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review-of-the-literature-on-basic-education-in-nigeria-june-2014-3-1

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Review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>literature</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>basic</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> NigeriaFear <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lawIn some states (e.g. Niger) it is aga<strong>in</strong>st <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law to withdraw a girl from school for marriage. Ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r thanrisk a f<strong>in</strong>e or impris<strong>on</strong>ment for withdrawal, some parents/guardians prefer not to send <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir daughter toschool <strong>in</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first place (Okojie 2008).8.3.2 School-related issuesDistance from schoolThis issue is especially pert<strong>in</strong>ent <strong>in</strong> some rural areas and particularly at JSS level as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are fewerschools (Okojie 2008; Acti<strong>on</strong>Aid 2011; NPC and RTI Internati<strong>on</strong>al 2011; UNICEF 2012). For girls, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>cerns about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distance to school may also be related to c<strong>on</strong>cern about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir safety <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> way toand from school (Ant<strong>on</strong>owicz et al. 2010; UNICEF 2012).Corporal punishmentWhile corporal punishment and fear <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> corporal punishment affect both girls and boys, girls <strong>in</strong> particularare affected by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> shame <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> be<strong>in</strong>g beaten <strong>in</strong> public, which can result <strong>in</strong> absenteeism, withdrawal and/ordropout from school (Acti<strong>on</strong>Aid 2011; British Council 2012; Dunne et al. 2013).Water and sanitati<strong>on</strong>The provisi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> safe, clean gender-segregated toilets and clean water, which is also related to ill health(Acti<strong>on</strong>Aid 2011; Bakari 2013), is a c<strong>on</strong>cern. For example, <strong>in</strong> 2005 <strong>on</strong>ly 40% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> schools had toilets(Theobald et al. 2007).School dutiesGender-stereotyped duties for staff and pupils and female subord<strong>in</strong>ati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prefect system areissues (Bakari 2013; Dunne et al. 2013), although it should be noted that Bakari’s study showed girls andboys shar<strong>in</strong>g most duties.Lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> female teachersThere is a lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> female teachers, especially <strong>in</strong> rural areas (Okojie 2008; Acti<strong>on</strong>Aid 2011; Okojie 2012;UNICEF 2012). In <strong>on</strong>e LGEA <strong>in</strong> Bauchi State, for example, 84% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> primary schools have no femaleteachers at all (UNICEF 2012).Female teachers are sometimes seen as ‘role models’ for girls’ educati<strong>on</strong>al aspirati<strong>on</strong>s (Okojie 2008;USAID 2009; Acti<strong>on</strong>Aid 2011; Okojie 2012), but see <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> relevant sub-secti<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> Secti<strong>on</strong> 8.5 for fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rdiscussi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> issue.Limited classroom participati<strong>on</strong>One classroom-based observati<strong>on</strong>al study <strong>in</strong> seven states found that boys are <strong>on</strong> average twice as likelyto be asked a questi<strong>on</strong> as girls (Hardman et al. 2008), although as o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r research <strong>in</strong> Africa (e.g. Dunne etal. 2005) has shown this may still mean that many boys as well as girls have no questi<strong>on</strong>s directed at<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m.Gendered expectati<strong>on</strong>s and gender stereotyp<strong>in</strong>gThe gendered expectati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> teachers and pupils (e.g. presum<strong>in</strong>g some girls to be passive and ‘shy’ andbetter at so-called ‘fem<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>e’ arts subjects ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than Maths and Science) perpetuate genderEDOREN – Educati<strong>on</strong> Data, Research and Evaluati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> Nigeria 87

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