The Educational Challenges Faced by Muslim - Girl Child on Academic Performance: Selected Senior High Schools in Sekyere Central District in Focus

Abstract

This study is focused on Muslim girls in the Zongo community education in the Senior High School  namely Ghana Muslim Mission S.H.S and Nsutaman Catholic S.H.S were selected . The population was all female Muslim girl child, teachers, parents/guardians and opinion leaders .The target population was 260 and 50% of which is 130 accessible populations were used. Random sampling was used to select 100 students who were Muslims from Zongo community, and purposive sampling for 20 parents and opinion leaders and 10 teachers (Muslims and non-Muslims) to avoid bias and to arrive at true findings. The data collected were analyzed using various descriptive and inferential analyses with the aid of Statistical package for social science (SPSS). The study revealed most parents perceived that no matter how the level of their daughter's education, they will end up being married and be a house wife. Muslim girl child from the Zongo community education in the senior high school academic performance was influenced by challenges like poverty, large family size, gender norms, culture/customs, religious issues, and early or betrothal marriage. Though there are considerable existence of programs and interventions by the Ghana Education Service, the District Assembly and NGOs in diverse ways are trying to promote girl child education in the district but still there is the need for special attention to be given to the Muslim girl child from the Zongo communities in the district to foster development within the district. In this regard the study made number of  recommendations towards the improvement of Muslim girls from the Zongos education in the senior high school level education and awareness creation on the need for assistance and support for such students, gender equality, more access to boarding house facility, free meals at school for day students ,controlling family size by parents ,avoiding early/betrothal marriage among the students to prevent teenage pregnancy , NGOs assistance and provision of counseling/orientation ,pre senior high and vacation classes will help them a lot to improve their academic performances .The Muslim girls from the Zongo should embrace intervention programs that support  them and their parents and must also develop positive attitudes toward their daughters' education to motivate them.