Gender Representation in School Subjects and National Development: Impediments and Strategies for Improvement

Abstract

The main thrust of this paper is to examine the imperatives of gender representation in various school subjects. The paper believes that the various school subjects contain different intellectual information and teaches different skills and knowledge. The paper discusses issues on gender representation in school subjects bringing out the impediments on female representation in school subjects. The paper opines that the low level representation of females has far reaching consequences for national development. Recommendations made in the paper include the reorientation and sensitiztition of teachers, lecturers and the nation as a whole to a wide variety of gender issues so as to increase female representation and roles in various school subjects for national development. In addition, the paper suggests the introduction of effective guidance and counseling programmes and a complete rethink of the conceptualization of gender awareness/sensitivity for equitable male and female representation in the various school subjects so as to pave way for sustainable national development.