EFFECTS OF EARLY MARRIAGE ON ACADEMIC ATTAINMENTS OF STUDENTS IN EARLY MARRIAGE IN OGUNSANYA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, OTO IJANIKIN
ABSTRACT
At Ogunsanya College Of Education, a study was conducted on the effects of forced marriages on adolescent education. The researcher used a descriptive survey design to conduct this study. The population of the study consisted of 600 adolescents aged 15 to 45 years from nine departments at Ogunsanya College of Education. As they are organized into five departments, a simple random sampling technique was used to select 200 respondents as a sample.
Using a structured questionnaire, the researcher gathered data from the respondents. Experts from the department of Educational foundation at Ogunsanya College Of Education validated both the face and content of the data collection instrument. This study’s data were analyzed using the mean (x) and standard deviation (). (SD). The researcher made decisions based on a mean score of 2.5.
In Ogunsanya College Of Education, early marriage is caused by poverty, the family’s attempt to maintain family honor, and the importance attached to virginity, over protection of the girl-child by her parents, forced migration, and slavery of the girl-child.
In addition, if the government enacts laws against early marriage, organizes sensitization programs against early marriage, and punishes parents who force their children into early marriage, early marriage will be significantly reduced, particularly at Ogunsanya College of Education. Women should have equal opportunity and access to education so that they can acquire self-confidence and the skills to protect themselves against sexual abuse and bad health, as indicated by the study.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Context of the Study
Education is the process by which a society transfers its cultural history, values, and skills from one generation to the next through schools, colleges, universities, and other organizations (Ukeje, 2018). According to Ozochi (2008), education is frequently viewed as a solution for a large array of societal tasks and a foundation for national growth.
Marriage is an institution that calls for a time of celebration and a milestone in the adult’s life all over the world. In actuality, marriage is not restricted to adults; a girl-child may be coerced into an early union without regard to her consent or the repercussions of such a connection. The imposition of a marriage partner on a child results in the permanent loss of childhood (UNICEF, 2001).
When children are rushed through childhood and forced to assume adult responsibilities (such as marriage) at a young age, the consequences can be significant and long-lasting. Young girls are deprived of their childhood and forced to assume responsibilities for which they are not psychologically or physically prepared, according to Bayisenge (2010).
Many have no option regarding the timing of their wedding or their spouse. Others are too young to make an informed decision and are therefore forced into marriage. They are deprived of the potential for personal development as well as their right to full reproductive health, well-being, and civic involvement.
The importance of education as a foundation for the growth of young women into adulthood must be emphasized emphatically. Education is a right that should be granted to all people. Numerous international human rights documents, such as the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1960 International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, recognize education as a fundamental human right.
Education is an informal indicator of progress due to the well-established link between education and development. In addition, research indicates that education enhances productivity, health, and minimizes bad aspects of life such as child labor. In recent years, there has been a strong emphasis on ensuring that all individuals have access to basic education. Researchers have however determined that boosting female education is vital for national development.
Education has been recognized as a fundamental human right since the 1948 adoption of the universal declaration of human rights. Since then, other human rights treaties have reaffirmed these rights and endorsed the right of all children to a free, mandatory primary education.
In 1990, for instance, the education for all (EFA) campaign was launched to ensure that by 2015, all children, especially females, those in disadvantaged circumstances, and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete a free, high-quality, and obligatory primary education.
According to a UNESCO estimate, the bulk of the approximately 90 million children who are not in school are youngsters. The majority of girls do not have access to school despite it being their right. Frequently, girls are burdened with duties, which may prevent them from receiving a great education.
The 2007 study from UNESCO and UNICEF addressed the subject of education from a rights-based perspective. In order to offer education for everyone, it is necessary to address three rights that are interdependent. The three rights are as follows:
The right to obtain an education. In other words, education must be accessible to and inclusive of all children.
The entitlement to an excellent education: Education must be child-centered, relevant, incorporate a comprehensive curriculum, and be adequately funded and supervised.
The right to respect in an educational setting:
Education must be delivered in accordance with human rights, with respect for culture, religion, and language, and without violence.
It is true that many governments provide for the education of their citizens, but the provisions rarely take into account the unique characteristics of girls. In such circumstances, the girl-child may lack access to education, a vital human right. Despite strong attempts to advance the cause, millions of girls do not have access to schools, according to research.
Okeke, Nzewi, and Njoku (2008) identify child labor, poverty and lack of sponsorship, the pursuit of riches, bereavement, truancy, broken homes, the engagement of children, and house helps as obstacles to girls’ education. The essential human right to education is regularly denied to females in several African countries. The then-Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, remarked that in Africa, when families must choose between sending a girl or a boy to school due to insufficient resources, the boy is always selected.
In Africa, many girls are deprived of the education to which they are entitled since their families frequently send them to work at an early age in order to obtain the additional revenue they may need to exist beyond the subsistence level and pay the education of males.
In Maduagwu and Mohammed (2006), Abdulahi states that the significance of education in an individual’s life cannot be overstated. Access to a high-quality education is central to the most fundamental difficulties affecting girls. This is because without education, it is hard to realize other rights, such as socioeconomic and political rights. In the usual Nigerian context, girls’ education has not gotten significant focus.
The widespread apathy in this regard, particularly among parents, stems from a materialistic conception of education, namely the notion that the girl-child will eventually marry and take any material gains derived from her education to her husband’s home. They would rather invest in the education of the son who is expected to marry inside the family name (Adewale, 1997).
Women have traditionally been responsible for home maintenance and childrearing. The girl-child is prepared and groomed from an early age to be able to cook, study, and perform a variety of household activities, all with the goal of becoming a better housewife. The gender role type thereby creates a prejudice against women in society. In general, the plight of Nigerian female children is dire.
Thus, in Nigeria, the girl-child is confronted with a plethora of issues and limits that provide significant obstacles to her self-actualization. In light of the foregoing, the researcher seeks to determine the impact of early marriage on the educational deployment of women in Enugu North L.G.A as the region of study.
Description of the Problem
Despite global attempts to encourage education, the pace of decline in education has remained negligible. There is little doubt, however, that women have suffered from despair and neglect, which has led to their negative classification as second-class citizens in so many ways, including their educational advancement. Girls and women make up fifty percent of the Nigerian population.
Ironically, fewer than 39% of the whole female population is literate, compared to 63% of the male population (UNICEF, 2008). This is because, in most societies, sending girls to school is still deemed unnecessary. The issue concerns female children. Taking into account her duties in every society seeking to achieve sustainable development. She has unfortunately continued to face rejection, marginalization, and suffering.
In Nigeria, the plight of girls is more easily imagined than experienced. They manifest themselves in the denial of access to decent education, good health, survival, and the prevalence of child labor, child trafficking, prostitution, child marriage, and ritual sacrifices.
In light of this, it is necessary to inquire: what are the consequences of early women’s educational growth at Ogunsanya College of Education? Thus, the problem this study tries to examine is the effects of early marriage on women’s attempts to attain an education. This issue serves as the basis for the investigation.
Object of the Study
This study’s overarching purpose is to evaluate the impact of early marriage on the academic achievements of students in early marriage at Ogunsanya College of Education. In particular, the study intends to:
Determine the causes of child marriage at the Ogunsanya College of Education.
The functions of education in the development of women at Ogunsanya College of Education.
Examining the obstacles to women’s effective education at Ogunsanya College of Education.
Ogunsanya College of Education: Identifying measures to lower the incidence of child marriage.
Importance of the Research
The conclusions of this study will benefit numerous state stakeholders, including girl children and their parents, among others. The study would be useful to the female child since it will serve to raise awareness about the repercussions of early marriage and strategies to avoid them, thereby encouraging the girl kid to complete her education before marrying.
The study’s findings will also assist the girl-child in understanding her rights. The study will inform the girl-child that education is an essential agent of socialization, developing values and attitudes in accordance with the requirements of modern society.
In addition, the study’s findings will enable educators to design once-weekly or twice-weekly programs that emphasize the significance of early marriage and its effects on the development of girl-child education. This is because without education, it is hard to realize other rights, such as socioeconomic and political rights. In a typical Nigerian milieu, the education of young girls has received little consideration. Once more the girl youngster will be able to understand
To enhance her lifestyle, the initiatives to discourage early marriage and encourage education are implemented. It will prevent probable difficulties of an early marriage and lengthen the duration of labor.
The Range of the Study
This study is limited to examining the impacts of early marriage on the education of adolescents at Ogunsanya College of Education. In addition, it will investigate the causes of early marriage at Ogunsanya College of Education, the strategies that will help to reduce early marriage at Ogunsanya College of Education, the factors that impede the effective education of women at Ogunsanya College of Education, and the roles education plays in the development of women at Ogunsanya College of Education.
Research Concerns
Based on the stated problem and objective of the study, the following research questions were developed to lead the investigation:
What factors contribute to the prevalence of early marriage at Ogunsanya College of Education?
What roles does education play in the development of Ogunsanya College of Education women?
What are the obstacles to effective women’s education at Ogunsanya College of Education?
What methods does Ogunsanya College of Education have in place to reduce the number of adolescents who marry as adolescents?
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EFFECTS OF EARLY MARRIAGE ON ACADEMIC ATTAINMENTS OF STUDENTS IN EARLY MARRIAGE IN OGUNSANYA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, OTO IJANIKIN