Perceptions of Unequal Access to Primary and Secondary Education: Findings from Nigeria

African Studies Review, Apr 2003 by Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski, Sunal, Dennis W, Rufai, Ruqayyatu, Inuwa, Ahmed, Haas, Mary E

In cases of financial difficulties, 58 percent of the parents thought daughters, rather than sons, were most likely to be kept out of school. Slightly over half of these parents (twenty-five) were keeping at least one child out of school. However, one-third of the total group of parents and 40 percent of the teachers said the eldest female should go to school because women need their own income to provide extras for their children while the children's father provides for basic needs.

Many interviewees-73 percent of the parents and 60 percent of the teachers-stated that the government and educators should not concern themselves with those who do not want their children schooled. Effort should be focused on giving those who want to go to school the best education possible with available funds. As one parent said, "There is not enough money for education. So, what there is should be spent on children whose families want them to go to school."

Future Trends

The final portion of the interview asked participants to discuss their predictions regarding future trends in schooling in Nigeria, how opportunities for schooling could be made more equal, and what new means might be instituted to help finance schooling. All of the parents and half of the teachers said the quality of schooling would improve and more children will be going to school in the long term, within thirty to fifty years. In the near future, however, all predicted that those from poor families either will not go to school or will not be able to finish schooling because the financial situations of these families would not improve. They said the basic needs of the education sector, transportation, clean water supplies, and other services must be financed before more money is used to expand educational opportunities. Giving a rationale, interviewees pointed out that clean water and good health services insure a child's survival. As one parent said, "If the child doesn't survive, education has no point."

When asked for specific suggestions regarding means by which perceived unequal educational opportunities could be resolved without large expenditures of additional funding, many parents (78 percent) and over half of the teachers (58 percent) suggested that community elders be used to encourage parents to send children to school. If school administrators were able to convince community elders of the usefulness of schooling, they would talk most parents into cooperating. The state Ministry of Women was mentioned by 30 percent of parents and teachers as a means of increasing girls' school participation. Schooling girls was considered a means of improving the condition of women in the society because educated girls were more likely to be successful in generating income and less likely to be exploited by unscrupulous individuals. Ten parents favored shifting money from programs for adult women to girls because this would have a greater long-term benefit.

Teachers, but not parents, mentioned primary school boards as a means of addressing unequal enrollment. Such boards could focus on primary school issues and have greater contact with primary schools, teachers, administrators, the curriculum, and communities. They might find avenues for working with underenrolled groups at the local level. The teachers thought such board members would be more knowledgeable about local concerns and issues and about the status of primary schooling.