The Relationship Between Child’s Rights Act and Girl Child Education in Senior Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
- To identify the causative factors affecting Girl-child education in Kano
- To examine if there is any significant benefits in educating Girl-child in Kano
- To proffer valid recommendation on Girl-child education in Kano
- To assess if there are significant improvement in Girl-child education in Kano Municipal Local Government Area since 2010 to 2015
- To evaluate the role of the government in addressing Gil-child education in Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Literature
Introduction
This chapter extensively reviews previous related studies, observations, opinions, comments, ideas, and knowledge that shed light on the key concepts under discussion – Girl-child and Education. The essence of this is therefore to create a bond between related previous studies and this research work. An attempt is also made to conceptualize this study within theoretical framework relevant to the field of study.
Conceptual Clarifications
Girl-child
Girl-child means a female under aged 18, or a female child from birth to full growth. In other word According to Grace, 2009 she viewed Girl-child as a biological female offspring from birth to eighteen (18) years of age. She opted that the age is before one becomes young adult. As she opined that the period covers the crèche, nursery or early childhood (0-5 years), primary (6-12 years) and secondary school (12-18 years).
According to Offorma (2009), she viewed girl-child as a female under the age of 18, and she may be within primary or post primary education. In addition to her assertion she regards the girl-child as imperative to national development since they are the future and potential mother. Furthermore, the former first lady of Nigeria, Hajiya Turai Yaradua (2008) perceived the girl-child as a future potential mother. In addition, a Girl-child is described as a female child between infancy and early adulthood. Thus, during this period of the development of a Girl-child, she is under the custody and supervision of adults who may be her guardians and siblings who are older and more experienced and mature than she is.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Methodology simply means methods or means used to achieve an objective. It is the process or methods applied by a Researcher to carry out a Research work. Thus, the research is based on facts, ideas and logical thoughts. The data needed for this fact and ideas are from both primary and secondary sources. The researcher ensured that data sources are in line with the areas of the topic of study.
Research Design
The research design adopted for this study is the survey method; Quantitative and qualitative data will be generated through a field survey. The survey method is a means of collecting large and standardized data from the field using well-structured questionnaire; as it will enable the researcher to provide information to the research questions in order to generalize influences about the target population. It will enable the researcher to exploit the factors that are not directly observable.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
This chapter dwells succinctly on the presentation and analysis of the data obtained in the course of this study. Data were collated and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21.0) software package. Statistical analyses include frequency distribution tables, Chi-Square and simple percentages. A total number of 399 questionnaires were (distributed using a proportional sample frame to each of the wards within the study area i.e Kano Municipal Local Government of Kano State) were self-administered to respondents and 306 questionnaires were duly recovered for analysis. In ensuing data analysis and interpretation, the word “non-response” stands for respondents that were indifferent to some of the questions asked. Short descriptive analyses of the tables are also presented for the purpose clarity.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
This study had its focus on Assessment of the impact of child’s Rights Act on the education of the girl-child in Nigeria particularly Kano Municipal local Government of Kano State. On this basis, the research work was based on five (v) chapters.
The chapter one of this research work focused on the statement of problems, research questions, the objectives of the study and significance of the study which governed the conduct of the whole research work. Thus, this chapter shows that the problem of girl-child education is not a regional, state, national or continent but a global issue. About 35% of the world’s girls are not in school as at 2012 and from this 18% are in Africa more specifically in sub Saharan Africa which is 12% (Eweniyi and Usman 2013). Furthermore, it also revealed that Girl-child education has suffered a lot in the Nigeria society particularly in the northern Nigeria; As women were confined to their traditional roles with lots of sanctions imposed on them either by their customs, norms and religions.
In chapter two, related literature were reviewed which comprises issues like the Girl-Child Education in Nigeria, National Policy on Education on the Girl-Child Education, Girl-Child Education in Kano, Benefits of Girl-Child Education, Factors Affecting Girl-child Education in Kano and The variables of the study were discussed in relation with the Needs Hierarchy Theory which was developed by Abraham Maslow, an American Psychologist (Maslow 1954). The chapter also reiterate on conceptual analysis on girl-child, the term was precisely viewed as a female offspring under the age of eighteen (18); as she develops her model and behavior during the process of development through observing and imitating those who she depend on while her physical, mental and emotional development start and reach their peak within this stage.
Furthermore, this chapter reveals that educating females bring about various benefits, including improvement to family health; lower infant mortality rates, greater family wage-earning power, and the intellectual development of the family and, thus the community and entrenched on the fact that despite the benefits to be accrued from educating the female child, there are still some challenges militating against obtaining education.
The research design adopted for this study was survey method; Quantitative and qualitative data were generated through a field survey and well-structured questionnaire designed so as to enable the researcher to provide information to the research questions in order to generalize influences about the target population. It also enables the researcher to exploit the factors that are not directly observable. Thus, the technique used in selecting respondents for the study is Cluster and Proportional sampling technique and the instrument used were questionnaires to 400 respondents in the 13 wards that constitute Kano Municipal Local Government.
The research findings carried out on different research questions were as reported below: It was revealed that economic situation and early/forceful marriages affect negatively on Girl-child education; furthermore, the research also shown that there are significant benefits in enrolling Girl-child into formal and western education. Thus, the role of government in promoting Girl-child education cannot be over emphasis, as some interviewed responded entrenched on government policies, programmes and infrastructural facilities built for the benefits of promoting Girl-child education and addressing the menace militating against Girl-child education.
Lastly, the Research also disclosed the percentage of Female Students (Girl-child) that enroll for the end of session final year exam as there were significant improvements in Girl-child education in Kano Municipal Local Government Area since 2010 to 2015.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, it is concluded that socio- economic factors affect participation of girl child in secondary education by causing lack of school uniform, personal effects, school fees and teaching learning materials. It also results to poor payment of school levies and high rate of girl child school drop-out.
It is the conclusion of this work that socio- cultural factors affect girl child participation in secondary education through early marriages, male preference in the family, and community initiation into adulthood, negative attitude of girl child in education, cultural practices and feeling of being adults.
The research work also showed that government policies and programmes have assisted in addressing the menace militating against Girl-child education and lastly, the Research also drawn conclusion that there exists a significant improvement in Girl-child education in Kano Municipal Local Government Area between 2010 to 2015.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study which clearly shows that Girl-child education in Kano State is challenging myriad of cultural factors were identified in the course of the study; thus the researcher comes up with the following recommendations:
The Ministry of Education should put in more effort to support girls since they are equally needed to participate fully just like boys. This should be done through implementing policies that are already in existence. Some of these policies are provision of sanitary pads/towels which the Ministry of Education should commit itself to provide. The enforcement of girls’ re-enrolment back to school after delivering babies should also be implemented. The Governors Forum should also give priority to buying books, computers and other necessary learning and teaching materials so as to increase girls’ participation in schools.
Professional Counsellors and social workers should create national awareness on women education (including adult education) through public awareness campaigns, rallies, and seminars and creating more chances for women employability and empowerment so as to serve as encouragement to later generations.
Since Parents’ attitude to towards reading and the importance they attach to study serve as role models for their children, parents should endeavour to show positive attitude to Girl-child education by being actively involved and giving them much encouragement. This will motivate them to excel in their academic performance.
The community leaders and religion leaders should promote preaches cultural norms and value that will promote girl-child education and get-rid of cultural decadence or fallacy.
The Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) should give Government agencies support in provision of girls’ personal effects like sanitary pads/towels, school fees and other levies and learning materials like text books for the needy girls for their participation in secondary education.
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