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Unizik Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies Vol.3;

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BARRIERS TO GIRL – CHILD EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AND

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Madu, Catherine Omeriyang (PhD);

Department of Adult and Continuing Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,
Anambra State, Nigeria.email: [email protected]
And
Obi, Joy Sylvia Chisara (PhD);
Department of Guidance and Counselling
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
email: [email protected]
Abstract
This paper examined the barriers to Girl- child education in Nigeria and strategies for
improvement. The paper stressed that education is a right to every Nigerian child
irrespective of gender, denying her access to education implies making her a
dysfunctional member of the society. The paper went further to discuss the relevance
of girl- child education to nation building. Some barriers to girl- child education such
as cultural influence, sexual violence and abuse, religious chaos, economic factors,
among others were highlighted. The paper suggests some useful strategies for
improving the education of the girl- child. These include: creating awareness to
parents that every child born into a family is important and deserves to be loved and
treated equally especially by giving them access to education, abolishing the
traditional practices that negate the girl child from going to school. The paper
recommends among others that Government at all levels should fund education of the
girl child and provide scholarships and grants for her; there is need for attitudinal
change, a re-orientation of societal and parental values towards the education of girls.
Key words: Barriers, Girl- Child, Girl- Child Education, Strategies
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Introduction
Education is an inalienable right of all over 80 percent of these girls in Sub-
citizens irrespective of gender, age and Sahara Africa (UNICEF as cited in
nationality. According to FGN (2004), Omede & Agahiu, 2016).
Education is seen as ‘an instrument par
excellence’ which equips an individual Successive governments in Nigeria have
with the right skills, knowledge, ability, over the years made concerted efforts in
competence, attitude, behaviour and a bid to bridge the gender disparity on
values in order to function effectively in education in different ways. These
society. Education is equally a means to include: the United Nations Universal
an end which assist citizens of a nation Declaration of Human Right Act of
to develop their full potentials and 1948; the Nigerian Child Rights Act of
capacity to contribute to societal 2003 which states that a female child
development as well as to attain who becomes pregnant before
sustainable livelihood. Micheal (2011) completing her education shall be given
described education as a key to a opportunity after delivery to continue
successful living, especially girl – child with education on the basis of her
education. Girl- child education is a individual ability; the establishment of
catch – all- term for a complex set of Universal Basic Education Act in 2004;
issues and debates surrounding primary, the establishment of Education for All
secondary, tertiary and health education Goals (EFA), Sustainable Development
in particular for girls and women Goals (SDGs), among others. These
(Omede & Agahiu, 2016). The authors declarations have helped the present
noted that denying the girl child access generation of girls to have better
to education implies making her a educational opportunities than their
dysfunctional member of the society. A mothers. Recent statistics still showed
girl child by definition is a biological that despite marked improvement in
female offspring from birth to eighteen female enrolment in the country, girls
years of age. still lack behind in the formal education
system particularly in the North and
Globally, about 121 million children are South- South region of Nigeria. The
out of school, 65 million are girls with paper therefore, seeks to address the
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barriers of girl child education in Nigeria Stressing on the relevance of girl child
and suggest useful strategies for education, Agusiobo (2018) noted as
improvement. thus:
Educating girls and women is an
Relevance of Girl Child Education important step in overcoming poverty.
The importance of education in the life Poverty reduction enables the fulfilment
of an individual particularly, the Girl- of her right to education and other rights
child cannot be overemphasized. Female of the girl child and young women which
education is very crucial for national serve as a powerful tool in making a
development and the role of women change in her life, enhances gender
cannot be under estimated. There is a equality, self- esteem, empowerment,
general belief that ‘when you educate a social wellbeing, leadership and critical
man, you educate one person but when spirit Pg. 9
you educate a woman, you educate a
nation’. This statement reiterates the Similarly, UNICEF (2017) noted that
importance of female education for investing in girls’ education transforms
national development. Educating the girl the communities, countries and the entire
child produces mothers who are world. Girls who receive education are
educated and will in turn educate their less likely to marry young and more
children. Kiki (2010) asserted that the likely to live healthy and productive
girl child needs to be educated to acquire lives. UNICEF further stated that
knowledge and skills needed to advance educated girls earn higher income,
her status for social interactions and self- participate in decisions that most affect
improvement. The girl child education them, and build better futures for
also prepares her to face reality in the themselves and their families. It is also
society and teaches her to be a good wife pertinent to state that girls who go to
and mother. Kiki further stated that school and complete schooling are able
when the girl child is educated, she to have more access to social positions,
realizes her full potentials and enables better pay-jobs, and higher income.
her to take decisions that affects her life. Educated girls are empowered, gain a lot
of knowledge and skills that will enable
them fit into every sphere in life without
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fear of gender discrimination and neglect Barriers to Girl Child Education

and it negative effects, thereby making a There may be numerous barriers to
remarkable change in their lives. girl-child education, but for this
Educated girls are able to take decisions article, the authors narrowed the
that affect their lives without barriers to the following, thus
intimidation or molestation. Girl child
education helps eradicate child Cultural Influence: A misinterpretation
marriages and early child birth. Most of of the traditional norm or even Islamic
these girls that get married before the holy text, the Quran may influence
age of eighteen suffer various parents to keep their daughters out of
reproductive problems such as VVF school. Even some parents have the
(Vesico vaginal Fistula) and if not misconception that sending their
properly handled, leads to death. daughters to school will bring about
It is worthy to note that there are a lot of immoral behaviour among them. While
women who have made remarkable feat some cultures see education of the girl
in Nigeria as a result of the education child as a wasted investment. This
they acquired. Among them are: Dr. misconception stems from the view and
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Dr. Obiageli belief that a girl is often not expected to
Ezekwesili, Mrs Winifred Oyo- Ita, late assume leadership positions in the
Dora Akunyeli, Mrs. Sola Borna, Prof. community and may end up not
Florence Obi, among others. All these providing for the family on completion
women are products of investing in the of her education. Furthermore, that a girl
girl child education. Girl child is expected to marry and leave the
education remains an indispensable tool father’s house. Even if she does, end up
for national development. However, in eventually providing for her family, she
spite of the relevance of girl child will most certainly earn less than her
education in Nigeria, there are still male counterparts because of the gender
barriers militating against the girl child wage gap.
in achieving its full potentials in the
country. Sexual Violence and Abuse: Sexual
violence and abuse could result in
intimidating environments and when in
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the environment the girl- child may also Religious Chaos: The ethnic values of
be unwilling to come to school because some religions do not help matters, as
of possible abuse that may face them they are often perceived with
there. Alika, Aihie and Ohamaka (2019), tremendous suspicions. UNESCO and
posited a lot of consequences associated UN Women (2016) reported that the
with school related violence, among emergence of religious insurgents in
which is sexual violence. In many places, deny females access to western
schools in Nigeria, Corporal punishment education. Nigeria is not left out where
is present and students may often get some religious sects terrorize female
beaten for things they cannot help, such schools. Unfortunately, many Nigerian
as not being able to afford and get a girls and their families are afraid to
uniform or a book. Often times, girls venture in education owing to security
often report having feelings of factors, especially after the Boko
psychological adjustment due to being Haram incidences, when Islamic sects
harassed by their male classmates and kidnapped and even gave out some
teachers. USAID (2012) has reported schoolgirls as child brides. In April 14,
sexual violence against girls in schools, 2014, the Vanguard Newspaper
in many African countries including reported that about 207 Government
South Africa, Zambia, Sudan and Secondary School students, Chibok,
Nigeria. The report identified series of Bornu State, Nigeria were abducted
sexual violence perpetrated by male from their school dormitory by Boko
teachers against female students from Haram. In February 19, 2018, another
primary schools to the universities. set of girls were abducted from Science
Sexual harassment, abusive acts, Secondary school Dapchi, Yobe
promise of good grades or threat of State, Nigeria by Boko Haram,
failure were also identified to be used by among others.
many teachers to achieve sexual
relations with students. This act of Economic Factors: The economic
sexual violence becomes a threat to girl situation in Nigeria could be seen as not
child education. palatable. Nigeria as a nation is
undoubtedly characterized by very harsh
economic conditions. This has given rise
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to scarcity of resources. In the bid to unwilling to pay for school necessities

meet up with the harsh economic such as uniforms and books.
situations, parents may be faced with the
choice of whom to send to school. Most Strategies for Improving the Girl-
often, it is the girl-child that remains at Child Education
home, girls get withdrawn from schools The word strategy can be referred to as a
so as to help to supplement family plan of action to bring about a desired
income. UNICEF, (2007) pointed out result, such as achievement of a goal or
that in some cases, the girls are given out solution to a problem. In this study, a
as house maids or given out to early strategy is a way of overcoming the
marriage to get a huge bride price. barriers of girl child education to enable
them self- actualized.
Fear of Safety of the Girl child: In
rural areas girls often walk many miles One of the strategies for improving girl
before reaching their schools. The walk child education in Nigeria is by creating
can take over an hour, which makes the awareness to parents that every child
girl child’s parents concerned for the born into a family is important and
safety of their child on the way to deserves to be loved and treated equally
school. especially by giving them access to
education. This is necessary because the
Poverty: Poverty can be seen as a discrimination of the girl child starts
barrier to girl child education in Nigeria, from the home.
considering the fact that extreme poverty
prevents the education of a girl. Alika & Another is by abolishing the traditional
Hillary (2012), report, Nigeria as a practices that negate the girl child from
country with 70 percent of people living going to school. There is this belief in
below the poverty line, many poor most Nigeria societies that the girl child
Nigerian families are known to force is meant to stay at home and assist in
their girls out of school to make them house chores and the boy child sent to
work full time. Often girls are sent school because when the girl child is
to hawk on the streets. Extreme poverty educated, she becomes an asset to her
also can make families unable and husband. This is mostly seen in families
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where there are so many children to - Finding ways of reducing the

carter for. This belief is still on in some need for girls’ labour particularly
south and northern part of Nigeria. among the low- income families.
Other strategies for improving girl child
In addition, UNICEF (2007) maintained education can be enumerated as follows:
that one of the ways of improving the A. To locate schools closer to
girl child education is through advocacy communities- Reducing the distance
and sensitization to different that girls travel to go to schools will
stakeholders like policy makers, encourage their participation in
traditional leaders and even through education. Parents are more
social media on the relevance of girl comfortable about the safety of their
child education. daughters when schools are located
The need for the government to establish near the communities.
second chance education in all the states B. Employing female teachers-
of the federation and encouragement of Employing female teachers improve
girls who dropped out of school to enrol enrolment and retention of girls in
in non- formal education programmes schools because the female teachers
in order to acquire technical and act as role models to them especially
vocational skills to be useful to when the girls come from poorly
themselves in the society. educated families. Consequently, the
Furthermore, Otu (2016) noted that one presence of female teachers reduces
of the strategies to improve the girl child parents’ worries about the safety and
access to education is for the morality of their daughters in
government to lower the cost of schools.
education to parents by: C. Reducing girls’ labour - in most
- Providing scholarships for girls African countries, girls contribute
particularly those from poor more to household productivity than
homes and rural areas boys. Girls spend much of their time
- Providing textbooks in the core in housework, carrying fuel and
subjects (at primary and water, food processing and child
secondary level) and uniforms care. Programmes must therefore be
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designed to reduce this labour on the fully contribute to the development of

girl child. the nation.
D. Retooling curriculum to suit practical
needs – School curricula must be Recommendations
made to be relevant to girls’ lives. In order to overcome the barriers of girl
Gender stereotype should be child education in Nigeria, the following
avoided. The curricula should be recommendations are made:
expanded to include practical 1. The need for government at all levels
knowledge and skills that will help to give more attention to girl child
girls perform their daily tasks. education becomes imperative.
Hence, their chances of enrolment Governments at all levels should
would be increased. fund education of the girl child and
provide scholarships and grants for
Conclusion her. This is because if the girl child
From the above discourse, it can be is well educated, she will have
concluded that education is the right of chances of contributing to the nation.
every child irrespective of gender. The 2. There is need for attitudinal change,
girl- child deserves education especially a re-orientation of societal and
in northern and South- South region of parental values towards the
the country to enable her realise her education of girls would be
potentials as well as making her a necessary as there is a negative
responsible member of the society. conception of perceiving girls’
Although, there are barriers militating education as worthless or valueless.
against the girl child having access to 3. Early marriage especially in the
education which have been discussed in northern part of Nigeria should be
this paper, there are also some strategies outlawed and parents should be
pointed out that would help improve the educated about the benefits of later
girl child education in Nigeria. It is true marriage. Child labour, rape, female
that some efforts have been made by genital mutilation and other forms of
successive governments to improve the child abuse should be abolished.
girl child education in Nigeria. Much The government should not just
still needs to be done if women must enact polices but there should be
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strong enforcement of these laws and Federal Government of Nigeria

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fisher- folk must have access to a Okenmor, G.A, Ndit, J.N. and Filshok,
good and quality education. This will M.A (2012). The role of women
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UNIJERPS

Unizik Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies Vol.3;

BARRIERS TO GIRL – CHILD EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AND

Madu, Catherine Omeriyang (PhD);

Key words: Barriers, Girl- Child, Girl- Child Education, Strategies

fear of gender discrimination and neglect Barriers to Girl Child Education

to scarcity of resources. In the bid to unwilling to pay for school necessities

where there are so many children to - Finding ways of reducing the

designed to reduce this labour on the fully contribute to the development of

strong enforcement of these laws and Federal Government of Nigeria

addressing school-related UNICEF Report (2018). UNICEF

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