EXPLORING OUT REACH COUNSELLING IN PROMOTING GIRL-CHILD LITERACY IN ABUJA RURAL AREAS

Abstract

Girls’ education is a fundamental human right which acquaints them with the right skills and intelligence to assist the whole family and the nation. Connecting and engaging the girl-child in education therefore is an enviable structure for personal and sustainable development. To this effect, this study x-rayed the poor enrollment status of the rural girls in school, identied the impediments to their literacy and showcased how the outreach community counselling could be a lasting solution to the problem. To achieve the objective of this study, a total of 150 out of school girls of between 10 and 18 years from three rural communities in Abuja were sampled. Three research questions were raised to guide the study, descriptive survey research design was adopted and a 20 item questionnaire was employed for the collection of data. The nding evinced different levels of impediments to girl-child literacy in the three communities out of which, early marriage, socio-cultural patterns and poverty rated highest. It was also revealed that many of the girls who enrolled in the primary school did not complete and so, a few of them transited to junior secondary school. Based on the ndings, the study explored the packages of Out Reach Community counselling as the implication of the situation and recommended among other factors the need for the government to promote the satellite outreach counselling in the rural areas. Through this medium, the rural populace would be sensitized on the importance of girl-child education.