Girl-child education has become a matter of concern to stakeholders in Nigeria. This study examines the concept of and crucial issues in girl-child education. It identifies socio-cultural patterns, religious misconceptions, poverty, teenage pregnancy and early marriage amongst others as factors militating against the girl-child education. The paper advocates that public and school libraries must begin to play relevant roles and contribute to the eradication of discrimination against women. It outlines the roles public and school libraries must play in order to improve girl-child enrollment in school as well as reduce school drop-out. In order to effectively play their roles, the study suggests that libraries should source for funds from external agencies rather than depend only on their parent institutions/organizations. Key words: Girl-child; Education; School libraries; Public libraries; Nigeria.
In the traditional Nigerian society, there exists the degenerate believe that women are second class citizens (Enejere, 1991). A woman is considered as a man's property or pleasure object. She is also considered as a 'machine' meant for producing children. This situation has resulted in unfair treatment of women especially with regards to education. The average rural Nigerian parent would rather invest in the education of the son rather than the daughter (Ada, 1992). Enejere (1991) further avers that gender inequality in Nigeria is promoted by religious and communal customs. Young girls particularly in Northern Nigeria are denied the benefit of education. This has grave consequences for both the individual and the society at large.
Education is the process through which individuals are made functional members of the society (Ocho, 2005) .It is a process through which the young acquires knowledge and realizes her potentialities and uses them for self-actualization (Offorma, 2009). Education has been described as the most important aspect of human development, a key to a successful living, especially girl-child education (Michael,2011). Denying the girl-child access to education implies making her a dysfunctional member of the society. Statistics show that many girls are not enrolled in school. The global figure for out of school children is estimated at 121 million, 65 million are girls, with over 80 percent of these girls living in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria (UNICEF, 2007). ActionAid International (AAIN) cited by KIKI (2010) reported that, not until recently, in a school of 150 students in Northern Nigeria, only 2-3 students are girls. This trend has minimally improved with the introduction of Sharia judicial law system (Islamic Law) in most states in northern Nigeria. The advent of the law necessitated the creation of separate schools for girls. Even at that, girls in this region do not have the right to choose education. OKIKI (2010) cited an example in Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State in the northern part of Nigeria where females were not allowed to go to school until recently when the Local Government Council chairman enacted a bye law, making female education compulsory.
In order to improve girls' enrolment in schools, government and non government agencies have initiated various programmes. The federal Ministry of Education and United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) have been leading the campaign for girl-child education in Nigeria with some measure of success. However, it is high time Libraries and Information Centres got involved in the campaign for the girl-child education. This paper examines the various roles public and school libraries could play in eradicating or reducing discriminations against the girl-child and ultimately improve girlchild education in Nigeria.
Concept of the Girl-child Education
Within the context of the Nigerian environment, several definitions of the child exist. The national Child Welfare Policy (1989) as cited by Ada(2007) defines the girl child as person below 14 years of age. Offorma(2009) defines the girl-child as a biological female offspring from birth to eighteen (18) years of age. This period is made up of infancy, childhood, early and late adolescence stages of development. The girl-child is seen as a young female person, who would eventually grow into a woman and marry. She is conditioned to look after the young ones, the home and the kitchen. She is taught to be obethent and to internalize the notion that she is someone's property and responsibility. She is her parent's property and responsibility at childhood and her husband's in adulthood. The gender apartheid places the girl-child in a disadvantaged position. Her potentials are suppressed and self actualization is not achieved
Education is the process of providing information to a person to help him or her develop mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, politically and economically (Offorma, 2009). .Education is one of the fundamental rights of individuals. Article 26 of the universal declaration of human rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as cited by Nwangwu(1976) stipulated that
* Everyone has the right to education. This shall be made free in the elementary and primary stages
* Elementary Education shall be made compulsory while technical and professional education shall be made generally available.
* Higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit
* Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Education is a vital tool for empowerment that allows meaningful contributions to society. According to UNICEF (2007), girls' education does not only bring the immediate benefit of empowering girls, but is seen as the best investment in a country's development. Education helps girls to develop essential life skills including self confidence, the ability to participate effectively in society and protect themselves from HIV/ AIDS and other sexual exploitations. UNICEF further asserts that girls' education also helps in cutting children and maternal mortality rates, contributing to national wealth and controlling disease and health status. Children of educated women are likely to go to school. Consequently, this has exponential positive effects on education and poverty education for generations to come. One very important aim of every family is to raise healthy and productive individuals who will contribute meaningfully to society. This can be achieved through the education of the girl-child who is the mother of tomorrow.
Crucial Issues in Girl-child Education in Nigeria
Access to Education
Access implies the right to education. It has to do with the opportunity provided for the girl-child to be educated. It is observed that many State and Local Governments do not take cognizance of the peculiarities of the girl-child in the provisions for education for the citizenry (Ada, 2007). Consequently, many girls do not have access to education. Girls' access to basic education especially in northern states has remained low. Only 20 percent of women in the North west and North east of the country are literate and have attended school (UNICEF,2007). Okeke,Nzewi and Njoku (2008) identified child labour, poverty and lack of sponsorship, quest for wealth, bereavement, truancy, broken home and engagement of children as house helps, as factors inhibiting children especially girls' access to education in Nigeria. One of the most prevalent impediments to the girl-child education is child labour. Many families often send their daughters out to work at a young age to get additional income needed to exist beyond subsistence level and finance the education of male children. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news (2006) reported that African societal view point favours boys over girls because boys maintain the family lineage. That their mothers were not educated is another reason that makes them feel that their daughters do not need education. Some families justify the denial of girls of their right to education to prevent them from bringing shame to the family through early pregnancy. Others believe that women who are at the same level of education as the men may not find marriage partners among their countrymen and may end up marrying foreigners. For such families, early marriage is best way to prevent this and at the same time preserve traditions (Offorma, 2009).
School Retention and Dropout
In sub-Saharan Africa(Nigeria inclusive), the number of girls out of school each year has risen from 20 million in 1990 to 24 million in 2002 (Offorma, 2009)). There exist wide variations across the states and zones with the North Central and North West presenting the worst scenarios. The tables below paint a correct picture of the situation:
Efforts at Encouraging Girl-child Education
The Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme, is making effort at accelerating girl -child education. The programme has made some progress in increasing school enrolment for girls in northern Nigeria ( Ndeokwelu, 2010). In November, 2009, the UBE commission unfolded plans to collaborate with the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) on girl-child education and children with special needs (Compass, 2009). The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has also initiated several programmes to accelerate girl-child education in the country. The "Strategy for Acceleration of Girls' Education in Nigeria (SAGEN) was launched by UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Education in July,2003. SAGEN gave rise to the Girls' Education Project(GEP) launched in December,2004 and currently under implementation . An evaluation of GEP in March, 2006 showed that Girls' school enrolment is up by 15% and in GEP schools, actual girls attendance is up by 25% (with 12000 more girls regularly attending school than before ) and gender gaps are about two thirds of their previous levels. To date, 900 schools in Nigeria are getting direct support from UNICEF ( UNICEF, 2007).
Girl-child Education and Libraries: What role?
Libraries are derivative agencies. They rise from particular needs within society and their types and functions reflect the diversity within that society. The principal types are public, special, academic and school libraries.
Libraries are agents of social communication. They are vehicles which help to bridge the awareness gap among members of the society. Barriers to girls' education in Nigeria have been identified as poverty, early marriage and teenage pregnancy, cultural and religious misconceptions amongst others (UNICEF, 2007). Libraries as agents of change can help to address some of these challenges. Public and School libraries can play helpful roles in addressing the problems of cultural and religious misconceptions, lack of role models as well as teenage pregnancy and early marriage.
The role of the Public Library
Public libraries are established to provide and create access to information to all members of its community and beyond irrespective of age, sex, religion, ethnicity etc. Kargbo (2002) outlines the functions of the public library to include:
* To support and re-enforce programmes of adult and fundamental education
* To provide effective service for children and young people including requisite services for schools
* To provide much needed information and reference services
* To promote and stimulate reading for pleasure and recreation
* To provide, here needed, adequate services for special groups, that is women, language groups, the disadvantaged etc
Public libraries can reduce or eliminate barriers to girl -child education through public awareness campaigns. Rural dwellers, traditional and religious bigots need to be educated on the ills of not sending their girls to school. This can be done through the following services:
* Printing and distribution of pamphlets and illustrative flyers on the importance and need for girl-child education. The pamphlets and flyers could also be produced in local dialects and interpreted for the sake of the illiterates.
* Librarians could organize public rallies in various communities, speaking to the indigenes in their local dialects on the need to send their children to school. This may also involve inviting important personalities and role models to address both parents and children in the community on the importance of education.
* Document delivery to homes: This service is meant for those who for whatever reason are not able to visit the library. This involves the librarian carrying various relevant titles and a list of other titles from which the users can choose what they want. It is believed that continuous access and exposure to relevant information can help eradicate illiteracy and ignorance ( Kargbo, 2002). For users who cannot read or write, the library may provide talking books in the local dialect. Talking books are books in audio cassettes or discs which are played either within the library or at home.
* Awareness campaigns to schools, addressing girls on the need to shun early marriage and teenage pregnancy in order to remain in school.
* Sensitizing teachers through workshops and seminars on gender issues and steps to be taken by the teachers in encouraging girls' participation in classroom and cocurricular activities in a bid to ensure equity in educational attainment.
* Librarians could work with community agencies and professional persons to develop programmes that will promote girl-child education. Where possible, they should function as members of local community education team or committee. They should use their institutions as publicity centres for the girl-child education programmes by displaying posters, advertisements, community radio programmes schedules and other relevant media publications.
* Libraries should modify their provisions and services with the aim of becoming research centres. They should not only be seen as places to study for examinations and read for leisure, but also as information and research centres for key national issues like the girl-child education. Libraries should create special collections comprising of books, journals, newspapers, databases, brochures, flyers, posters, radio/ television interview and documentaries as well as other audio -visual materials. Exhibitions and displays should be organized while relevant persons should be allowed to hold talks, seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings in the halls or conference rooms of libraries.
* Librarians should pay special attention to the information needs of women. If women are well informed, they could be in a better position to persuade their husbands to send their girls to school. Librarians could organize workshops that could bring women together with their peers to discuss topics of common interest like the girl-child education.
* Libraries could also partner with Government and non government agencies in executing programmes aimed at accelerating girl-child education. This is particularly important as the collaborating agency may be able to provide needed funds for the library to prosecute various information awareness programmes or carry out any other function or service required.
The Role of the School Library
Some of the reasons given for girls' drop out of school include teenage pregnancy and lack of role models. The school library can play a role in dealing with these challenges. Libraries are as important for children as education itself. School library services involve both availability and accessibility of library facilities and services to students and the willingness and ability of the students to use the facilities and services provided. Stressing the role the library plays in a learning environment, Travaline (1997) asserts that today's library is like a big play ground waiting to be explored and the librarian the best playmate : one who makes the play ground worthwhile. Students' thinking patterns could be changed as they explore and participate in a literacy-rich environment. This helps the students to improve their quality of choices in life (Travaline, 1997). The school library encourages its users to fully accept the responsibility for education and development.
The school library should carry out the following functions to encourage girl-child education:
* It should provide specialized and individualized services to girls. This implies providing motivational and counseling services for girls, so as to awaken and sustain their interest in education.
* Inviting authors and subject specialists for lectures and talks on topics of interests to girls
* Organizing educative and entertaining film shows and documentaries on the ills of illiteracy and lack of education, as well as the benefits of having a good education
* Inviting female celebrities who may serve as role models to talk to the girls
* Work with public libraries, community workers and other relevant agencies in executing programmes geared towards encouraging girl-child education.
However, for libraries to effectively carry out these functions there is the need for adequate funding and willingness of libraries to be committed to the cause of the girl-child education. Public and school libraries do not function in isolation; they depend on their parent organizations/ institutions for financial support. Unfortunately, Nigeria like other nations is experiencing economic meltdown. This has led to budget cuts especially in the education sector ( Mordi, 2008). Consequently, libraries would need to seek for funds from external sources in order to execute planned programmes and ensure effective and efficient service delivery. Such external sources of funds include international and other non governmental agencies.
Conclusion
Education is the right of every girl-child, a key to transforming her life and making her a responsible member of society. Without education, girls are denied the opportunity to develop their full potentials and play productive roles in the society. Although some efforts has been made to improve girl-child education in Nigeria, much still needs to be done if women must realize their potentials and fully contribute to the political, socio-economic and technological transformation of the country.
Libraries and Information centres are important educational agencies that can help foster and improve girl-child education. The government, non governmental agencies and philanthropic individuals should provide funding for public and school libraries to effectively play their roles. An independent ministry of library services should be created at both Federal and State levels of government. This will allow for direct funding and better attention to library development. Librarians in public and school libraries must begin to see themselves as agents of change. They must also begin to see their libraries as veritable tools that can help to eradicate discriminations against women.
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