The girl child education is a major issue in developing countries. Female education is influenced by culture, religion and other practices especially in rural areas. No study has previously investigated the situation in a suburban community in Edo State, Nigeria. This study was conducted to assess parental attitude, practice and factors influencing girl child education amongst parents' in the area. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study targeted at parents with at least a child of school age using an interview-based semi-structured questionnaire. Data was collected using the multistage sampling technique and was analyzed via SPSS version 21.146 parents participated in the study with 58.90% and 69.20% showing a good attitude and practice toward girl child education respectively. This degree of attitude was negatively influenced by factors such as lack of finance and large family size. One such factor that affected the level of education the girl child received was behavioral attributes (54.8%). However, practice towards the education of the girl child was found to be good. Girl child education remains a veritable tool in a nation’s development. Majority (58.9%) of the respondents had a good attitude towards girl child education. The findings of this study tallies with a study done in Edo state on parental attitude and girl child education but contradict a study done in Midwestern state of Nigeria where there was low 32.5% positive attitude towards girl child education and a study done in Akwa ibom were 60% of the respondents had a poor attitude. The reason for this good attitude observed in the study area may be due to increased awareness and enlightenment amongst this generation of parents compared to those in the past. Also, this high level of good attitude towards girl child education may have been influenced by the level of education by parents in the in study area considering that the area had two universities; which the community had benefited from overtime.

It has been found that parents in the study area have a good attitude towards girl child education and though some factors such as lack of finance and large family size could reduce the chances of educating the girl child. Practice towards educating the girl child was found to be good. This negates the previous beliefs in Nigeria that the best education for the girl child is such that prepares her for a good wife, motherhood, raising children and providing family care.

Regards,
Robert John
Editorial Manager
Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine