INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The general belief of men society are that women are
weaker, feeble, has poor reasoning faculties, sex, objects and only good in
continuation to human race subsequently, women are degraded, exploited marched
under feet and at times, killed by men “Nnejiofo Nnajiofor” pointed that,
this dehumanization is more pronounced in Nigeria in general and Ezza-South
Local Government Area of Ebonyi state in particular. Women education has not
been given its proper place in Ezza-south and also in Nigeria in general. In
the olden days, women were not allowed to
express what they feel or what they
want to be. They nowadays, are constantly being confronted by men who deny them
their rights and exploit their situation to their selfish ends as a result,
women become more contused and disturbed.
Women education is disregarded in
Ezza-South Local Government Area because it is seen to be a waste as women are
regarded as servants to men. While male counterparts are given opportunities
for sound education women are seem and treat as second class citizens. They are
seen as people who cannot in any way contribute to the development of the
society. Most of the times, they are given out in marriage to raise fund for
the training of the male children.
As a matter of fact, women in Ezza-South
Local Government Area are mainly domestic servants usually used for commercial
purposes. They are allowed to feature prominently in the farm, kitchen are
usually engaged in short distance trade so as to be available whenever they are
required to perform their traditional domestic function for which they are made
for. But in a seminar organized by the world confederation organization of the
teaching profession WCOTP (1980) stated that parties should take all
appropriate measure to eliminate discrimination against women in order to
ensure to them equal rights with men in the field of education in particular on
the basis of equality of men and women.
Looking at the condition of women
worldwide, it is noticeable that they are being neglected and relegated to the
background by denying them opportunities of being education.
Ijere (2000) pointed that the false self
is equate in some way with what other people tell to be, condition to be or
define one as. The real self is presented in one or two ways. Either it is that
which ties behind the false self and needs to be reviewed, described, or
discovered, or is that which one defines oneself as being in process that
originates from oneself alone and not influenced by opinions or judgment of
others. Women should be allowed to search for this real self that is not
prejudiced conditioned by men, religion, place, society and norms. When women
are allowed to discover their real self and besides making use of it, women
position in the society will no longer continue playing second riddle.
Nigerian teacher organization
development follow up seminar, Anambra state wing held from 14th to
19th January 1995, the same assembly in 1998 adapted in Indonesia
policy statement on the women in education.
This state;
The same condition of carrier and
vocation guidance for access to studies and for the achievement of diploma in
educational establishment at all categories in rural as well as urban areas.
This equally shall be assured in pre-school, general technical, professional
and higher education, the same examination, teaching staff with qualification
of the same standard and equipment of the same quality.
Nigeria like many other third world
countries do not take the education of their women seriously, the importance of
women education have not being actually realized the way it suppose to be in
Ezza-South Local Government Area.
A historical review of women
education in Ezza-South local government area show that only few girls were
permitted by their parents to go to school during colonial administration. For
many years education has favoured the boys and men at the determent of girls
and women in Ezza-South. This discrimination against girls and women with
regard to education has being seen to be one of the factors responsible for
underdevelopment in Ezza-South Local Government Area. The number of boys out
number that of girls hundred times. The girls who were even in school that time
were withdrawn forms school and sent them to learn sewing machine and other
domestic work and replace them with boys.
Stories had it that the first girl
to complete her first school leaving certificate in Ezza-Sough Local Government
Area was regarded as not marriageable by men of her days with the result that
she had to stay in her father’s compound for a very longtime since it is
assumed that any girl with good family background suppose to get married
between the ages of six to twelve years. This created a very bad impression to
the point that parents who were eye witness to what happened regarded women
education as economic waste. The parents rather let them accompany them to the
farm instead of allowing the daughters to school.
They believed that the education of
girls is of no benefit to them because once they are married off they seized to
be the members of their family and therefore see the education of women as
useless venture. Ezza tradition concept about women education is so dishearting
that only few families house hold produced women who are educated up to
university level.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problem is that after many years of establishment
of schools both primary and secondary in Ezza-South Local Government Area,
female education is still been given second place at times no place in almost
all the families. This has constituted not only a gap but political religious
and social problems in the area. The study is intended to look into the factors
that militate against women education in Ezza-South Local Government Area of
Ebonyi State.
PURPOSES OF THE STUDY
The study is designed to investigate problems
militating against women education in Ezza-South Local Government Area of
Ebonyi State. Specially, the study is intended to:
1. Determine the extent to which poverty
among the people militate against
women education in Ezza-South Local Government Area.
2. Find out how cultural practices affect
women education in Ezza- South Local
Government Area.
3. Identify how attitude of educated women
militate against the education
of women in Ezza-South Local Government Area.
4. Find out strategies to improve the
education of women in Ezza- South
Local Government Area.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The finding of this will be of immense value to
parents, society, government and women.
In the olden days parents prevent
their daughter from going to school, but nowadays parents train more of their
daughters as case of their sons. The parents will understand and know the value
of women education.
The society should modernize the
cultural pattern of society and make it dynamic so as to banish such areas that
affect women education.
Government should give free
education for girls and women to accommodate those poor families, this will
help to promote women education. And thanks be to the government of Ebonyi
state for giving education but government should also extend it to university
level particular for girls and women.
For the women, unlike the olden days
when women were relegated to the background, women of nowadays comets with men
in many aspects and in some case do better than men. To mention but few, women
that have made names for themselves, we have people like Beatrice Webb, who was
a famous a socialist theorist, Mrs. Fun Milayo Ronsome Kuti and Mrs. Margaret
Ekpo, who moved against the paymnt of tax by women.
Women should know that an educated
mother is a pride of her children, even if she is not working to earn extra
income for her family. Education mother takes proper care of her children at
home she helps them with their studies outside the school hours. She dictates
when her child is sick and how to administer first aid treatment. Educated
women enforce in their children such qualities such as cleanliness, hard
working, honest and a highly sense of responsibility. They know fully well that
the family is nucleus in which the child first learn the appropriate behavioural
patterns, values, attitudes and expectations of the immediate society as such
devote more time to their children upbringing.
Just like their counterparts, women
in Ezza-South Local Government Area will begin to play so many important roles.
Like Mrs. (C.J.) Lilian Nwankow chairman state primary education board (SPEB)
1998 Mrs. Barrister Usulor chairman women wing. Hon. (Mrs) Elizabeth Nwoke who
was commissioner incharge of public affairs and Mrs. Josephen Aloke the formal
secretary of Ezza-South Local Government Area under the leadership of
honourable Sunday Ogodo.
With the above the study will be
very significant for mothers who advocate early marriage for their children
instead of training them in the school thinking that educating female is a
waste of time and money.
The crucial role of women in the
society demand that they should have sound education to equip them for social
economic political and religious roles in the development of the society at
large and their individual families in particular.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study is aimed at surveying factors inhabiting
against the education of female gender in Ezza-South Local Government Area of
Ebonyi State.
Ezza-South is made up of three
communities including:-Amuzo Community Amekka community and Ezzama community
The study therefore restricted to
select factors militating against the education of women various communities in
Ezza-South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions are
formulated to guide the study effectively. The questions include:
1. To
what extent does poverty among the people militate against the education of women in Ezza-South Local
Government Area?
2. What
are the cultural practices that militate against the women education in Ezza-South Local Government
Area?
3. What
are the attitudes of educated women in Ezza-South Local Government that affect women education?
4. What
strategies could be adapted by parents to improve the education of women in Ezza-South Local Government Area?
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