Abstract

The study investigated the effect of single parenthood on girl child education.

A total of one hundred (100) single parents were randomly selected by an impartial ballot drawn from all the sections in Kenema city. Five areas were then selected including kpetema, Nyawama, kissy town, Samai Town and Lambayama sections. 20% of single parents in each section were used as sample for the topic under review. (The Effect of Single Parenthood on Girl Child Education).

The findings of the study revealed that:

There were more single parents who have never been married. This ranked up to the highest percentage than those who have cohabited, divorced and widowed.

Among the many reasons for the breakdown of marital relationships, failure to meet expectations and outside influences were the most paramount reasons. The other reasons, though may be important, but cannot stand as serious reasons for the breakdown of marital relationship.

The number of school going girls were more than the number of school going boys and there were less number of girls than boys that were not attending school.

Only few girls of single parents were performing excellently and few of them had completed tertiary level, some had completed senior secondary school level while a good number are yet to attain junior secondary school level.The highest percentage of the constraints that affected the academic performance of girls of single parents was peer-group influence and second highest being inadequate financial support.

Among the coping mechanisms of single parents, were civil servants, petty traders and a reasonable number of single parents were barely managing to cope with their children’s schooling.

Some parents suggested adequate sensitization for their school going girls, adequate job facilities for single parents, boarding home facilities and the establishment of single parenthood Association.