Socio-Economic and Cultural Determinants of Girl-Child Education in Gushegu/Karaga District of the Northern Region of Ghana

E Alhassan

doi:10.4314/gjds.v7i1.61400

Abstract

Disparities in education remain global although between 1970 and 1990 considerable progress was made to narrow gaps. Ghana has made progress towards achieving equal access to education overall but is a long way from achieving gender equality. The situation is worse in northern Ghana where girls enrolment and completion rates are far lower than the national average. Studies show that the Northern Region records the lowest gender parity rates in education. This paper examines the factors and forces militating against girls’ education in the Gushegu-Karaga District with the view to making proposals for improving the situation. Secondary and primary data were collected from various sources for the analysis including a survey and existing documentation. The study reveals that poverty, low parental income, low parental level of education, early marriage, boy child preference, religious practices, household chores, child betrothal, child fosterage and polygyny as factors impeding girls’ education. These factors were found to further impede girls’ progress socio-economically. This situation creates the need for intense educational campaigns, sex education, vocational education, bye laws, affirmative action policies and school management committees to tackle the challenges in order to help reduce and eventually eliminate the socio-economic and cultural impediments and promote girls’ progress.KEY DESCRIPTORS: Gender Parity, Socio-economic determinants, Household, Girl Child Education, Cultural factors.

Highlights

Girl child education is a significant contributory factor to economic development and a key to sustainable development
In spite the ongoing efforts lots of girls are still out of the classrooms and gender parity remains a far cry nationally and especially so northern Ghana ( Ghana Education Service (GES) 2008). What accounts for these persistent imbalances? Are all these efforts of the government misdirected or are they worth the while? the ongoing efforts are necessary but are they sufficient? What are the impediments and how might they be overcome? This paper explores these questions through a case study of the Gushiegu-Karaga District of the Northern Region of Ghana
Access, retention and achievement are essential elements of educational measures designed to ensure that girls attain their full potential

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Girl child education is a significant contributory factor to economic development and a key to sustainable development. According to Summers increased schooling has similar effects on the incomes of both males and females but the girls education generates much larger social benefits. He attributes this to incomes earned, leverage afforded and knowledge and awareness on girl-child education. She explains that such beliefs and misconceptions have made women feel generally inadequate and incapable of functioning effectively in the society Dolphyne maintains that it is only through the education of women that they can develop the analytical and critical minds that will make them question the religious, cultural and physiological bases of their supposed inferiority. What accounts for these persistent imbalances? Are all these efforts of the government misdirected or are they worth the while? the ongoing efforts are necessary but are they sufficient? What are the impediments and how might they be overcome? This paper explores these questions through a case study of the Gushiegu-Karaga District of the Northern Region of Ghana

METHODOLOGY

Findings

CONCLUSION