Gender enrolment status in higher education courses : a situation assessment and analysis of a South Eastern Federal University
For two decades now, there has been a heightened interest on gender equity in educational access. This interest is stimulated by the realization that one of the most effective strategies for promoting economic and social development in developing countries is education for all. In recognition of the positive impact of girl-child education, various organizations (UNICEF, UNESCO, CEDAW, CIDA, FAWEN) have mounted many intervention programs and campaigns aimed at closing the wide gender gap in access to and achievement in education in Africa. A situation assessment and analysis on gender enrolment status in different countries by UNICEF in 2003 indicated that significant gender disparities still exist in many African countries. Though Nigeria made meaningful progress in ensuring gender equity in this area at the primary education level with a gender gap ratio of only 5 percent, however, being a highly patriarchal society, home and societal roles are still gender stereotyped. This is reflected in the admissions into different higher education courses in the universities. This paper assesses the gender status in enrolment into different faculties in a south eastern university in Nigeria. Enrolment status by male and female students into arts and science based courses offered in this university from 2008 to 2011 was assessed. Four research questions guided the study. Results indicated that in spite of the profuse efforts made so far to bridge the gender gap in education access in Nigeria, many higher education courses are still being construed as either masculine or feminine. Evidence of this gender gap, it is hoped, will sensitize the government, educational institutions and the general public on the current gender situation in human capital empowerment for necessary interventions.
Gender Analysis in National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN): Implications and Policy Issues in Bridging the Divide
Recent studies on gender have shown that there is a serious gender imbalance in access to higher education an d emp loyment in t he universities. To expl ore these i ssues, this study used N ational Open University of Nigeria ( NOUN) as a c ase s tudy. The study drew u pon a vailable data from the only Open University in N igeria. T he st udy established three findings: (i) E ven with i ts vision of 'democratising' education, ge nder im balance existed in student en rolments and staff recruitment (ii) However, the strength of this association vari ed according to programmes wi th t he d isparity strongest in s cience, technology and mathematics (STM), and in staff recruitment (iii) Moreover, conventional gender explanations especially as regards student enrolment are l imited since NOUN unlike conventional universities in Nigeria does not create a ceiling ad mission and access to its programmes. Why s hould gender di sparities s till exist? The conclusion which answered this question summarised the results and considered their broader implications for underst anding t he rol e o f NOUN in bri dging t he gend er di vide i n hi gher education.
Historias de mi barrio: contemporary art in a community at high risk of social exclusion
Abstract Historias de mi barrio is a piece of pedagogic research aimed at highlighting the way art can articulate the relationship between the educational context and a neighbourhood at high risk of social exclusion. The starting point for this study was to ask whether this type of research, centred around the arts, was suitable in complex contexts and whether it might eventually lead to pedagogic improvement. The results gathered, and indeed the work carried out by the artists and university lecturers involved, together with pupils 6–12 years old and their instructors in a state school, provide evidence of a positive answer – and notably of the necessity of knowing about the socio-economic reality of the student cohort when planning learning projects and of the importance of the arts as a crucial element in education.