Parental Attitude Towards Girls' Education And Its Implications For Community Action: The Case Of Selected Communities In The Central Region

ABSTRACT

Girls lag behind boys at all levels of fonnal education in Ghana. Enrolment, retention,

and transition and achievement rates for girls are always lower than that of boys. This means that

even many of the girls who are enrolled in school do not complete Junior Secondary School.

There is the strong belief that negative parental attitude must be blamed for the low level

education of girls. The purpose of the study was, therefore, to examine current parental attitude

towards the education of girls as well as to find out what actions communities of the Central

Region might undertake to promote girls' education at the basic level.

Through interviews of parents, community opinion leaders, headteachers and Directors of

education in both rural and urban areas in selected communities in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower

Dentyira and Awutu-Efutu-Senya Districts, the perception of people towards girls' education

was examined. Also examined was the basis on which parents decide the sex of child to send to

school and parental aspirations for their children especially girls. Finally the study explored the

preparedness of communities to take actions that would increase the participation of girls in basic

education.

The study revealed that generally parents would want to educate both boys and girls,

however when there are other demands on the family's resources that the education of the girlchild

is considered a secondary issue. It was also established in the study that parents in urban

,

and rural areas had different aspirations for their girl children. Communities on the whole were

wi1li~g to institute some measures to promote girts' education. Some of the measures suggested

were that communities could fonn committees to oversee girls' education and educate parents

and girls on the importance of girls' education. Communities were also willing to institute

awards and scholarships for girls.

Finally, suggestions were made which, if implemented, might improve the current

Ghanaian situation. The strategies suggested in the research to be used in promoting girls'

education include the establishment of girls' education committees in communities with low

female enrolment, the use of social/community mobilization campaigns, institution of

scholarship schemes, community participation in education, the use of role models and enacting

bye-laws to ensure that girls are not discriminated against. The need for further research was also

recommended.