EVALUATING GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION AS A VITAL TOOL FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Etymologically, the term education came from the Latin word “Educatum” which means the act of teaching or training. A group of educationists say that it has come from another Latin word “Educare” which means bring up or to raise. In every society, education is recognized as the corner stone of development. It is a fulcrum around which the genuine development of economic, political, sociological and human resources of every society revolves.The girl-child education is the education received by the girl-child which makes her functional in the society. It is that type of education that equips the girl-child with knowledge that enable her to carry out different functions which if properly channeled could lead to the actualization of national development. It is the basic tool that should be given to the girl-child in order to fulfill her role as full member of the society. Various cultural and social values have historically contributed to gender disparity in education. According to work done by Denga, one prominent cultural view is that it is better for the girl-child to stay home and learn to tend her family instead of attending school. A study by the University of Ibadan linked the imbalance in boys’ and girls’ participation in schooling was to the long-held belief in male superiority and female subordination. Development proved difficult in both the political and economic realm. Given the extent of the social challenges, the pace of reform is too slow and economic growth too limited. Many reform projects have been launched but few successfully implemented. It is in line of the above that this paper examines the girl-child education as a vital tool for national development In doing this, the paper used books, journals and existing written materials to stress this. The paper concludes and recommends among others that, changing mind sets, attitudes and behavior of traditional and religious leaders, parents and other community members is needed to promote girl-child education. When the girl-child education is adequately taken care of, a solid foundation would be laid for genuine development in Nigeria.