Impact of Single Parenting and Its Effect on Child Education in Selected Schools in Egor Local Government Area, Edo State
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
The researcher is interested in the study of causes, problems and effects of single parenting or broken homes in the performances of children in schools because of the present decrease children’s performance in schools which is giving much concern to most Nigerians as to where we are heading to. In view of this, this study is geared towards identifying the causes and problem of broken homes and the effects on the performance of children in some selected secondary schools in Egor local government area. Also, to educated married couples and the general public of the consequences of single parenting and or broken homes on the children and to encourage them to live harmoniously in order to bring up children who will successfully fit into the society and become useful to themselves and finally make necessary recommendations.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
In approaching marriage and causes of single parenting scientifically, it is necessary to write about the social change on marital stability in our society. Marital stability refers to what constitutes stable relationship between husband, wife and children in a harmonious relationship that is within nuclear family. There are certain factors in our tradition and modern society which militate against marital stability.
Some of these factors can be discussed under vital teaching like courtship, family, organization, age, education, and economic independence.
COURTSHIP
During courtship period affect the long run relationship between husband and wife. This is a period of serious preparation between a girl and a boy intending to get married in future. The devotion of nay courtship depends on the two parties concerned. Since it my not necessary end up in marriage, it is an important step in the selection of spouse. According to Omari Peter (1960) says that ‘the partner knows best, the groom requires little time to get use to peculiar attitude of the wife’. This is important to some extent because it avoids dangerous courtship before marriage since not all courtship end up in marriage.
In the past, girls are betrothed before parents allow any form of courtship. The courtship takes a different pattern from our modern courtship. Their own courtship period according to Marsh (1987) ‘during the courtship period, the wife to be at times visits the parents home of her mother-in-law and not with her would-be husband’. This idea was that the young man must put the girl in the family way before dowry was paid. This dowry helped to legalize the marriage, Goode (1963) state, ‘marriage was not just an event but a process in which visiting services and gifts were exchanged over a period of time as marriage relationship strengthened and each spouse was more fully accepted by his relatives. Social changes have contributed to marital instability. This does not mean that in tradition society, marital instability did not occur. These were also evidences of quarrels and single parenting that are apparent these days.
Our social set these days is a thing of much importance. Once the couples concerned are socially compatible, there is tend to be irritable behaviour in the home which can speed up divorce.
FAMILY ORGANIZATION
Most families are physically separated from the extended family system. The physical separation helped to create inter-independence between husband and wife. It also helps them to have a peaceful life with less interference from the extended family, which is normally the cause of most break-up of marriage because tension from the man’s family gets the woman up set and the man biased or vice-versa. There should be a limit to how the family organization affects marriage.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The general approach adopted in executing this study research design, this has to do with collecting and funding result on some selected secondary school in Egor Local Government Area.
AREA OF STUDY
The area of study of this research work is carried out in four secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. Namely Egor Secondary School, Useh Secondary School, Uwelu Secondary School, Evbarekhe Secondary School.
POPULATION AND SAMPLE
For the purpose of this study a representative sample of 120 people mainly students and teacher will be administered this questionnaires. It is administered to 80 students and 40 teachers they were chosen from four schools out of the rest in Egor Local Government Area. This is to enable the researcher to gather facts to examine the above stated problems.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS
The previous chapter aided the researcher to be able to carryout this analysis. A total number of one hundred and twenty questionnaires were distributed and a hundred received. Therefore follows that the analysis in this study is based on the one hundred questionnaires that was received, if more than 50% of the respondents give positive answers, it therefore means that the analysis is valid.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
To justify the purpose of this study, this section discusses the result of findings. Looking at the table material from textbook and expert opinion. A look at the various responses by the different respondents, have aided the researcher to take a stand on the analysis of this study. This buttresses it self from broken homes in school visited. These children from expert’s opinion suffer a lot of problems ranging from psychological emotional and intellectual as a result of home background.
According to Russell A. (1975) in his boom ‘talking about family’ sated that “a broken home can cause tension and insecurity harmful to the intellectual and emotional development (extreme causes can ever retard growth) we found that about 30% of children unstable homes were poor readers, compared to 20% of children from ‘normal’ family situation this enlightens us o n the children of such marriage. Then from Russell’s opinion, it has been gathered that over the tensions from home to school.
However the data as shown in table II and III respectively shows that most student from divorced homes do not eat before they leave for school and that their concentrated in class during lesson is distracted by hunger and which eventually lead to unhappiness, as the saying goes “An hungry man is an angry man’ this clears the argument about whether or not psychological disturbance affects the performance of children form broken home in schools supporting this view, James H.M (1972) stated in his book “child rearing practice in Nigeria” that children from divorced home in some cases had to leave home and live with other such as step mother, aunties, uncles, grandparents etc where hey are faced with untold hardship and harsh punishments (beating) lack of sufficient food and clothing resulting to diseases and sickness
Furthermore, analysis of data in table V, VI and VII respectively shows that emotional problems stemming from non-irregular payment of school fess non0provision of school uniformed other learning material affects the academic backwardness Payner C. (1983) had this to say ‘a miserable person cannot think as clearly as a happy one consultant as a relaxed one because are more vulnerable to emotional up heal.” A glance at the data presented in table IX and V respectively reseal that student from divorced homes do not have enough time to read at home and at the same time lack encouragement to study or read at home.
RECOMMENDATIONS
From data collected and analyzed the researcher was able to come up with some findings, which will be the researcher deemed it necessary to make the following recommendation.
- Intending couples (young star) yet to solemnized should know and the understand each other before going into marriage this will help reduce cases of divorced.
- Parents of the couples should not over interfere in the affairs of their children as over interferences can lead to divorce.
- Parents should try to be more loving caring show more dedication and affection towards, themselves and to their children in order to help knit their family together.
- The parents should realize that family is the major agency through which socialization of children takes place and ensure persons to person interaction among family members.
- Parents should build the family in strong foundation of love, mutual understanding and good planning in order to bring up children who will be useful to themselves and to the society at large.
- The government should exercise coercive power, which will help her carryout the function of maintaining social welfare of her citizens.
- The government should establish legal backing stating the age at which the youths should go into marriage to reduce the frequents occurrence of divorce.
- The planners of educational curriculum should include in the secondary schools curriculum those things that will be useful to boys and girls in later life, that is, after their school days so to meet the needs and aspiration of the students. Both parents and teachers should also discuss child development with the students and also promote personal relationship because these children will one day enter into contract marriage and bring up children sensibility.
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS
The aim of this study is to find out the problems of single parenting and the effect on the child education in some selected secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area with particular reference to Egor Secondary School, Uwelu Secondary, Useh secondary and Evbarekhe Secondary School all in Egor Local Government Area the researcher have been able to point out the causes and problems of single parenting and the effect of broken homes on the academic performance of the children in school. in addition, the researcher have made necessary recommendations on some solution to the problems. From experts opinion and analysis of findings from investigations that researcher is made to take a stand on the issue based on the following findings:
- The couples do not yet aware of problem associated with single parenting as they affect, the couples themselves, their offspring and the society.
- That couples do not seen to realize the cause of problem in marriage which lead to divorce.
- That psychological and emotional disturbances to a very great extent affect the students performance in schools especially their academic and social life.
- That insecurity and unruly attitude of step parents cause these students to steal, love in school.
- Also, students from single parenting have home are made to do a lot of difficult work at home which do not allow them to study at home. In addition the sponsor does not encourage them academically.
- Finally, student from broken home suffers too much restrictions and as such do not have the opportunity to plan with their sponsors what course to pursue in life.
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