Family Location and Socioeconomic Factor as a Determinant of Accessibility of Early Childhood Education
Chapter One
Objective of the study
This study was guided by the following objectives
- Todetermine the extent to which parental level of education affects access to early childhood education in drought stricken area in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom
- To establish the influence of household size on pupil access to early childhood educationin drought stricken area in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom
- To assess the extent to which food security factors affects pupils access toeducation in drought stricken area in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom
- To assess the extent to which pupils’ involvement in household economicactivities affects their access to education in drought stricken area in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Drought in relation to access to education
The frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural disasters has increased in the past decades worldwide (Diffenbaugh, 2005, Solomon, 2007). Although some anticipated impacts of climate change are positive in certain areas, developing countries such as Nigeria are most likely to suffer from its negative impacts. The climate change models in the sub-Saharan Africa projected that the region would experience prominent increases in the intensity and/or frequency of extreme events such as tropical cyclones, droughts, floods, as well as a rising sea level. Apart from fatalities and casualties, these extreme climate events disrupt livelihoods and income generating economic activities. With crops and livestock being destroyed, incomes and consumption decline and savings deplete. This can have long term implications for well-being, future human capital accumulation, and economic development (Solomon, 2007).
The impacts of natural disasters, both in terms of human and financial losses, are distributed disproportionately across social groups as are coping abilities. Social factors, such as, education, are crucial determinants of vulnerability (Brooks, Adger & Kelly, 2005) because they are related to resource distribution (Blaikie, Cannon, Davis, & Wisner, 2004). Social differentiation, in the availability of and access to resources, makes certain groups more exposed to risk and less capable of adapting (Adger, 2004). Consequently, households and communities respond to multiple stressors, including climate stress, depending on available resources. For instance, although households above the poverty line respond to disaster shocks through consumption smoothing, e.g., sell assets, poorer households are more likely to smooth their assets, e.g., decrease consumption, a strategy that can result in human capital depletion (Hoddinott, 2006).
Whereas households with female heads, for example, experience consumption reduction because of idiosyncratic income shocks (Brooks, Adger & Kelly, 2005), households with higher education have lower vulnerability to income shocks (Skoufias 2007, Silbert 2011). Human assets, such as education and skills, can thus be an important element in promoting adaptive capacity. The plausible, positive effect of education on risk reduction is noteworthy and can have important policy implications.
Family location and socioeconomic factors and pupils’ access to education
Drought is a recurrent natural disaster whose humanitarian impact is no less devastating than other, more sudden disasters like floods or earthquakes. Drought is more of a process than an event with a subtle beginning and a severity that builds gradually over time it is often overlooked as a disaster. According to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFCR) annual World Disasters Report, drought causes more deaths than any other natural disaster (Tesliuc & Lindert (2004).
Pupils’ access to education or learning is the willingly and lively taking part in learning activities to acquire education. It includes; the attendance, enrollment, high retention or reduced dropout, high performance and the lively class learning activities. To achieve a satisfactory pupils’ access, the learner must be healthy and free from any disturbances.
Climate-related natural disasters such as drought, flooding, storms and tropical cyclones are the principal sources of risk and uncertainty in children education. However, many children in the world experience adverse conditions which deter them from participating effectively in learning (World Food Programme [WFP], 2001).
According to Bundy, Burbano, Grush, Geli, Jackes, and Drakes (2009) a combination of factors such as shortage of food, loss of income, pupils’ involvement in household activities affect pupils’ access in school. They further indicated that in Namibia, during drought in 2010, school attendance dropped by 28 percent boys and 22 percent girls. Reasons associated with the drop in school access to education included lack of food, children involvement in family economic activities.
Parental level of education and pupils’ access to education
The parental level of education plays a significant role to enhancement of participation in education; Kibera and Kimokoti (2007). The parental education and social background of the family can positively and negatively influence a child’s access to school. Esewo (1983) writing about the roles of a family in education argued that family’s role may be supportive or antagonistic to school education. Educated parents tend to support education while uneducated discourage schooling of their children which contribute to the discriminating of pupils in educational programmes.
Educated parents with high incomes are able to provide their children with a conducive home environment provide all necessary requirements of school and pay extra tuition; or Omaraka (2001). This positively affects participation. Burrow (1984) found out that there is a strong relationship between parents’ level of education and their children access to school. Children of uneducated parents are less likely to have a good start to their education, do well in class or continue beyond the minimum schooling (Rena, 2006). Carneiro and Heckman (2002) succinctly summarize the argument, noting that children whose parents have higher education have better access to quality schools, and these same parents shape the tastes and expectations of their children.
Cai, Jinfa, Moyer & Wang (2009) states how important it is for parents to be actively involved in their child’s education. Some of the findings of major research into parental involvement indicate that when parents are educated, they are more involved in their children’s education. The family makes critical contributions to pupil achievement from preschool through high school. A home environment that encourages learning is more important to pupil achievement (Cai, Jinfa, Moyer & Wang 2009 in Ssegawa, 2009).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
This study adopted descriptive survey design. The descriptive survey design is used in preliminary and exploratory studies (Luke & Ruben 1992) to allow researchers to gather information, summarize, present and interpret for the purpose of clarification. Orodho (2002), descriptive survey research is intended to produce statistical information about aspects of education Mugenda and Mugenda (2003). Survey is a systematic description of the factors and characteristics of a given population or phenomena accurately and objectively. The design has been chosen because the researcher would not control the independent variables which are family location and socioeconomic factors that affect pupils’ access to education in drought prone areas.
Target population
Borg and Gall (1996) define the target population as all the members of a real or hypothetical set of people events and objects to which a researcher wishes to generalize the results of study. The target population comprised of all the 24 pre schools in Itam village. The schools had a total number of 281 teachers and 700 form three pupils. The researcher targeted form three pupils since they have been in the schools for a relatively longer time and hence are able to provide reliable information than other pupil. The teachers and principals because they were the administrators and had significant information about the family location and socioeconomic factors that affect pupils’ access to education in drought prone areas.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION
Questionnaire return rate
Questionnaire return is the proportion of the questionnaires returned after they have been issued to the respondents. The questionnaire return rate is summarized in table 4.1.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The purpose of the study was to investigate family location and socioeconomic factors influencing access to early childhood education in drought stricken area in Itam Village Itu LGA Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four research objectives. Objective one sought to establish the extent to which parental level of education affects access to early childhood education in drought stricken , objective two sought to establish the influence of household size on pupil access to early childhood education in drought stricken, objective three sought to assess the extent to which food security factors affects pupils access to education in drought stricken while research objective four sought to assess the extent to which pupils’ involvement in household economic activities affects their access to education in drought stricken area in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of all the 21 pre schools in Itam village. The schools had a total number of 281 teachers and 1680 form three pupils.
Findings on the effects of parental level of education to access to education revealed that parents level of education was a factor that affected low access to education in the school as indicated by majority 6(85.7%) of principals and majority 47(55.3%) of teachers. This agreed with Esewo (1983) who indicated that the parental education can positively and negatively influence a child’s access to school. Majority 4(57.1%) of principals and majority 59(69.4%) of teachers indicated that drought was a factor to low access to education in the area. This shows that social background of the family influenced a child’s access to school. Findings further shows that majority 4(57.1%) of principals agreed that access to education was highly affected by the level of education of parents and that parental level of education was a factor in pupils access to education. Majority 6(85.7%) of principals strongly agreed that parents level of education coupled with drought affect pupils access to education and that pupils from well educated parents were likely to complete educational cycle. This implies that was a strong relationship between parents’ level of education and their children access to school. The study further revealed that pupils from well educated parents were likely to complete educational cycle as indicated by majority 49(57.6%) of teachers. Majority 138(65.7%) of pupils strongly disagreed that lack of education of their parents made them not bother on their education. Majority 190(90.5%) of pupils indicated that their parents encouraged them to attend school. It was further indicated that children whose parents had higher education had better access to quality schools, and the same parents shaped the tastes and expectations of their children.
Findings on the influence of household size and access to education, the study found out that household size was a factor affecting pupils’ access to education in their school as indicated by majority 5(71.4%) of principals and majority 43(50.6%) of teachers. Majority 5(71.4%) of principals agreed that majority of pupils who were not in school were those from large families and that parents of large households were not able to provide for their children in school and that large families can be blamed for low access to education. Majority 45(52.9%) of teachers agreed that lack of food in the family contributed to low access to education and that pupils were not able to access school due to lack of school needs. This implies that the household size had a strong relationship with level of education of the parents.
Findings on the influence of food security factors and pupils access to education, the study found out that there were pupils who had not accessed school due to food shortages in the family as indicated by majority 6(85.7%) of principals. Majority 5(71.4%) of principals and majority 48(56.5%) of teachers indicated that food shortage decreased access to education to a less extent. Majority 6(85.7%) of principals indicated that there was drop in enrollment in cases where there was no family meals. Majority 4(57.1%) of principals indicated that food shortage was decreasing the access to education to a great extent. Findings further shows that lack of food in the family contributed to low access to education and that parents of the area were generally poor as indicated by majority 5(71.4%) of principals.
Findings on the influence of pupils’ involvement in household economic activities on access to education, findings revealed that pupils in the school assisted their parents in their economic activities as indicated by majority 6(85.7%) of principals and majority 79(92.9%) of teachers which implies that education cycle was likely to be broken when pupils were engaged in economic activities. Majority 5(71.4%) of principals indicated that there were cases where pupils were absent from school to assist their parents in their jobs. It was also found out that pupils accompanied their parents to look for casual jobs to get money to cater for family needs and that some pupils took. Majority 5(71.4%) of principals and majority 52(61.2%) of teachers agreed that pupils were involved in child labour. Data further shows that there was possibility of drop out as for those children who do happen to get enrolled most had to drop out of primary schooling so as to accompany their parents in search of money.
Conclusions
Based on the study findings, the study concluded parents level of education was a factor to low access to education. Drought was a factor to low access to education in the area. This shows that social background of the family influenced a child’s access to school. It was further concluded that access to education was highly affected by the level of education of parents and that parental level of education was a factor in pupils’ access to education. The study further concluded that parents’ level of education coupled with drought affect pupils’ access to education and that pupils from well educated parents were likely to complete educational cycle. Study concluded that pupils from well educated parents were likely to complete educational cycle. It was further concluded that children whose parents had higher education had better access to quality schools, and these same parents shaped the tastes and expectations of their children.
The study concluded that household size was a factor affecting pupils’ access to education in their school pupils who were not in school are those from large families, parents of large households were not able to provide for their children in school and that large families can be blamed for low access to education. Lack of food in the family contributed to low access to education and that pupils were not able to access school due to lack of school needs.
On the influence of food security factors and pupils access to education, the study concluded that there were pupils who had not accessed school due to food shortages in the family. Food shortage decreased access to education to a less extent. The study further concluded that lack of food in the family contributed to low access to education and that parents of the area were generally poor. On the influence of pupils’ involvement in household economic activities on access to education, the study concluded that pupils in the school assisted their parents in their economic activities hence the education cycle was likely to be broken when pupils are engaged in economic activities. It was also concluded out that pupils accompanied their parents to look for casual jobs to get money to cater for family needs and that some pupils took.
Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusion made above, the study makes the following recommendations:
- There is need of all the stakeholders in education, to sensitize the community and the parents on the importance of education so that they can encourage their children to attend schools
- There is need to empower the local community economically so that they are able to support all children in the family to access education
- The State government, the local NGOs should provide food to the community during drought so that pupils do not miss out school due to lack of food
- The national and the State governments to establish possible measures that could be adopted in an effort to increase access to education in drought stricken areas
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