Girls and Icts Orientation

Abstract

Female illiteracy, especially in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), has been identified by several scholars as a major social problem in developing countries such as Nigeria. This situation has caught the attention of various governmental and non-governmental organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF and concerned parents and individuals. The interventions and support brought in by these organizations and individuals have been of immense help as parents now see the need to allow their girl-child exposure to education, especially in the rural areas. However, the access, acquisition and expertise of the girl-child in the area of ICT are still limited. This paper, therefore, intends to look at this problem from the perspective of the Nigerian parent, a representative of government, a representative of an NGO working in this area, teachers in all facets of education, a sociologist and a psychologist. The worry of parents not wanting to expose their children, particularly girl children, to TV (foreign media fare), and in particular the Internet (over which they have no control), because of their supposed corrupting influences will also be examined. Incidentally, ICT promises to increase the girl-child's access to quality education and quality development in a world that is fast becoming digital. Lack of exposure to or inadequate knowledge of ICT would not stand the girl-child in a good stead to compete favorably with her boy-child counterpart in an economy that is dominated by science and technology. This paper would also look at the strategies that have been put in place to checkmate child-online abuse which has become a major concern for parents and regulatory frameworks, regarding girl-child's use of the internet and the benefits of ICT on the girl-child development; it would also serve to enlighten parents on the opportunities their girls stand to get when they become ICT savvy. The challenges to curricular designers are to fashion a mechanism for counterbalancing the threat to cultural values with the overwhelming advantages of ICT; and to convince parents that the benefits of the ICT far outweigh the fears of cultural pollution. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving parents, NGOs working in this area and teachers in post primary and tertiary institutions will be the pivot around which the study will revolve.