ~ g o s .
18. Library as an Educational Facility for National Drvelupmrnt - Rlrs JUJ* (-. N~o!iu, Librarian, National Institute for Nigerian L:inpages, A h .
19. Adrrlt and Non-Furm;tl Education in Nigeria - Prof. (Mrs.) I).h. 0nyejcme-1: . Dc.;lri, College of Education, Imo State Univrrsity, Owerri.
10. Adult Kclucation and Equal Edllcxtional Opportunities: Instrrtment fur Pr,litic:~l i:mpowertncnt and De- ve lopma~t- li. Oti Eyetsct~iit:~n, E C I . of Educ;ltion (Tech.) Aktlka, 1,ngcis.
21. T1lc I:c,lc.; of I'ar;rst;ir;~ls and Nott-(;ovcrnn~ental Orgaliijatior~s (K(;C)5) 01 g:inind I'rivnte Scctctr iri 1'0s- t c r i n K ~ < t l l ~ ~ ~ i ~ y of [ ( J t~c ;~ t iw~ Opportirnitirs ~ I I NiKvri:l - l'ror. I ~ C I I . .I. ~*; I IC:I~II , I)C:III. I~XXII I J ' ~ t ' I ~ ~ l ~ ~ c i t l i o ~ i , ll~rivcruity of Port I l:twourt, Port I l i i rco~r l .
22. S O ~ I ~ l t~ , l l v r t i o~~s 011 lu:q~tnhty of I ~ ~ d u r : ~ i i o ~ ~ : ~ l Opportunity ill Ni~,rri;t - l k ~ l ~ x i , .l,l. ( \ I I - s~ , I . C C ~ L I I Y ~ . i l t l ~ t . of l{ducai i~~~ra l l:t,~i~~A.si~uss~, C.O.1:. 3V;irri.
13. Equ:,l ()pportunity in 'l'carhcr Dcvc.lopmcnt: The Kolc of t i l i e N:;tional nar l~crs ' I~r.;litutc I)i4:1tice k a r n - ing S)strri~-lr1y;lng H. Inyang, I,ccturcr, I : ~ c ' H I ~ of I<duciltion. ~ ! U ~ ~ I ~ C S S E d u ~ ; ~ t i o r ~ l)cilt., Uuivcriity d IJyo.
7.1. E~I Ic : I (~o~ ; I I I<vaIll:ition: .I I 1 ~ ~ e s ~ i ~ y Tor Equal lSduc;itioni~l(fpp~:rt~rnit~ ill tllc 0-3-7-4 Sp tcn t - i;.(J. E ' u p W , Lecturer. Ucpt. or I'sycholo~y, F.(:.l<., kir ia .
PAGI ii iii iv v vi vii
JENDIC Vol. 2, No. I , July 1998.
Emproving The Educational Opportunities OF The Pernak Child In Nigeria For National Development
BY Dr. 0.0. Nwaubani
Abstract Inequality in access to educational opportunities in Nigeria is an issuc that has affccted the female gender
:onsiderably. Against the backdrop of increased global awareness for wornem empowcrrncnt through edu- :at ion, this paper examines the factors responsible for the perceived disp~irity t)etrwc'~r boys m d X, irls it1
vspect of access to ed~tcational opportuoities. It also discusses the linri tztions on f'cnulc pnrtici p i o n in :ducation such as socio-cultural bias, gender stereo typing of female, unequal oppnl-~~~nitics etc. Bcsidc making these points, their implications for the effective education of tile !malt: g c ~ ~ d c r wcrc discussed.
Introduction Femaleeducation is one of the issues that seem to be receiving prominent attention i n Nigorin today. This
jevelopment is indeed a reflection of a glob;d trend towards worn:m cmpowermcnt, liberation, gcnder quality and non sex discrimination. The background to this new trend is predicated on tllc undorsti~ncling >f the noble role of women in the socio-economic and political development of ikny country.
Women no doubt are the most influential but often neglected group in n m t of' the Africw Societies. This leglect to a large extent has made women one of the disadvantaged groups in t l l ~ dc.v~.!oping countries of he world where they are marginalized on account of gender, social and cultural bids :is wcll as other itereotypes '(UNESCO, 1992). The contention therefore is that the way the society perceivis women especi:llly rhc fernrile child has
)laced aperpetual disparity between her and rile male counterpart in respcor of'acccss to ccruain Sundamcn- a1 developmental opportunities. One of these opportunities is education. Education is one of the most outstanding means of ensuring the empowermcnt of woincn through ncqui-
ition and development o&nowledge, skills and self-confidence considered nuccssary Sur lu l l :md active karticipation in developmentnl processes of a nation. Education, if cffecrivcly t ~ r i lor-ctl towards the - needs ~f women would help them to respond to opportunities and challen~cs in I-cspcct 01' I~cdrh, nutrition, hrnily planning, environment and political issues (UNFPA, 1994). Education has been universally accepted as one of the catalysts for soci:d. L'COIIOII-IIC xncl technological
levelopment. In fact no nation, which aspires to greater heights will bc iri ;I I ~ n l ry L O ~ q c t the need for rovision of education for all its citizens. In Nigeria, education is perceived as an instrument per excellenct for ci t .cir in~ r~:~~icirlal development '
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1981:5). In endorsing the importance 01' cduc.:~~iclil 1 ' 1 ~ i t 1 1 Nigerians, the Jational Policy on Education (19819) reiterated that' universal h ; ~ ~ ; i c ~.iluc.;~lior~. In a \'aricty of forms, lepending on needs and possihilities, will be provided for dl citirzns. Bearing this goal in mind, government is expected to treat citizens ~ i l l ; ~ l l ! in 111' p!.\~cc.ss o f , providing
ducational opportunities. This therefore suggests that no Nipxian : - l ~ ! l ~ l rl ic ,ul~l h: titliicd i\ccess to ducation and self fulfilment on the basis of sornc perceived n~iscc)rlc.~:\~(ic,~~:. I i k l.li.~~:l~.~- ..l~[):~.ii)rity, socid tigma and social stereotypes. The crucial questions which this paper attempt to adciress ;II-c: . Why the disparity in xcess to education bctwcen thc: rn;tlc ;~r!rl i 'c.~\~;llc cl~iid i l l Xi:lc.~.i;~" ;. What are the effects of the disparity on the ecIucationn1 or)po~-t~~~li:ii'\ of 1 1 1 ~ ! ' L ' I I I ; ~ ~ ~ ~.l~i!d':) I. How do we improve educational opportunities of the fern;ilc cllilcl i l l h'i;~:~ ;A'.'
. Dr 0. 0. Il'waubuni, Impmving The Educarional Oppununitiex Of The Fenmle Chill in ,Yipria Fur Nutional D e ~ e l o ~ r n e n ~
To attempt these questions, the following issues, are addressed, the concept of equality and education, the education of female child in Nigeria, limitations to the education of the female child and improving access to education of the female child in Nigeria.
The Concept of Equality and Education Equality is a nebulous term. This is because, its meaning is subject to different interpretations. Thus,
while there are those who argue that people cannot be equal in absolute terms some nonethless believe that there arc sohe universal attributes or qualities or fundamental rigli~s which >hould be accessible to all on equal terms (Isichei, 1997:229). Thesel qualities include rationality, intelligence and other potent endow- ments which makes man essentially different from other lower animals. To tlris end, i t will not be justified to treat man on equal terms with animals. The presence of these qualities in all men by right does not suggest equality. This is because their efficiency differs from one person to the other. This itself is a source of inequality.
However, equality signifies a state of comparison. Thus, equality suggests that equals be treated equally and unequals unequally. The implication of this assertion is that the principle of equality should be applied taking into consideration some existing differences among individuals. This could be interpreted to mean that individuals who do not possess the same opportunity to achieve, should not be judged on the same or equal criteria. To do this is to encourage inequality and injustice.
There is therefore the need to define in a given context, the optimal or acceptable degree of equality. This is necessary because equality per se is idealistic. Equality implies justice, friirness and equity. That is, it implies that everybody should be treated equally based on some k~nd of egalitarian and non- discriminatory principles.
However, the question is can people be treated equally adequ;~tely? To answer h i s question, needs ol the people must be considered. Thus, the need level of individuals can determine adequa\ely the defini- tion of equality. Far instance, to treat hungry adult and baby equally by giving them the siinle amount of food could defeat the sense of equality. This is so because both of thcnl are differen1 in ago, body weight, dietary needs etc. Accordingly, everyone should be treated as having a right to equal treitment in respect of certain needs. Thus in respect of equal access to education, i t could be ;~rgued that everyone has equal right to education for the development of the individual and the society according to one's peculiar needs, and abilities. Equal educational opportunity according to Iwuchukwu (l988:343) could mean two relilted things:
(a) Equality of educational opportunity as equal right to education for everyone. and; (b) Equality of educational opportunity as right to equal education.
The first means equality as a matter of birth right as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution while the second is equality as a matter of social right based on the improvement of he birth right according to social and economic needs. Equal educational opportunity therefore means making the opportu~iities and processes of education equal for everybody according to peculiar needs, abilrties ;\nd orientation. This is a definite right of access to equal educational opportunities.
However, making the process and procedures of education equally accessible to everybody regardless of sex, birth, socio-economic status, religion etc. involves taking a great number of steps to ensure that, each person is put in a position that would enable one to acquire education according to one's needs and ability for total self development (Akinpelu, 198 1). It involves the provision of equ;il educational opportunities and adequate enabling conditions for all that need education ill respect of types of school, adequate staffing, adequate and relevant instructional materials and some conducive environment for learning (Fagbamiye, 1997: 17-20).
Thus in the provision of education it is more appropriate to talk of equal opportunities bearing in mind the individual differences and needs of people. There is indeed no doubt thali inequality exists in access to
JIiiVDIC Vol. 2, No. I , July 1998. --
- n m y opposti~nitics for- individuals in Nigcriii cspcci:dly females in :.i':;pccl of c i lucari~i~. Why this is so, is ii question that clescsvcs closes ;~ t te~~t ion .
The Educi~tion of the Female Child in Nigeria Educiirion in gcncl-a1 a i d that of the fcrn;lle gcnclcr in particular is very impostant fos ~ h c civcl-all dcvelop-
incnt ol'the country. 'l'l~c place of women in our socicty is indecd such in1 inipor:m: oile i!-~:tt any tlcliberate neglect of tlic.ir- education could portend danger for the entire society. I n fact, i i has I:c.c~l ol'ten said that to [tach a man is to teach an inciiviciual; to teach a woman is to teach i\ family unil 21 nation . . . ( FI-cdcrick, 1981). Eciucatctl W O I W I I 13;:~s 011 tt~cir knowleilge to thcir peers and oillcr family mur~~dxss ~ ~ I I ' I icul;~sly !heir ciiu~gll- tcrs thercby ~iiultiplying llnc efi'cct of thcir own cducarion. It could ther-c!'ose be said t h ~ r wl~ile ctlucation is csscntial for borh boys and girls, the benefits ol'cducating girls tend to be 21-rratcs. ?'his is so bcc:.~u:;e fcmale ctlucation llas bccn t'ound ro have a more sig~lific;tnt impact on povcrty r-cduction ~ I N ! rhc provision of sustainable clevclopmcnt by influencing klrnily s i x and 1etn;~le labous I'oscc participaiioii.
Accoscling to UNESCO ( 1993), ed~~catiori of thc girl is viral for the ~:fi '~ctive ~vc:lx~~-;~tion 01' totlay's girl into tonlorrow's sesponsiblc uclult woman. I t is iilso necessary for the l.~~turc clcvclop~l~u~~t ol' fatl~ilics and socicty i n gcncsal. 'I'lie fcmule child just like thc ~nale child is entil!ccl to ;ill 1111. citizc~r.;llip rights onc of which is access to con~pulsory basic education iind opportunity for highcs etlucatio~~ dcpcnding on her d ~ i 1 ity ((IN0 Conlcl-c~~cc or] 1-Iu1na11 Rights, 1993).
It is i~~clcctl the sesportsibility of the t'amily and socieiy at large to psotc;t thc righis 01' :iiI childsen includ- ing the fen~alc gender-. Thus, :I caring society will not only give dignity to young chililrc~~ thso~~gh education Imt equally cse:lrc condi~ions i n which thcy can xtualise their potentials and I T I ; L ~ L K ~ inlo f ' d l ;IIICI s;itisf'ying rtdult lilk. 'I'hc task of eri:;uring that thc ctlucation;d rights of thc Scmalc chili1 is s;~l;l::~~;,:-tid is ii very vital one. This is so bccausc human rights in general and cducatiot~:tl righs i n particul;~~. I L I V L i i .';l)ccif'i~ ;~pplic;t- lion to fctunale children-propably because of their need for special CNL: ~mtl ;~trciitiw~ i.~c.;~tccl by socielal ncglecl and bi~is. Despite the near unive~.sd advantage of fe~niill: educ~dion, hovicvc~, ~xlsc~its tend to prefer to educ:l~e thcir sons, given women's solc i n the I~ouseholti economy and tllc pcsc~~ivcil ili~:~dvi\nti~ge of investing i n ;I gisl chilcl who will marry into another f~unily and toke wit11 t1t.1- I I I C i~ t lv ;~~! t ;~~ ;c sllc has gained (UNFPA, 1993).
The cruci:il question ihen is why the persistent call for Sernitlc t.dtic:~~ion? l ' l~ i s call ii j>~.~iii~iitcd on thc need to give thc female child ec1u;d acccss to education in ordcr to avoid poicllti:~! ;;c'II~I~'s incq~iality in education in Nigcsia. I:~cquality is a potentidly clnng~sous phcno~-ncno~t wci;~lly, 1x)liliC;illy, econo~iiically mil cvurl ctluc;itionally. Thcscfore, if not properly ukiressed, is capalslc of c;iusi~~: I I O L ( ) i l ly ~ i ~ i i d in~l)al- a x e but coinplcte mar-ginalizi~tion and alienation of ii group to natio~~;il clcvclo~m~ci~t.
'The iniplic;lticsn of rhc abovc is that the girl child is capable of ~lchit.\~i~ig ~;~ll'f~iI!'ilii:cl~! a:d contribut~ng fully to rhc social and economic clevelopment of the Nigcrian socicry i l . given ;KL.L!:)~ 1 1 ) cd~~c:~tional op- portunirics like the ma!c cciunterpart.
JENDIC Vol. 2, No. I , Jrdy 1998.
The disparity in access to education between boys and girls is not a recrni trend. According to Nwagbara (quoted in Amadiume, 1987) boys had a head start over girls in the early years of Western Education in the Eastern province of Nigeria. Thus, before 1900, there wcre 752 girls compared to 2.243 boys in the 25 schools owned and run by the United Fiee Church of Scotland. the Roman Catholic Mission 2nd thc Niger Delta Pastorate. By 1900, he further argued there were 19 government schools wih a lic,puration cif 1038 and only 116 were girls. By the same period, the Roman Catholic Mission establishctl a totd 91'2 1 schools with 1,550 boys and l l girls in attendance.
Similarly, UNESCO (1965) in a survey study involving 89 member states found [hut an estirnatud 43.4% of school age children most of whom were girls did not attend school. th the same token, in a morc recent development, the Beijing Conference of I995 discussed wo~nen e d u d o n vcry proniincntly ;rnd cor:;lutletl that two third of adult illiterates were women nrld ha t only one out of every ihl-ce girls iia:; :~cccss lo p.i~narp education.'
It has indeed been estimated that as at 1980 about 70.1 % of population of 15 y c m a n d above i : ~ Nigcria were illiterates. Comp:iratively, 53.5% males and 84.5% of feniilles were csrim;itcd to bc i l l i t e r ; ~ (Federal Ministry of Education, 1990). The pertinent question is why is Nigerian worncn ucccss to cclucution low regardless of their superior population'? (1992 Census). I n fact, an examination ot'fcni;~lc participn~ion in primary education between 1975 - I986 would readily explain the above.
As can be seen from table I, although female enrolment ratio showed significant impl-ovcment ovcr the 1975/76 figures, in 1985186, the ratio had started to fall, thereby indicating that nm-e Scrnales did not participate in the primary school system.
Female - Child School Enrolment Ratio On State Basis in Nigeria 1993J1994 Table I Summgry Indications: Nigeria by State.
Education
STATE
Abia
Adarnawa
Akwa Ibom Anambra Bauchi
~p
Enugu 1 mo Jigawa Kaduna Kano
Benue Borno CIRiver Delta Edo
Kastina Kebbi Kogi Kwara Lagos
% of Children 6-11 Years Enrolled in Schools
M+F M F
92 93 97,
53 56 50 94 94 94
96 95 96 31 33 28
71 75 67
32 33 30 90 90 89 92 93 92 95 95 95
Source: FOS. (NASC 1993194)
24
% Children 12-17 Years Enrolled in
Schools
M+F M F
90 01 89
50 66 5 I 83 83 83 94 02 95
31 35 24
% of L i t e n i e Adults for 15 Years & Older
M+F M F
78 85 71 43 54 31 78 85 71 77 83 72 33 40 27
74 t;l 67 34 39 29
90 !J I XX
92 94 YO
06 97 94
Niger Ogun Ondo Osun OYO
53 69 39 20 28 12 73 83 65 78 88 69 79 86 73
64 65 62 95 95 94 88 89 87 95 46 95 89 89 88
63 65 60 92 93 93 18 20 13 45 49 40 20 21 18 68 69 68
. Plateau Rivers Sokoto Taraba Yo be Abuja FCT
65 68 62 85 85 86 85 86 84 91 91 91 86 86 85
.69 72 64 89 90 88 19 27 9 62 72 49 23 27 17 75 78 70
44 55 34 61 71 53 60 70 51 62 74 52 60 69 51
48 59 36 72 86 91 16 21 10 32 45 20 1 1 15 7 57 65 47
- JENDIC Vol. 2, No. 1, July 1998.
*'Table I further shows that in general fewer girls than boys of school age go to school and that female enrolment remaiq signiticmtly below 45%. This comparitivel y lower percenhgc of fcmalz enrolrnen t in primary school within the'period under review shows ar! imbalance between boys anti gir-Is especially in the northern states.
The information contained in table.11 which is more recent statistics in cnmlment in school by male and female pupils of various age group in all the states of the federation indicates an appreciiiblt: improvement on female enrolment espcially in thc Eastern and Western States of Nigesia. The disparity seem to tx Inorc psonounced in the northern states especially the core Muslim states of Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano etc.
Elsewhere around the world except in Africa, especirdly South of the Sahara and in Asia especially South Asia girls and boys have edgcd nearer to parity in primary school enrolment (UNO, 1995). 111 n~ost regions, the higher the level-of education, the lower the proportion of women to mcn in respect of educational enrolment.
Even in parts of industrialised world, h e ratio of women to men cnrollccl in Iiighcr clcgrccs is unusually low. For instance in Austria, SO women for 100 men are enrolled at t l~e tcrliary Icvcl; in I3elgium 78; in Japan 65; in Switzerland 53; and in Luxemburg, 52 (UNO, 1994).
In some countries, while boys and girls have I-oughly the same chancc ol'entcsii~g sclloul, girls ase less likely to remain in school. For instnncc, in a research survey c~u-ried O L I ~ i n India, i r was found that while approximately 60% of rural chiltisen wcre enrollod in school, only 15%~ of gisls sc~nain:d al'tcs five years cotnparecl to 35% among boys (UNDP, 199 1).
Even in counrries where gisls seem to have increasing access ro cducnlion, they asc ol'tcn channcllcd into the so-called traditionally "female" fields of s r ~ ~ d y which tend to sustain theis limited waclitional ~solcs in the society (UNO, 1994).
The above trend no doubt jusrifies a disparity. This disparity could be accoi~ntccl 1'111. by h i l l low cnrol- ment of female pupils and their high drop-out rate in school as a result ol ' lxk 01'c11co~11.agcnlc11t anti o h x psycho-social f ehen t s in traditional African societies.
Limitations to Female Education The qisparity between male and female gender in educalion could be basccl O I I scvcsal I ' ; K ~ ~ S S . !~~clccd, [he
girl child in Nigeria from both thc historical, social and economic stand point has an ~~ncqunl acccss to education in relation to the male counterpart. This inequality could be cluc lo the early sc:x role ol' girls which influence the conceptualisation of their later st~ltus and occupational inclinations. 111 some cultures, the female child only played a subordinate role lo thc male child. Thus, shr: was scni to school if i t was convenient for parents to bear the cost. Nnrurally, the male child is given prcSc.rcnti;~I trcatrtlcnt hcci.~use of' the notion that he will grow up to maintain the family identity.
Another limitation is the u~iintentional discrimination of the I'emale chilci o n cduca:ioi~ai issues. 'This is even more pronounced in the northern states where Islamic religion permil womcn to t)c m;~rsied very early in life and to be consigrled to purdah. This trend has inevitably led to both low cnsoimen~ in school by girls and their high drop out rate.
The attitude of the society to female education and occupational choice is a factor that inusi be consid- ered. For one thing the society as it is today is a male dominated one. PrcScrenccs, cl~oiccs ~mci cfecisions are made in such a way that they favour the male gender. This is further strerigthcned by s m w age long sex stereotypes which tznd to consign women's role to domestic chores. This attitudc natuc~lly determines the type of education women are allowed to pursue. The stereotypical portrayal of women as the weaker sex tend to undermine their self esteem and hinder their educational advancement.
Again, school organisational patterns and locations constitute some limiting factors. Irl most of the schools, existing instructional materials and other educational activities usually cnforce and reinforce the inequali- ties between the male and female child. Besides, other co-curricula activities in schools are more or less male dominated thereby making no provision for the peculiar academic needs of the female child. By implication the functioning of the school tends to male superiority and dorninarion. This is so,
Dt: 0. 0. Nwnubotli. I t ~ ~ p m v i t r g The F.'hroriorrd Opporfrirtities Of Tirc Frrrlde Child It1 Nigeria For Nu~ional Developmen~ .. because the school is itself a mirror of the large society where sex stereotyping is still prevalent.
In Nigeria, early marriage and unplanned pregnancies have equally caused low female enrolment in school and high drop-out rate. The reasons for this development are Inmy hut !hey bother largely onsoeietal perception of women and their peculiar household role, poor parental educational background, poverty and limited resources etc. Thus in Nigeria today female enrolment in primary school and transition to second- ary and tertiary education seem quite low because of the above reasons.
In related sense, female enrolment in tertiasy education especially in the so-called male dominated courses like Mathematics, Engineering, Medicine, Technology etc. is still low (UNO, 1995). This development could be explained in two main ways. Firsr the erroneous belief that some courses are traditionally more suitable for males than females. Secondly, is the discrimination in the labour market which traditionally seem to favour the male. In view of these fxtors, femdes are discouraged to pursue higher education especially courses th;~t would allow them exploit and rnaximise their innate potentials and abilities. This observation is indeed important because access to education alone is insuil'icient: It-is the quality of the education we expose girls that would determine the impact of cducarion on them.
Finally the economic factor is a plailsible rcnson for low female pasticip:ttion in education. The economic problen~s in t h e past two decades have decreased significantly public cxpcnclitusr on cducation. By impli- cation, fewer children enrol i n school and s;dly cnough 11io1.c than two tl~isds of those children who drop out at early stage are girls (Onyene. 1997). Thc: rlisrurbing thing is iliar tlicsc $1-ls due to pressure of early marriage may never have the chance of continuing their cducation again.
Suggestions and Conclusion Our discussions so far seem to'have estuhlishccl that girls i11.c grcatly rn:u.ginalized in respect of access to
education. The imbalance is cwsed by fi1cto1-s like socio-economic cnnstr;~ints; limited pmntal resources; cultural taboos and superstition; eluly. unplanned/unwanted prcgntlncics: p c l r transition rate from the-feeder levels of' education; early marriage; p:lrents educational bxkground: ctc. To en11:ince the educational op- portunities of the female child the following suggestions arc: made:
Scholarship awards, bursary and othcr financial incentives should be uscd 10 encourilge female edu- cation especially in special areas like Mathem:ttics. Physics, Chcmist~.y, Colnputer Science, Engi- neering, Statistics, Technology, etc. Appropriate legislation should tie enacted to prevent early m;uriagcx ant! withdrawal of girls from school. Government should mount aggressive literacy and awareness campaigns on the education of women. The efforts of non-governmental org;lnisations towards the enhru~cen~cnt of women education should be complemented by both the ~ninisrry deducation and olher relevant govcsnmcnt qyncies. Special quota on the admission ofcligiblt. female students into Univet-51tic's iulcl other terliary institu- tions should be encouraged. This is a way of closing the yawning pap between male and female participation in tertiary education. Efforts should be made to discourage all forms of cliscrimination and harawment of girls in the school system. Girls should be helped through effective guidance and counselling scrvices as well as adequate self image necessary for a good psychologicul well being. Mluntary organisations and churches should take the issue of women cducation more seriously. The female gender should be given both psychological, spiritual and cconornic support needed to excel in any chosen endeavour.
Conclusion In this paper an attempt has been made to demonstrate the fact that the female child has some basic
education rights which the society can help her to realise. Thus, being a unique person. who has been
JENDIC Vol. 2, No. I , July'1998.
marginalized by socio-cultural norms, she requires special access to education in order to be relevant in contemporary Nigerian society.
Certainly, neglecting these needs by the society could lead to psychological, emotional, social and educa- tional problems for the female child. Thus, with the assistance of the government, voluntary agencies and the society at Isrge, the right of the female child to qualitative education can be attained for enhanced and total development of the population and the nation.
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