CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background Study

The growth of any country or society is primarily dependent on the quality of its education. It is often considered that the foundation of any genuine progress must begin with the cultivation of human resources (Akanle, 2020). Consequently, formal education continues to be the vehicle for socioeconomic progress and social mobilization in all societies. The distinction between developed and developing countries is not based on race, color, or any other factor, but on education and knowledge. Even within a culture, individuals are distinguished based on the kind of education they have acquired (Mumthas, 2019). Therefore, education has a significant influence on the evolution of human society. Through education, knowledge and information are acquired and disseminated throughout the globe. In other words, "without education, man is like he's in a locked chamber, while with education, he's in a room with all the windows open to the outside world" (Khan, 2020). Parents have an enormous and essential effect on their children's academic achievement. Educational excellence would be emphasized more by educated parents. By virtue of their education, educated parents are able to see the importance of the parent-student-school-community interaction in promoting the educational attainment and academic success of their children, and therefore they prioritize the partnership (Okantey, 2018).

Parental responsibilities are crucial in the development of a kid. The influence of a parent on a kid influences the youngster's future. Parental engagement is a catch-all word for a variety of actions, ranging from 'at home' and excellent parenting to assisting with schoolwork, communicating with teachers, attending school events, and participating in school governance. When schools and families collaborate to promote learning, children are more likely to achieve not just in school but also in life. The most reliable predictor of a student's success in school is not affluence or social standing, but rather the amount to which a student's parents are able to build a home atmosphere that encourages learning and expresses high expectations for their children's accomplishment and future professions.

Academic accomplishment is directly tied to the growth and development of a student's knowledge in an educational setting where teaching and learning occur. Academic accomplishment is defined as pupils' proficiency in the subjects they learn in school (Pandey, 2018). The student's standing in the class is based on academic performance. It gives youngsters the chance to cultivate their abilities, enhance their grades, and prepare for future academic difficulties. Parental participation in boosting their children's academic achievement has been highlighted as a crucial element influencing pupils' academic performance. Particularly, numerous facets of parental engagement, despite the fact that parents of different occupational classes often have distinct styles of child parenting, different methods of disciplining their children, and different responses to their children. These variations do not manifest as predicted in every family; instead, they impact the average inclinations of families toward distinct occupational groups. (Rothestein, 2020).

The family is the basic social unit where a child's upbringing must begin at birth, in the cradle. According to Victor Hugo, a person's beliefs are like letters carved into the bark of a young tree, which develop, expand, and become an intrinsic part of it. Therefore, the most essential aspect of upbringing/education is a good start. Nobody ever said that raising children was simple. They do not provide recommendations or instructions, nor do they have a stop button (I've checked!). They do, however, have essential bodily and emotional requirements that must be satisfied. Failure on the part of the parents to address these specialized demands might have far-reaching and permanent negative consequences (Christheisen, 2019). This is due to the fact that parents are children's first teachers. As a kid develops from newborn to toddler to pre-schooler, he learns to talk, listen, write, and read, which prepares him for academic success. Numerous studies have proven the impact of parents on their children's academic success. Gadsden (2003) states that parental participation in the early stages of a child's education has a good effect on school performance, especially academic accomplishment. According to Harderves (2018), families whose children do well in school demonstrate the following characteristics: • Establish a daily family schedule by providing a quiet area to study with the children and delegating household responsibilities.

• Monitor extracurricular activities, such as placing limitations on television viewing, reducing the amount of time spent playing, and monitoring the groups of friends the students stroll with.

Encourage children's growth and advancement in school by having a healthy and supportive household, expressing interest in their achievement in school, assisting with homework, and highlighting the importance of a good education and future profession with them. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the relationship between the socioeconomic position of students' parents and their academic performance in secondary school.

1.2       Statement of the problem

The importance of a parent to a kid cannot be overstated at any moment. The importance and significance of the home to a child's future wellbeing and development cannot be overstated. Izzo et al. (2019) conducted a three-year longitudinal study of 1,205 American students in kindergarten through grade three. Four aspects of parental engagement were evaluated by teachers: frequency of parent-teacher contact, quality of parent-teacher interaction, participation in educational activities at home, and participation in school activities. These parameters, together with family background variables, were analyzed to see whether they had any association with academic accomplishment as measured by grades. Consistent with previous research, Izzo et al. demonstrated that all types of parental participation decreased with the child's age and that involvement at home 'predicted the greatest range of performance variation. In a second longitudinal research, Dubois (2018) demonstrated that family support and the quality of parent-child connections were important predictors of school adjustment in a sample of 159 young American adolescents (ages 10–12) who were followed longitudinally for two years. Clearly and repeatedly, parental participation at home has considerably greater benefits on student performance and adjustment than other types of involvement. When schools and families collaborate to promote learning, children are more likely to achieve not just in school, but throughout their lives. The challenges of single parenthood, family crises, and the ever-increasing involvement of women in various aspects of community and national development cause one to question whether parents are still able to be committed to their wards and whether they are making sufficient efforts to ensure their children's effective learning and performance.

The preceding debate demonstrated that socioeconomic position and a variety of other variables linked to the home environment of kids, such as the educational background of parents, the health status of pupils, parental profession, and family size, might influence children's academic success. Why, given the significance of education to progress, is it not taken seriously, as shown by poor pass rates? What then mostly impacts academic success for secondary school students? Why do some students do better than others? Is it because they devote more time to studying at home? Have they a greater ability for learning? Does the student's history, lifestyle, and surroundings influence his or her performance.

1.3       Objectives of the study

The general objective of the study is to evaluate parents economic status and academic achievement of secondary school students. Specifically, it seeks to find out;

i.          To examine out whether the quality of the schools the Childs attend influence the academic achievement of the students.

ii.        To find out whether parental interest in education contributes to the academic achievement of their Childs in school.

iii.      To assess whether socio-economic status of parents determine the academic achievement of the students.

iv.      To investigate whether intimacy of parents have any effect on the academic achievement of the students.

1.4       Research Questions

In addressing this problem, the following research questions will be raised:

i.          Does the quality of the schools the Childs attend influence the academic achievement of the students?

ii.        Does parental interest in education contributes to the academic achievement of their Childs in school?

iii.      Does socio-economic status of parents determine the academic achievement of the students?

iv.      Does intimacy of parents have any effect on the academic achievement of the students?

1.5       Significance of this Study

It is envisaged that the findings of this study may expose some factors that might be responsible for poor performance of students in school. The identified areas where government at different levels could come in will be brought into focus in other to bridge the gap of educational attainment of children of low and high income earners in the society.

The importance of achieving the objectives of education programme among the general populace cannot be over emphasized. It is not out of place to imagine that parental socio–economic background can have possible effects on the academic achievement of children in school. Whatsoever affect the development environment of children would possibly affect their education or disposition to it.

1.6       Scope  of the Study

This study will examine out whether the quality of the schools the Childs attend influence the academic achievement of the students. The study will also find out whether parental interest in education contributes to the academic achievement of their Childs in school.  The study will further assess whether socio-economic status of parents determine the academic achievement of the students. Lastly, the study will investigate whether intimacy of parents have any effect on the academic achievement of the students. Hence this study will be delimited to Rivers State.

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