Teenage pregnancies and school drop-outs: the relevance of family life, education and vocational training to girls' employment opportunities
Akuffo, F.O.
Sex roles, population and development in West Africa: 154-164
1987
Document Number: 367498
The study considers 250 girls from farming villages in Asamankese District, an Akan-speaking area in eastern Ghana. 125 of the girls were in school and 125 had dropped out. It identified that there is discrimination by parents against girls in the provision of opportunities and resources for schooling and subsequent training. Education of boys is considered of more importance and given priority. The main future role of girls is considered to be that of mother, and many become mothers before they are prepared, before they have left school, before they have found an occupation or even a suitable husband. Many girls seem to be thrust at a young age into the multiple activities and responsibilities of adult women: domestic work, earning an income through trade, and motherhood (in addition to attending school). Observation of elementary school curricula and home teaching reveals that they are mostly ill prepared to assume these multiple and sometimes conflicting responsibilities. Vocational training is biased towards certain stereotyped skills, and family life education in general and knowledge of family planning, in particular, are sadly lacking. Teachers, parents and girls are eager that training and knowledge in these areas should be expanded to help girls cope with the demands of adolescence and adulthood. Given the inability of parents to cope with their growing children's material and financial needs, possibilities for part-time work alongside part-time schooling need to be further explored.