Participation in secondary education in Ghana: The case of females in rural Brong Ahafo

Abstract

Formal education, especially at the higher levels, plays a vital role in the development of human resources for both personal and social advancement. A cursory observation seems to indicate that, as elsewhere in Ghana, a vast proportion of females in rural Brong Ahafo does not participate in secondary education. The study was motivated by the desire to investigate the extent of participation in secondary education among females in Rural Brong Ahafo and to examine the possible underlying factors. The study revealed gross underrepresentation of rural girls in secondary education, with the key factors observed to be poor economic circumstances of parents and socio-cultural conditioning of the rural folk. These factors would need to be addressed if the participation of girls in secondary education in rural Brong Ahafo is to improve.