Dr Grace Onyowo Ugboha
Abstract
This study adopted descriptive survey research design to investigate cultural barriers to girl-child education in Idomaland of Benue State, Nigeria. It was guided by five research questions. The population of the study was made up of all female secondary school students in Idomaland, totaling 2000. A sample of 100 respondents purposively drawn was used. The instrument used for data collection was researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Cultural Barriers to Girl-Child Education Questionnaire (CBGEQ)”. The instrument was validated by three experts, and a reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha method. Data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. Findings revealed, among others, that poverty, early marriage, male preference, cultural beliefs and practices, religious indication and parental attitude are some of the barriers to girl-child education in Idomaland of Benue State, Nigeria. Additionally, the study identifies a lack of counselling support for girls in Idomaland. Based on these findings, it was recommended, among others, that counsellors should enlighten parents, guardians and the general public on the importance of educating the girl-child. The study concludes that counselling interventions can play a critical role in addressing the cultural barriers to girl-child education in Idomaland.