ASSESSMENT OF PARENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS GIRL CHILD EDUCATION

 CHAPTER ONE

Background of the Study

(Ana 2018) the importance of education to human beings cannot be overemphasized. Education is human right that should be accorded to human being solely by reason of being human. The relationship between educational development is well established such that education is a key index of development. It has been documented that schooling improves productivity. Education reduce negative features of life such as child labour as well as bringing about empowerment (UNESCO 2018). This is why there has been a lot of emphasis particularly in recent times for all citizens of the world to have access to basic education. 

The importance and linkage of education to the development of any society is well known. It is the recognition of this importance that the international communities and government all over the world have made commitments for Citizens to have access to education, and has been documented across the globe, there are inequalities in educational access and achievements as well as high level of absolute education deprivation especially in children (Sbratimaraina 2019) the 1948 universe declaration of human rights stated that every person has a right to education, In 2017, the world conference on education for all declared among other that every person shall be able to benefit from educational opportunities designed to meet their basic learning needs. The girl-child is a biological female offspring from birth eighteen (18) years of age. This is the age before one becomes an adult. This period covers the crèche and secondary (12-18 years) during this period the young child is totally under the care of the adult who may be her parents or guidance and older siblings. It is made up of infancy physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional developments start and progress to get to the peak at the young adult stage. Education is the process of providing information to an inexperienced person to help him/her develop physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, politically and economically. That is why at graduation ceremonies, one hears the vice chancellors pronounce these words during awarding degrees to their graduates who are found worthy in character and learning Grace (0. 2019). In realization of the importance of the girl concerted efforts are being mounted by the government at various levels to improve female participation in education and redress the gender inequalities in education enrollment and retention UNICEFS long-term goal is for all the children to have access to complete and have a quality education the international goals connected to girls education. The international goals connected to Millennium Development goals world fit for children goals and Daker goals (World Education Forum). However, in a global view, for instance in Tajikistan, girls have unequal by access to secondary education as evidenced by their lower participation rates, lower completion rates and lower levels of achievements. The gender imbalance is especially prevalent at the upper levels of secondary school where the overall girls attendance rate declined from 49 percent in 1991 to 38 percent in 2019 (ministry of education 2018) recent studies have found that there are significant differences in enrolment in secondary school education between girls and all other world (UNICEF 2019).  According to MDG needs, secondary education will increase by 40 percent between 2018 and 2019 (UNICEF 2019). The 2016 data on poverty level assessment access to education above and urban grade decreased by six percent for boys and 18 percent to 4 percent for boys 7 percent for girls in rural areas (Moetajikisten 2019). In Nigeria, several shapes had been taken since enrolment of girls remains poorer than that of boys. For example the national policy in 2018 emphasized the need for women education, the social aspect was the full integration of women into social and political status as a means of developing the nations into human resources for National Economic growth. Its objectives included the promotion of gender mainstreaming, totaling all policies and programs. In addition, in 2019 the National Policy on gender, was adopted. The policy is premised on recognition of gender issues as central to and critical to achievement of the goals and objectives of National Development. Education formal or non-formal has been seen as the foremost agent of empowerment, it is the bedrock of women empowerment. Parents positive attitude towards child's education important in determining school attendance and academic achievement of the child. Favorable attitude towards schooling and education enhance parental involvement in children's present and future studies. Parent's attitude towards childrens education affects adversely by low socio-economic status, religion practices and cultural beliefs of the people. (Oyitso and Olomukoro 2018) parental attitude is a measure or an index of parental involvement. One of the most important attributes of parental attitude is consistency. As children mature into adolescence family, involvement in the learning remains important. Less enrolment in their learning remains important. Less enrollment of girls (15%) in the past few decades in the northern part of Nigeria particularly in Adamawa State requires an investigation into different factors which are effecting overall situation of girls education with a made population of over 1863, 713 and 1,838,963 female 60% of Adamawa state illiterates are believed to be women (UNICEF 2019) in most of the schools visited by leadership Sunday (2018) within and outside the metropolis, the percentage of female enrolment compared to that of the male counterpart was so pathetic with some classes within the rural areas recording few female pupils. In the gender parity index (UBE 2017) Adamawa State has a gender parity of 0.7 meaning that there are more boys than girls enrolled in schools. 

1.1 Statement of the Problem

Ideally, it is expected that every child should have equal right education. It has been documented that schooling improves productivity health and reduces negative features of life such as child labour as well as bringing about empowerment (UNESCO 2018), it is really needed to such as both male and female who can face all challenges of present technological era However, lack of education especially female education is most significant factor contributing to underdevelopment of Nigeria. (Nigeria Planning Commission 2019). Nigeria is a developing country facing many problems in educational system including higher rate of illiteracy of its population especially the female population. This problem is rooting other problems. Gender based education is receiving much emphasis at present. As a result of lower educational level and fewer opportunities for female participation in social life woman face inequalities and difficulties in every phase of their life Remi A (2017), it is obvious that gender and literacy go and hand in hand in determining the problems faced by the target school in Adamawa Metropolis. It is obvious that there are gender disparities in these schools and factors responsible for these societal, environmental, psychological, religious and more. Put together these hamper learning in general in the target school.

1.2 Objective of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the parent attitude towards girls child education in primary school in Yola North Local government Area of Adamawa State.

 To establish the extent to which religious beliefs influence parents attitude toward girl's child education in Yola North L.G.A of Adamawa State.

To establish the extent attitude which cultural beliefs influence parent's attitude toward girl's child education in Yola North L.G.A.

To establish the extent to which economic status influence parents attitude toward girl's child education in Yola North L.G.A.

1.3 Research Questions

To what extent does religious beliefs influence parent attitude toward girls child education in Yola North LG.A?2 

To what extent does cultural beliefs influence parent attitude towards girls child education in Yola North L.G.A?

To what extent does economic status influence parent's attitude towards girl's child education in Yola North L.G.A?

1.4 Significance of the Study

The researcher especially in Yola North Local government Area of Adamawa State because it will help to develop in parents positive attitude towards, educating their female and it help in developing the society the right attitudes, norms and beliefs which will become profitable to them and generations to come.      

It will also create awareness to the parents on the need to view education of their female children as an obligation that must be fulfilled.

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research study is limited to Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State which the research work is contracted much done due to time and financial factors which are the major constraints the research would covers different areas of the local government. The schools area covered are:   Gwadabawa, Doubeli, Demsawo, Karewa, Jambutu and at least 5 wards in the Local Government, for the study.

16 Definition of Terms

Attitude: Way of childrens feeling/behaviors, opinion, or value one has for female education.

Parent: Any person (man or woman) with chain of ownership of a child male or female.

Education: Formal instruction or training given to a learner in school. It could be a male or female learner.  

Patriarchy: A system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line.

Trafficking: is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual, slavery or commercial. This may be sexual exploitation by the trafficker or this may encompass providing spouse in the context of forced marriage or the extraction of organs or issues including surrogacy and ova/removal.