The African Symposium: An On Line Journal Of African Educational

82 Pages·2008·1.19 MB·English

by  Craig C. Brookins

African Educational

Research Network

AFRICAN

SYMPOSIUM

An on-line African Educational
Research Journal
The African Symposium: An On Line Journal Of African Educational Research Network

The African Symposium:
An Online Journal of African Educational Research Network
Volume 4, No. 1, March 2004

Introduction – Milton Ploghoft, Ph.D., Managing Editor
THE AFRICAN SYMPOSIUM: an on-line journal is entering its fourth year of publication as a
pilot project of The African Educational Research Network (AERN). It seems that the time has
come to reflect upon quantitative outcomes of the Journal's short life, the nature of its contents
and the sources of its scholarly papers. This is not inclusive of the current issue of the Journal.
More than 50 scholars in universities, associations and organizations in 18 nations submitted
reports of research and essays that were concerned with developments and issues of African
education. Those nations were Namibia , Zambia , Benin , Ghana , South Africa , Botswana ,
Tanzania , Swaziland , Norway , The Netherlands, Malawi , Uganda , Nigeria , Liberia , The
United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and the United States .
Reports dealing with the implications of the HIV/AIDS for African Educational systems and
institutions were the most numerous of the problems and issues studied, The research project that
was supported by the World Bank as an undertaking of the ADEA most likely was a contributing
factor to the attention that was directed to the pandemic and its consequences by researchers in
Africa, the U.K. and the United States .
Higher education, women's issues, distance education and problems in curriculum, teaching and
learning were frequent topics of study by the contributors to the Journal. Philosophic questions
and a comparative study of drama in post-colonial Nigeria received attention of contributors of
papers.
The problems and issues presented in Volume 4 Number 1 of THE AFRICAN SYMPOSIUM
continue to be as varied as those offered in the first twelve issues of the Journal. Six different
nations are represented by the research topics of the papers selected for publication.
Student achievement in science education is the focus of the paper presented by Drs. Joshua
and Ikuiburo. This study, entitled Self-Concept, Attitude and Achievement of Secondary School
Students in Science in Southern Cross River State, Nigeria, investigated the influence of self-
concept and attitude on academic achievement in science of secondary school students in
Southern Cross River State of Nigeria. Selection of the sample (530 SS3 students) was done by
simple and stratified random sampling techniques A 40-item objective test in chemistry and
physics and a 60-item questionnaire measuring attitude and self-concept, pilot-tested/validated,
were the instruments used for data collection.
Dr. Sabo Indabawa, Department of Adult and Community Services of Bayero University,
Kano, Nigeria, in his paper, On Some Socio-Cultural Determinants of Girls' Involvement in
Education in Nigeria, investigates the factors that inhibit educational pursuit by the girl child. A
second section of the paper deals with remedial measures to be taken. Professor Indabawa is
currently serving as a Visiting Fellow at the UNESCO Institute for Education in Hamburg.
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Dr. P.C. Manchishi, School of Education at the University of Zambia, provides a
comprehensive treatment of the languages and their use in schools from the colonial period to the
present day in his study, The Status of Indigenous Languages in Institutions of Learning In
Zambia.
Drs. Okeke and Ume have added an excellent piece to the philosophical analysis of knowledge
acquisition. Their paper, Some Epistemological Issues in the Conduct of Social and Behavioural
Studies in the Faculty of Education of Nigerian Universities explored the historical antecedents
leading to the development of the various research methodologies and the roles of the 18th and
19th centuries' philosophical debates to this development. The article explored this development
in relation to the conduct of research within the faculty of education of selected Nigerian
Universities.
Dr. D.I. Denga and Dr. (Mrs) Hannah Denga of the Faculty of Education and The Institute of
Education, respectively, at the University of Calabar , have reported on a study that involved
1000 Nigerian students. Sexual Harassment: Students' Views from a Nigerian University
examined the contrasts of western views of sexual harassment with Nigerian student views,
seeking implications for counseling.
Dr. Grace W. Bunyi, Educational Planning and Curriculum Development at Kenyatta
University, reports on an exhaustive study of Gender Disparities on Higher Education in Kenya:
Nature, Extent and the Way Forward. Dr, Bunyi had presented a lead paper at the conference on
Tertiary Education in Africa in Ghana in May of 2003 and was recommended by Journal Editor,
Professor Barnabas Otaala as a possible contributor to the Journal.
Dr. Tarnue Johnson of Jobs for Youth Inc. of Chicago, Illinois, has written on The Evaluation
of Educational Reform in sub-Sahara Africa : The Impact of Structural Adjustment Theory. Dr.
Johnson was an earlier contributor to the journal with a paper on educational change in Liberia .
Dr. Andrew F. Uduigwomen, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, at the University of Calabar ,
examines the perceived decline in traditional values and the factors that have contributed to the
decline. He identifies the advent of technology and the school curriculum. Dr. Uduigwomen
recognizes that the topic is controversial and open to alternate hypotheses. He invites comments
and questions to his paper, Strategies for Values Education in Nigeria .
Special appreciation is due to Professors Cisco Magagula and David Adewuyi as recent
members of the editorial team of THE AFRICAN SYMPOSIUM. Professor Magagula is acting
vice-chancellor at the University of Swaziland Dr. David Adewuyi is associate professor of
education at Albany State University .
MEP

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Self-Concept, Attitude and Achievement of Secondary School Students in Science in
Southern Cross River State, Nigeria
Idorenyin M. Akubuiro
Monday T. Joshua
University Of Calabar Calabar-Nigeria

PLEASE CONTACT THE AERN WEB EDITOR FOR A COPY OF THIS ARTICLE

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On Some Socio-cultural Determinants of Girls’ Involvement in Education in Nigeria

Sabo A. Indabawa
Bayero University

Introduction

This paper is divided into two main parts. The first section deals with an appraisal of ten (10)
widely recognized retarding socio-cultural factors that inhibit the pursuit of modem education by
the girl child especially. The second section proposes possible remedial measures that one hopes
will help to promote girl child education in Nigeria.

On the limiting factors

It is no longer a matter of debate that females constitute more than fifty percent (50%) of world's
active population (UNESCO, 2003). Nor is it in doubt that although they make immense
contribution to national development, they still face a number of inequitable difficulties that limit
their potentials in promoting personal and collective development (Assimang, 1990). A key area
of concern in this regard is that of their education, which can only at best be described as
dwindling and less than equal to that of their male counterparts(Indabawa, 1998, 1999,Obanya,
2003). A number of factors have been identified to explain this state of affairs (Kelly, 1978;
Williams, 1987; Sanyal and Collins, 1988; Doyle, 1991; Mangvwat; Kolo and Indabawa, 1998;
Sweetman, 1998, Indabawa, 1999, Obanya, 2003, UNESCO;). In this paper, the focus will be on
the appraisal of ten such salient socio-cultural factors, bearing iii mind their nature and essence.
But the list is by no means in any definite order.

Early marriage

The marriage institution is vital in any society. It legitimates the reproductive process and
ensures the meaningful perpetuation of the social norms of society. Yet the timing and the
resultant impact of early marriage is a source of concern for many who cherish the equitable
participation of females in modem education. When girls are married at ages 10 to 14, their
educational careers are disrupted especially if an avenue for second chance learning is not
provided. Once girls are left behind in this process, they add to the' burden of development of
society and their positive roles and contributions are limited early. Pitiably, this practice is most
rampant in communities of Africa, Asia and Latin America, to a greater degree than is the case in
other parts of the world. In part, this accounts for underdevelopment and human waste of talents
and efforts. The question then is: Is it impossible to allow girls to marry at ages of maturity,
when they must have had opportunities for the attainment of basic education?

Girls hawking practices

It is a common practice in traditional societies to find girl children hawking wares throughout the
day. This is an economic practice done mainly at the instance of parents and guardians. The
purpose is to generate income for families. While this goes on and when it is restricted mainly to
the girl child, a situation is created in which such girls miss the opportunity for education since
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education, like economic activities is time specific. It is for the latter reasons that this practice is
seen as largely discriminatory and inequitable. It is a key inhibiting socio-cultural interruption of
girls' education in Nigeria. Apart from loss of time for schooling, one wonders whether families
ever contemplate the huge moral losses of such a practice. For instance, unwanted pregnancies
are more likely to occur as a by-product of this unwholesome practice.

The poverty level of families

The indictor of prevailing poverty among the poor, rural and urban populace that the world
receives from the UNDP annually is a clear evidence of lack of equitable distribution of wealth
in society. As a result, several families live below the poverty line," living on less than I US$ per
day (that is less than N150 per day). We know for a fact that most of the families in Africa are
extended, especially with devastating impact of diseases including malnutrition, and HIV-AIDS.
Consequently, families are less able to cater for the educational needs of their wards. When
choices are made on who goes to school, it the males that are treated preferentially, thereby
leaving the girl child largely not catered for. This means that poverty's impact on child education
is felt more by the girl child. The question is: Why must this be the case?

Poor parental support for girls' education

As indicated earlier, when parents are faced with the choice of sending a girl or a boy to school,
chances are that in 80% of cases, boys will be preferred. Apart from the possible correlation
between parent's education and support for child education, there is also the issue of parent's
uncertain feeling and apprehension about the values of modem education. That's why parents
fear that the formal system of education is capable of instilling 'strange attitudes, values and
beliefs that could make the girls' child noncompliant in her character disposition. Given this,
parental support remains less than expected. However, there are evidences that show that:

"... some western educated women have more stable marriages
than do uneducated ones; and the case of immorality is one in a
hundred..." (Trevor, 1975, 212).

Misunderstanding of the position of Islam on girls' education

Largely due to lack of sufficient knowledge of Islam, many parents think that formal learning is
not meant for Muslim girls. This is erroneous. They equate it with Christianity or westernisatoion
or both. Perhaps this belief is anchored on the historical origin of western education in Nigeria.
Undoubtedly, it was used by the church as a tool of evangelisation. But things are no longer in
that mould. Indeed Islam demands that all adherents seek for knowledge even if it means going
to as far as China. There is also no firm indicator as to what type of knowledge or level one must
pass through, although moral education is the base that goes hand-in-hand with temporal
education. Muslims are urged to search for knowledge except where it will go contrary to 'amr
bil ma'aruf wa nahyi anil mukar' (i.e. encouraging the good and forbidding the wrong).

Society's poor attitude to girl child education
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Generally, the society itself is not wholly supportive of girls' child education. Elders, parents and
guardians largely disapprove of it. They hold suspicious believes and apprehension about the
system. This is most widespread among the uneducated or the less educated. The reasons for this
are legion. But this attitude persists because there has not been a sustained effort at making
people aware of the cherishable normative and instrumental values of modem education.
Community mobilisation has been less than adequate.

Irrelevance of the curriculum

What school teaches remains perpetually irrelevant to the real life expectations of the people,
especially the needs and yearnings of parents, families and the girls themselves. This leaves a
wide gulp between aspirations of role players and stakeholders and the assumed expectations of
providers of education. As a result, a call for renewal is ever felt.

Poor females' participation in studying the sciences

There is a lingering but largely unproved feeling that females cannot cope with studies in the
Sciences, Technology and Mathematics. Females themselves seem to believe that they cannot do
as well as their male counterparts. Yet there is no scientific evidence to back up this gender
stereotype. One of the many negative results of this belief is that less females are found to be
involved professional careers of engineering and medicine, etc. Thus females remain
under-represented in these important nationally desired corps of female experts. Muslim societies
in particular face the dilemma in medical institutions when it comes to attending to their female
members.

Females' poor self-concept

There are instances where the females themselves bear on themselves poor self-concept of being
unable to cope with challenges of modem learning. They are unduly influenced by the negative
impressions society place on them. This then becomes a very serious impediment to their
learning and educational pursuits.

Poor link between education and employment

There is a popular belief in society that modem education only emphasises instrumental goals,
that is that it is mainly employment-oriented. Therefore when learners complete an educational
programme without commensurate assurance for modem sector jobs, society sees a mismatch
and lack of synergy. This discourages participation, given that no serious meaning is ever
attached to learning itself. Similarly, schools do not teach skills that may help learners to become
self-reliant and gain self-employment from their formal training.

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On the remedial measures

In order to ameliorate the effects of the 10 socio-cultural factors examined above, it is proposed
that all persons involved in the system should undertake to take and or promote the adoption and
effective implementation of some remedial measures in Nigeria. The measures proposed
hereunder are in a grid form to indicate actors, targets and possible time frame for them as
follows:

Box 1: Schemata on remedial measures to improve girls‟ participation in education

Proposed Measure Responsible Actors Target/Time Frame
Stop early marriage via Government, NGO‟s, CBOs. Until popular awareness is
legislation and education. achieved.
Eradicate girl child hawking Government, Women NGOs, Hawking stopped by 2015
practices through legislation UNICEF
and education.
Reduce poverty through job Governments, Banks, NGOs, Poverty reduced to less than
creation, free schooling and UNICEF 20% by 2015.
scholarships grants.
Mobilise against poor parental Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, Awarenesss on values of
support via sensitization on the Religious bodies education achieved by 2015.
values of modern education
Create better understnading of Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, Increased awareness and higher
the position of Islam on modern Religious bodies girls enrolment achieved by
education via awareness 2005 an on.
campaign
Change society‟s poor attitude Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, Positive attitude expressed in
to girls education via greater girls enrolment in
mobilisation of communities schools curriculum, including
and groups occupations by 2015
Renew curriculum via Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, Key female needs reflected in
stakeholder involvement in school curriculum, including
content reform and renewal occupations by 2015.
efforts
Improve poor participation in Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, More female enrolled, more
the sciences via scholarship funds provided, more schools
grants, better funding, more established by 2015.
female science schools and
mobilization of community
support.
Transform female‟s poor self- Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, Positive females self-concept
concept via education created gradually and expressed
in involvement in sciences and
professions.
Link education to work via job Governments, NGOs,UNICEF, More jobs created fro females
creation and vocationalisation by 2015.
of curriculum

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Conclusion

In this paper, an attempt has been made to examine ten socio-cultural factors militating against
girl's child education in Nigeria. Ten alternative remedial measures were also proposed as a basis
for action in order to make the future situation better. There is hardly any legitimate excuse for
excluding the girl child and females from taking full advantage of education in Nigeria. As there
is need for equity, so there is a concomitant need for the rectification of past disadvantages. In
the word of one female activist Theresa Kouh Moukory: “My idea of how to make up for the
backwardness of females can be summed up in one word – Education”.

References

Akande, J.O. (1985) "Inequality and Infringement of Rights of Nigerian Women" A paper
resented at the national workshop on Nigerian Women and Development, Institute of
African Studies, University of lbadan, June.
Assimang, M: (1990) "Women in Ghana: Their integration in socio-economic development" in
Research Review, vol.6, no.1.
Doyle, S.U. (1991) "Increasing Women's Participation in Technical Fields: A Pilot Project in
Africa" in International Labour Review vol. 130, no.4, pp. 427- 444.
Indabawa, S.A. (1994) "Women In Development: A Comparative Study of Access to Western
Education in Kano and Oyo States of Nigeria, 1976-1991". An unpublished Ph.D. Thesis,
University of Ibadan.
Indabawa, S.A. (1998) "Sixteen theses on women and education" in Omolewa, M. et al eds.
Retrospect and Renewal: The State of Adult Education Research in Africa. Dakar:
UNESCO-BREDA.
Indabawa, S.A. (1999) "Factors hindering the participation of females in education: A Nigerian
experience" in Otaala, B. ed. Issues in Education Windhoek: John Meinert, pp. 33-50.
Kelly, G.P.(1978) "Research on the education of women in the third world: Problems and
Prospects" in Women Studies International Quarterly vol. 1, no.4, pp. 365-372.
Kolo, I.A. and Indabawa, S.A. (1998) Towards a National Policy on Women's Advancement
in Nigeria: A Baseline Report lbadan : Development Policy Centre (DPC).
Mangvwat, J. (1993) "Gender and Access to Education: The Nigerian Situation" in AALAE
Journal, vol.7, no.2, pp.33-38.
Obanya, Pai (2003) "Girls and women's education: A perspective on the challenges in Nigeria"
in Fagbulu, I. and Aderinoye, R. eds. Nigerian Private Sector and Girls Education.
Abuja: UNESCO- Nigeria, pp.31- 48.
Sanyal, B.C. and Collins, J.E. (1998) Women, Education and Employment in Developing
Countries Paris: UNESCO.
Sweetman, C. )1998) Gender, Education and Training. Oxford: Oxfarm.
Trevor, J. (1975) "Western education and the Muslim Fulani l Hausa Women in Sokoto,
Northern Nigeria" in Brown, G.N. and Hiskett, M. eds. Conflict and Harmony in
Education in Tropical Africa London: George Allen and Unwin.
UNESCO (2003) Gender and Education For All: The Leaf to Quality. Paris: UNESCO:
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mathematics education" in Education Today vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 9-22.

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Brief on author
Sabo A. Indabawa: B.A.Ed. (BUK), M.Ed., Ph.D. (Ibadan), Fellow, UNESCO Institute for
Education, Hamburg, Germany, is an academic staff of Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria for
twenty years. He was an Associate Professor and Head, Department of Adult and Nonformal
Education, University of Namibia, Windhoek. He has served the National Development Project
(NDP), an Abuja-based policy research organization as Director: Policy & Coordination from
2001 to 2003. He has returned to Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria as Associate Professor of
Adult Education. Indabawa has published more than 80 scholarly works in forms of books,
chapters in books, articles in journals and technical reports. His e-mail address is:
[email protected]

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