INFLUENCE OF LIFELONG LEARNING ON THE SOCIO ECONOMIC WELLBEING OF WOMEN (A CASE STUDY OF OYO STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1.    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The chasing of education beyond the formal school years among women may be associated with the need to fulfill one’s potential and the pursuit of lifelong learning could provide a means of promoting socio-economic well-being of women.

The importance of education in the early and compulsory years of life is well recited aloud, but not everyone’s experience of the school system is positive or rewarding. Lifelong learning has the capacity to confront and address this unsmiling problem given the right conditions in adult life.

Delors’ (1996) broadly defined lifelong learning as learning that is pursued throughout life: learning that is flexible, diverse and available at different times and in different places. Lifelong learning crosses sectors, promoting learning beyond traditional schooling and throughout adult life (ie post-compulsory education).

The influence of lifelong learning on socio-economic wellbeing and personal development of women have been of great interest to researchers. Lifelong learning grows learner confidence and self-esteem, nurtures their ability to create support networks.

Howbeit, participation in lifelong learning also has a downside and negative effect.  For some people, in some circumstances, learning can be associated with stress and anxiety, and erode factors that have helped people maintain good mental health.

Where education becomes a function of socio-economic well-being, especially beyond compulsory educational years, this has implications for the changing educational needs of individuals throughout the life course.

Overtime, the socio economic advancement of women in Nigeria may not have been given adequate attention by previous governments. In every society, women should be empowered, not just for the improvement of their wellbeing but for the socio economic development of the nation. This is because just like the saying goes “if you educate a man you educate an individual but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation”. Countries that have been successful overtime have placed more emphasis on the education of women in other for them to be self-reliant.

Education has in the past played a prominent role in the empowerment of both men and women. Education which happens to be a life time event has been an emancipator from poverty and has grossly improved the wellbeing of people who have found it worthwhile.

Education provides a foundation for eradicating poverty and fostering economic development. It is the groundwork on which much of economic and social well-being of the citizens is built. Education is the key to increasing economic efficiency and social consistency, by increasing the value and efficiency of the labour force and consequently raises the poor from poverty. Education increases the overall productivity and intellectual flexibility of the labour force and ensures that a country is competitive in world market now characterized by changing technologies and production methods. According to Roberts (2011), the primary determinants of a country’s standard of living is how well it succeeds in developing and utilizing the skills and knowledge, and furthering the health and educating the majority of its population. No country has achieved constant economic development without considerable investment in education and human capital (Ozturk, 2011) many researchers have shown handsome returns to various forms of human capital accumulation basic education, research, training and aptitude building (Denison, 2008, Bowman 2010). Unequal education tends to have a negative impact on per capita income and thereby increase poverty in many countries. Educating girls and women is probably the single most effective investment a developing country like Nigeria can make, whether or not women work outside the home. It creates a multitude of positive remunerations for families including better family health and nutrition, improved birth spacing lower infant and child mortality, and enhanced educational attainment of children. In order for a country to be adequately integrated in worlds market for manufactured goods, and compete in these markets and in globalizing service markets will depend on the excellence of human capital they bring to the competition. Ensuring that all citizens are educated and numerate, that many possess a wide range of problem solving skills beyond the basic level, and that some have world class professional skill will be an advantage.