Poverty and Child Labour as Correlates of Girl-Child Attrition in Bauchi State: Counselling Intervention

Abstract

This study focused on poverty and child labour as correlates of girl-child attrition in Bauchi State: Counselling Intervention. A correlation design was used to carry out this study. The study focused on the Bauchi state. Nigeria. The population of the study consisted of all the government senior secondary schools in Bauchi state. The number that constituted population was 1.3 million school girls in Bauchi State senior secondary schools. The study had a sample of 384 out-of-school girls using the table for determining the sample size (Krecjie and Morgan, 1970). Disproportionate stratified sampling techniques were employed. The researcher develop a research instrument called poverty and child labour as correlates of girl child school dropout questionnaire (PCLCGGCSDQ). The questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts in the field of educational guidance and counselling. The instrument was tested through the test re-test reliability method. While data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation and the hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). And hypothesis 4 was tested using simple regression. The study revealed among others that there is a highly positive relationship between poverty and girl-child school dropouts. There is a highly positive relationship between child labour and girl-child school dropouts. There is a highly positive relationship between school fees and girl-child school dropouts. Based on the findings, the finding of research indicated that culture was not considered a cause of girl-child school drop-out in Bauchi state secondary schools. Based on these findings, it could be concluded that there was no significant and positive relationship between the culture and girl-child school dropout in Bauchi state secondary schools. The study recommended among others, that adequate funding should be ensured in the sector alongside budget allocation, and budget implementation to the girl-child and less privileged girls should be adequately taken-care of by the government.