FACTORS AFFECTING ENROLMENT OF RURAL GIRL-CHILD IN SCHOOLS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the factors affecting rural girl-child enrolment in schools in Osun state, Nigeria. A multi stage sampling procedure was used to purposively select one hundred and twenty (120) households' heads and which have at least a girl-child (from 6 to 18 years). The interview schedule was used to collect data from 120 households' heads and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results from the study showed that the mean age of households' heads was 44 years. The majorities (83.3%) of these heads were male and 90%of them were married. The mean household size was 7 persons. They lived on a mean annual income of ? 245,500.The study further revealed that majority (90.8%) of the households' heads enrolled their girl-child in school. The heads had positive perception towards girl-child education. The major factors influencing enrolment of the girl-child are household's income, mother's literacy, parents' occupations and parents' statuses in the society. In addition, the study revealed that there was a significant association between 2 2 occupations of the parents ((÷ =11.69; P≤0.05) and position of the girl-child in the family (÷ =10.88; P≤ 0.05) and enrollment of girl-child in schools.It was recommended that there should be free and compulsory education at both primary and secondary levels and payment of school fees at tertiary level should be affordable for parents so that girl-child can compete with their male counterparts from other parts of the