This study attempts to do three things: first to provide an argument for acknowledging and using the cultural dimension in educational development, second to put the case for a culturally more appropriate research methodology; and third to address the issue of access and gender in schooling within a cultural framework.
Specifically the study examines the issues and experiences of women teachers and girl drop-outs from school in two contrasting Ghanaian cultural contexts.
Using predominantly life history interviews the experiences of women and girls are examined within the inter-relating domains of home, economy, and school. An effort is made in the analysis to locate the experiences of women and girls within policy and research frameworks, with particular attention given to recent efforts by Government and the Donor community to improve educational provision for girls.
In general terms the research argues that greater acknowledgement be given to the cultural framework within which educational development occurs and that more attention be accorded the inter-relationship of Home, School and Economy as domains of enquiry and intervention.
The domain of the Home is for many one shaped by issues of kinship, descent and the practice of fostering. The cultural values of elders, particularly the support of the father towards a daughter's schooling, are crucial in determining the quantity and quality of schooling a girl receives. Attitudes towards knowledge, the role of females in society and the expectations of the economic value of schooling all impact on the girls educational experiences.
The economic domain operates at two levels. At the macro Ghana is a good example of the impact of structural adjustment policies upon the marginalised now facing increased educational and health service costs. At the micro level of the home and the extended family the research indicates that in many homes the girl herself is the sole breadwinner required to develop coping strategies which will balance school with employment.
The world of the school is one where for many children little is achieved in terms of doing anything or learning much that is of value. Attention to the culture of the classroom reveals a situation where issues of attitude to knowledge, teaching methods and language policy constrain efforts to implement reform. The life of the teacher is still very hard with many perceiving their profession possessing low status within the eyes of the community. For the child, positive school experiences include being well taught in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, in seeing successful women teachers as role models, and in the avoidance of excessive corporal punishment.
The study concludes with an overview of cultural issues determining the educational experiences of those interviewed and in suggesting implications for policy makers at national and local level.
