Ways to Improve Girl Child Education in Nigeria

In this post, we will look at the various ways to improve girl child education in Nigeria. Before now, a girl child education was not a priority to families. But now, things have changed. The government and various non-governmental organization have put in place several social welfare programmes to encourage girl child education.

Presently, Nigerian women are making many advancements within their society than in time past. Today, more children  (especially females ) go to school to learn to read and write than in previous decades.

Education bestows on women a disposition for a lifelong acquisition of knowledge, values, attitudes, competence and skills. Education then was mostly for the guys and people believed a woman’s destination was the kitchen.

Ways to Improve Girl Child Education in Nigeria

In 1960, after Nigeria gained its independence, there was a great gender disparity in education. Girls enrollment figures were very low. Up until 1970s, considerably more boys participated in education than girls in Nigeria.

See Also: Challenges Facing Education in Nigeria

However, with the government’s intervention and public awakening, parents began to send their female children to school and women’s involvement became more visible.

In 1990, it was noted that purposeful plans of action led to an increase in females in school. Although, it was observed that Nigeria was still lagging behind other regions of the world in female access to education. It was also noted that gender disparity existed in education and that there was need to identify and eliminate all policies that hindered the girls full participation  in education.

Presently, Nigerian women are making many advancements within their society than in time past. Today, more children  (especially females ) go to school to learn to read and write than in previous decades.

Education, especially girl child education is an investment into the future of a country. That is why it is important that both males and females have equal access to education understanding that it will be for the betterment of their lives in order to make a positive impact to their generation.

Read Also: 8 Functions of Social Welfare in Nigeria

According to Muhtar Bakare, the Pearson’s managing director in Nigeria, who said Nigeria will not meet its economic or social potential as a nation until female education attainment rates are met. It can therefore be deduced that, until female education becomes a priority for a nation, the future is still bleak for it.

In 2007, Unesco and Unicef addressed the issue of education and stated some rights to provide education for all, females inclusive.

Some of the stated rights are:

The right of access to education: This states that education must be available for, accessible to and include all children, be it male or female.

The right to quality education: Education should be centered on the child, must be relevant and embrace a broad curriculum, and be appropriately resourced and monitored.

The right to respect within the learning environment: Education must be provided in such a way that it is consistent  with human rights, equal respect for culture, religion and language. It must also be free from all forms of violence.

The importance of girl child education

The higher the level of a female’s education, the more likely she is to marry older and less likely she is to contract HIV or experience maternal death.

Educating girls play a positive role in breaking poverty. With the education gotten in school, they can put their knowledge to work and generate income to support the family thereby reducing poverty in Nigeria.

The impact of female education is seen health wise. An educated woman is more likely to know what contraception is and how to use it safely. Or what it means to protect herself so as not to contract any disease such as HIV.

Educating a girl child can also bring benefit to her immediate family and her nation at large.

Investing in girl child education leads to improvement in productivity and the labour force.

With the benefits of investing in girl child education being enumerated, it can therefore be seen that its investment can bring benefit to the female in question, her immediate family and ultimately, her society at large.

Read Also: Problems and Prospects of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria

Ways to improve girl child education in Nigeria

1) Provide Basic Primary School Education

Adequate provision should be made for basic primary school education for both genders. Chances are, if a girl child completes primary education which is the first step in education, she will be willing to further continue. Government should establish more primary and secondary school facilities for children whose parents wouldn’t be able to afford the fees in a private institution.

2)  Provision of job relevant skills

Another avenue that can improve the girl child education in Nigeria, is by providing them with job relevant skills. Skills like sewing, hair making, catering etc, would likely improve the rate at which girls go to school in a country. This is because these skills will make them self dependent even after school as they will be able to make money for themselves.

3) Create environment that encourages investment in knowledge and creativity

This requires innovation specific skills and investment that will help connect people with ideas, and risk management tools that facilitates innovation.

4) Provide flexible labour market

It is also important that the government provides flexible, efficient, and secure labour markets. Girls have limited access to opportunities which can lead to diminished expectations.

5) Provide adequate learning facilities

While it is important that the girls go to school, it is also important that they are adequately tutored by professional teachers. To deliver quality learning, there must be enough teachers who are suitably trained, and provide quality learning facilities to entice the learners into the classroom.

Read Also: Role of Teachers in Sexuality Education in Nigeria

The importance of girl child education in a country cannot be over emphasized. As an African proverbs states: “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.”

The former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also has this to say: “Educating girls and giving them the tools to shape their own future has an incredible multiplier effect on economic growth.

It leads to increased prosperity not just for individuals but for their communities and their societies. It provides returns for decades”.

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