CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF GENDER DISPERITY IN EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF KATSINA CENTRAL SENATORIAL ZONE

Abstract In recent years, women participation in the socio-economic development of nations has become an issue of importance. Despite this, the law privileged as well as inferior social status accorded women in the Nigerian society, especially my study area, has been very discouraging. Some parent’s shows positive while others shows negative attitude toward educating their girl child. It is in view of this observed trend, that the researcher declared to find out what factors enhances this gender disparity in educating children in Katsina senatorial zone. This project is sub-divided into five good chapters. The data used for the study were collected through the administration of questionnaires to two hundred and thirty four sampled respondents. Also, personal interviews were held with those that could not understand the language used in the questionnaires. Respondents were randomly selected including students, farmers, traders, civil servants and house wife found within specify frame of Katsina senatorial zone. Among the results confirmed by the researcher are, most of the respondents are civil servant, males age 26-35 years and married, parent education has influence on educational disparity, holds different views in educating their children, the parents prefer marrying out of their girl child, educating them, more child girl are enrolled in schools than female ones, direct cost of education discourages the enrolment of children (girl child) to list but a few. The consequences, of these findings has led to early marriages by young girls, despite their contribution to religions and cultural morals as confessed by the respondents in the study area. As a result of the above findings some recommendation were made if gender disparity is to be discouraged (eliminate) for a sustainable millennium development goal achievement in the country and the world at large.