CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Parents are more generally the family environment have a strong influence on the behaviours and decision taken by the children. There is a tradition for social scientist to study this inter-generational link from it parent educational attainment and pupil learning achievement in public primary schools.

According to Iregbu (1992) socio-economic background are the characteristics that are widely clarified or described family. The majority of research on the ways in which parental education attainment outcomes has been conducted through cross-sectional correlation analysis or short-term longitudinal design in which parent and children are tracked through the child adolescent years. Our main goals in the current study were to examine long-term effects on children’s educational and occupational success of their parent educational level while controlling for other parent education indices of family socio-economic status and the children’s own intelligence and to examine possible mediators of the effects of the parent’s education on children’s educational and occupational outcomes in public primary school in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Academic performance is taken place to be the ability or the level to which a pupil or learner can go in the educational activities.

There is direct relationship between parent and socio-economic background and academic success at school.

Uche (1998) commenting on the issue stated that the family had an important influence on the child’s academic achievements. What the child learnt at home and how his family motivate him toward education contribute to the child success or failure in school.

Musgrave (1997) in support of Uche’s position asserted that the family teacher the child is a great deal both consciously and unconsciously during the first few years. Later the school takes over the task but few teachers come to influence a child as deeply as in parent do.

Apparently, the family provides information and ideas to families about how to help pupils at hoe with home work and other curriculum related activities, decisions and planning. Information for families on skills required for pupils in all subject and on homework policies and how to monitor and discuss school work at home. Family as an institute viewed a lot of influence on the progress of the child at school as well as his academic performance the family also provide him the basic training and discipline be he goes to school and in a potent influence on the child throughout his school life from the ancient time the family has been a major source from which children copy ways of behaviour. More education necessarily beings with the family but, it cannot and there. The new socio-economic condition of their parental responsibility as far as education of their child is concerned.

Most of the school children spent little spent little or no time with their parent these days. The working class families are in hurry in training and teaching children. In a situation where both parents leave home for work in the morning and return very late in the evening what types of education or lesson could the children learn from such parents. There is no time to go through what the children did at school or attend to their class assignment.   

In addition, parent who are on their private business or those who are farmer who are on their pre-occupied with their farm or trade-work than the training of their children. The social classes of the parents as well as their socio-economic status all determine the types of school and standard of the training desire from the children.

Uche (1980)k sum it up by stating that the family provides the basic of all child’s learning from the observation one can see clearly that the influence of the parents on a child’s academic success is enormous one cannot look at the child at school in total isolation from what happen at home and types of home he comes from. This is because children are guided by the aspiration of their parents who bring their desired standard or goals to this extend once can say that teacher does his teaching but high or low academic achievement is actually the parent socio-economic background to their child.

1.2          STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem which this study is interested in examining is concerned with how the socio-economic status of parents affects or influence the learning ability of their children. Many people are of the opinion that family background have great impact on the academic performance of the pupils. 

They also added that the attitude of parents between or towards their children education promotes or hinder the progress of their children.

1.3          PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This research is to investigate the parental educational attainment and pupils learning achievement and to suggest possible ways to orientating parents on the importance of education which is the best legacy and not to take the education of their child or children with levity.

Hence, this study will be of immense contribution to government’s agencies, parents, proprietor or proprietress and the children’s on the purpose of learning attainments.

1.4          RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions are raised to guide the study:

i.                     Does the family size directly or indirectly affect the academic performance of the pupils?

ii.                    Does the background of parents have influence on the academic performance?

iii.                  Are the pupils in primary school devoting more time to studies outside school period than schools hours?

iv.                  Are the children’s performing better in their academic work?

v.                   Is there any significant difference in academic performance of students in private and public primary schools?  

1.5          SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will make us to realize that the student academic performance of study is majorly determined by the parental influence. It also assists us in the future to know how we can take care of our children. This study will also enable us to realize that home background is very important in ones life.

This research work will enlighten the parents, government, teacher, society, society and student about crucial role through home background on the academic performance of pupils in the school. It will also be of immense value and a sense of direction for the newly married couples.

1.6          THE SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study is based on parental educational attainment and pupils learning achievement in public primary schools in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State variable such as sex, age and occupation of the parent will be considered.

Another limitation is the in co-operated attitude of some respondents.

1.7          DEFINITION OF TERMS

i.              EDUCATION: is the systematic training and instruction (especially of young), it can be in the school or at home.

ii.            ACADEMIC: This has to do with education, it is to pursue knowledge (especially studying in school and university)

iii.           PARENT: Direct father or mother that the pupils is their offspring

iv.           PUPILS: A person who is being taught especially a child in a school.