By Juliana Uche-Okobi
Simon Udechukwu, a native of Akaeze, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, belongs to the school of thought that does not believe in the education of a girl child. A father of five, Udechukwu refused to send Nnenna, his first child, to school, prefering instead, to educate John, who came five years after Nnenna. Udechukwu’s problem was not money. Though a farmer, he had enough resources to train all his children in school, including Nnenna, if he wanted. But he always argued that Nnenna was another man’s property, and as such, he should not waste his money on her. Nnenna got married at 18 and followed her husband to Onitsha, the business hub of Anambra State.
However, it did not take long before the husband started to complain. The first complaint was that his wife could not keep the home. This was followed by the claim that she embarrassed him any time they attended their village meeting, as she could not read like other women or sing simple English songs at meetings. Efforts by the husband to enrol her for adult education did not work because, according to Isaac Ucha, the husband, Nnenna was ashamed to continue after some attempts. She could not participate actively in class. The couple is still together, but Ucha has told his in-laws that he was only enduring the marriage to avoid scandals.
Like Udechukwu, many parents see their girl children as objects to be given away someday to the “real owners,” their husbands in this case. Consequently, they do not see the wisdom in giving their daughters formal education. Rather, they focus more on the male children, who they believe would take their place when they are gone.
“He who educates a girl educates a nation,” goes a popular saying.
Education, apart from being a necessity, is also a human right, following the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948. Analysts aver that there is a correlation between the enrollment of girls in primary school and the gross national product and increase of life expectancy. As such, they believe that girls’ enrollment in school is an investment in human capital in any society.
Similarly, research has shown that rapid socio-economic development in any country depends on the calibre of women and also their level of education. For an educated woman does not only acquire skills, she also acquires knowledge, competence and the right attitude that enable her make valuable contributions to the society. This is why the World Bank, in its recent report, stressed that girls’ education “goes beyond getting girls into school. It is also about ensuring that girls learn and feel safe while in school; complete all levels of education with the skills to effectively compete in the labour market; learn the socio-emotional and life skills necessary to navigate and adapt to a changing world; make decisions about their own lives; and contribute to their communities and the world.”
But reports suggest that girls’ education is still relegated to the background. According to UNICEF, a large number of young girls still do not attend school, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Its 2007 report estimated the global figure for out-of-school children to be 121 million, 65 million being girls. Over 80 per cent of these girls live in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Nigeria, the UN body said that girls’ access to basic education, mostly in northern states, has remained low. The report said that as few as 20 per cent of women in the North-West and North-East were literate and had attended school.
In northern Nigeria, the number of children out of school is particularly high and the proportion of girls to boys in school ranges from 1 girl to 2 boys and even 1 to 5 in some states. Though campaigns have mounted on the need to educate the girl child, not much improvement has been made. In its 2014 report, the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation revealed that over 5.5 million girls in Nigeria were not in school. The UNESCO report also showed the disparity in the enrolment rate between boys and girls. While the net enrolment rate at primary school level was 56 per cent for girls, that of boys was put at 61 per cent. And even after enrollment, the drop-out rate is more among girls compared to boys.
Certain factors have been pointed as obstacles to girls’ education. Michael Nnadozie, a teacher, said factors such as poverty, culture and level of education of parents could pose obstacles. In addition, economic issues, teenage pregnancy and early marriage, especially in the northern states, also constitute a stumbling block to girls’ education.
According to Nnadozie, the economic angle is a serious determinant in girl child education. With almost 70 per cent of the Nigerian population reportedly living below the poverty line, he said that girls’ education is most times sacrificed on the altar of economic expediency, as they are the ones often taken along to assist parents in farms, markets or hawk wares on the streets for the survival of the family. Nnadozie stated that in the process of hawking on the streets, some fall victim to rape, with no one knowing about it. Sometimes, too, because they are asked to help in the family’s upkeep, the girls willingly yield to men who promise to offer them money. The outcome, Nnadozie said, is early pregnancy, which makes the girl withdraw from school to avoid shame.
Joke Gbadamosi, a counsellor, also said that most schools lack adequate classroom space, water, health and sanitation facilities usually needed by girls. As a result, some girls find it difficult to cope in such an environment where their privacy is compromised and consequently abandon school.
In the northern part of the country, some parents reportedly keep their daughters out of school due to misinterpretation of Islamic religion.
And even where Islamic law is not in operation, the seeming descripancy in the treament of boys and girls also constitutes a big challenge. As the UNESCO report shows, boys are generally known to be given more opportunities to ask and answer questions, to use learning materials, and to lead groups. On the contrary, the UN body says, “girls are often given less time on tasks than boys in primary and secondary school science classes. Many Nigerian teachers still use corporal punishment and create an intimidating classroom environment.”
According to analysts, tradition and belief are twin evils mitigating against the education and growth of the girl-child. From birth, girls in some parts of the country have had their destiny sealed. Seen and addressed as the weaker sex, society places their male counterparts above them in every endeavour. In northern Nigeria especially, Patrick Ogbunka, a writer and social critique, said that because of the belief system, women are not expected to be heard in the open or speak where men are speaking. Though they could be seen, they are not expected to take part in decision making even on issues that affect them. Consequently, a girl’s rights appear to be circumscribed by tradition, custom, and the chauvinism of male patriarchy.
As experts have stressed, girl child education is of immense benefit. It adds values not just to the life of a girl but also to the life of a nation. This is the submission of Agatha Ogbu, an economist and businesswoman. A mother of three girls, Ogbu told The Point that her investment in the girls, all of who are graduates and doing well in their various disciplines, was worth the while. She said that contrary to the notion that girls would marry and leave their parents alone, the girls never left her alone.
“Even after they are married, they keep visiting home. And when they are not here, I pay them visits from time to time, even the one in America. And I am happy that they are all doing well in their careers and homes. They are not a liability to their husbands and now they are the ones taking care of me and their father,” Ogbu said.
Educating a girl empowers her to live a positive life. In its reports of 2017, the World Bank states: “Girls’ education is a strategic development priority. Better educated women tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labour market, earn higher incomes, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and enable better health care and education for their children, should they choose to become mothers. All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and nations out of poverty.”
Ogbu similarly said that purposeful occupational achievement and satisfaction were ensured by deep self-awareness and understanding, which could only be achieved through the education of the girl child.
Obviously, the education of a girl child rubs off on every facet of life. In its recent reports, the British Council says: “Educated women are less likely to die in childbirth and more likely to have healthy and well- nourished children than their non-educated counterparts. We know this. A child born to a literate
mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five. In Nigeria 66% mothers with secondary education give birth in a health facility compared to 11% with no education.” The report went further to say: “The children of educated women are more likely to go to school. Girls’ education spurs exponential positive effects on social and economic development for generations to come. One extra year of schooling increases lifetime earnings by up to an estimated 10%.
Girls’ education is good economics. It is the best investment in a country’s national development. Educating girls enhances growth rates and reduces social disparities.”
According to Ogbunka, a girl child suffers without education. He said that there is no future for the girl-child “in the strict sense of full inclusion and participation in the development process, self actualisation, self-fulfilment and personal freedom.
The Nigerian government is aware of this. To ensure equal access to education, the National Policy on Education states that access to education is a right for all Nigerian children, regardless of gender, religion and disability. This is the time to go beyond the script and act so as to foster the development of all Nigerian citizens to their full potential.
