Influence of Religious and Cultural Beliefs on Girl-Child Educational Aspiration in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the influence of religious and cultural beliefs on girl-child educational aspiration in Nigeria. The sample for the study consisted of one hundred and eighty (180) parents randomly drawn from the six Area Councils in the FCT-Abuja. Data were collected with a questionnaire entitled " Girl-child Education and the Challenges of Religious and Cultural Beliefs Questionnaire (GECRCBQ) " . The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the Chi-square method. Ten null hypotheses formulated were tested at .05 level of significance. The results indicated among others that early marriage and early pregnancy impede girl-child education; that girl-child education is negatively affected by the belief that if a woman is educated, she will dominate her husband, and that misunderstanding of the position of Islam on the education of girls impedes girl-child education especially in the Northern Nigeria. It was recommended inter alia that the various religious groups such as Muslim, Christian and African Traditional associations should help to teach parents the true positions of their religion on girls' education. The associations should help develop programmes that would assist parents and families in educating their daughters.