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

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.