A SURVEY OF THE IMPACT OF WOMEN’S EDUCATIONAL STATUS ON CHILDREN UPBRINGING
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The need for women to attain higher position at work as well as obtain good jobs has resulted in the increase of women in higher educational institutions, most especially when it is on acknowledgement fact that education socialization process and improving ones standard of living. But as more women attempt to obtain good education up to the tertiary level, many are beginning to wonder about its importance and the role it plays in national development. Moving into adulthood, women face a series of specific developmental problems mainly of social and economic character deeply rooted in cultural attitude regarding the respective roles of the genders. Historically women’s self advancement has been curtained by burden of reproduction, particularly heavy in societies like Nigeria with very high fertility rate (Currently more than five children per women) as well as by associated cultural views about the basic role of women being that of childbearing, child raising and home makers with limited reason to entertain wider aspiration. However, these physical and attitudinal constraints are changing moiré gradually in Nigeria than in many other parts of the world as a result of the advent of contraception (still quite limited in Nigeria) a gradual down trend in the fertility rate and economic changes is associated with urbanization and pove5rty which have pushed large numbers of women into the labour force. Hence, various authors have examined the impact of women education on different aspects of development, fertility moral development, mate selection, children upbringing etc. however, few studies have been carried out on these issues in Nigeria.
Article II of CEDAW (the united nation convention on the elimination of all form of discrimination against women) states that women shall have equal rights as men with respect to employment opportunities, choice of professions, promotion and remuneration. Although CEDAW has not been domesticated in Nigeria law, the Nigeria constitutions outlaws’ discrimination on the basis of sex and women’s employment. The reality however, is that Nigerian women are far from enjoying equal right in the labour, their lower levels of educational attainment, biases against women employment in certain branches of the economy in certain branches of the economy ior types of work and discriminating salary practices. The legal protections noted above also have little, if any practical effect in the formal sector, agricultural and domestic service, where the vast majority of women are employed. Ij the fifties and sixties only a handful of Nigerian women went to school, but in the eighties during the oil boom women’s education was encouraged when the government declared free education for al and gave attractive employment to few educated women. One of the main barriers holding back the high level of female illiteracy. In the long run, the only way to overcome this situation is through universal access to basic education with adequate resources to ensure that functional literacy and numeracy are instilled in a sustainable sense. Without the danger of former pupils revertin to illiteracy or at best semi literacy. In addition to strengthening basic education or children however, it must be a top priority to enable adults, in particular women to achieve literacy through non formal adult education programmes.
Another important factor that influences women education was mans desire to marry educated women. These reasons among others where what encourage parents to embark on mqss education for their female children. Inspite of mass literacy of women, there has been mounting decline in the educational performance, social and moral behaviour of children in Nigeria. Many people believe that parents especially mothers are solely responsible for the laxity. This is pertinent therefore to the aim and objectives of this study thereby showing whether the women’s educational status has any contribution to the moral decay, poor educational performance and delinquent behaviour of children in Nigeria particularly in yala LGA of Cross River State.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
In Nigeria today, poor academic achievement of children can be attributed to non literacy parents, non challant attitude of sound education. The moral and social decadence in the society can attributed to improve upbringing of a child. Due to historical belief, women in the country are not given adequate education because they feel that working mothers do not have much time for their children and the entire house hold.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to find how the impact of women education on children’s educational, social and moral upbringing. To analyze the role of women in children upbringing and make contributions to the existing literature on women’s role. Recommendations for possible remedies will be suggested.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following are some important questions to be answered by the study.
1. What are the various attitudes of women in the social life of their children?
2. Is there any relationship between the educational status of women and moral behaviour of children?
3. Has women educational status have any impact on the academic performance of children?
4. Can social behaviour of children be influenced by the educational status of women?
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study focuses only on the impact of women education on children upbringing and involved selected women who satisfy the following criteria. Women from all works of life ranging from professional life like doctors, dentists, accountants, educationist etc to clerical workers like labourers, traders and non working class women. Women with children between the ages of 3 and 28 years.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
The following assumptions are made it is assumed that the level of educational attainment of women differs different from one woman to another. Literate mothers are more liberal in their ways of doing certain things especially towards children. The social, moral and educational need of children differs from age one to 10.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be of great benefit to the illiterate mothers, the children and the society at large. In the sense that women will pick up challenges to be highly educated in order to improve more on their children upbringing with less regard to their education. The findings will also be of practical values to the entire society.
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
Education: Education is the process by which an individual acquires knowledge in order to fit into the society, and also embracing into all the ramification of life.
Women with low education: This includes women with no education, primary education and modern school education.
Women with Average Education: Women with commercial or secondary school education, ordinary diploma (OND) grade II teacher’s certificate.
Women with high Education: This include those with Nigerian certificate of education (NCE)
Higher national diploma (HND) Advance teacher training college and nursing/midfery certificate and university degree.
