EFFECT OF DIVORCE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ IN ILORIN METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

          The study investigated the influence of divorce on the academic performance of secondary school students in Ilorin Metropolis. It also compared students’ responses by sex, age and religions.

          Data were collected from 200 selected students through influence of Divorce on students’ performance Questionnaire (IDSPQ). It also obtained students results in promotion examinations to senior secondary school in English Language. Data collected were analysed using frequency counts, percentage and t-test.

          The results indicated that students schooling were negatively influenced. It further showed that significant differences were observed on the basis of sex and religions. However, no significant difference was found on the basis of age group.

          In view of the findings, it was recommended that marital counselling should be established to assist couples experiencing instability and guidance and counselling should be established in schools to educate them on the need for compatibility in marriage and to help children from that family cope with school situations.   

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

        Nigerian children are faced with many problems. According to Oladapo (2000), many children suffer abuse in various forms such as neglect, abandonment and starvation.  Some are also victim of broken homes and poor laden families as a result of which many of them are brought up by in unfavourable condition. Some are brought up by either a single parent home or by guardians in deplorable condition. The so called parents have with little or no time for the welfare of their ward or children.

          The growing concern in the society seems to be the effect of this marital instability on the behavioural and learning problems of the children. Ayeni (1992) asserted that these could not be without any adverse effect on the child development. These may include juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, theft, poor academic performance and achievement and school dropout.

          Nwaomiu (1990) attributed poor academic performance the child’s background. This refers to him in which the child is raised. They found differently that children from stable homes were of great advantage and thus, performed better than those from unstable homes. Oladapo (2000) described the family as a social, psychological and academic entity. It is social because it contains a group of people who function together as a unit psychologically, each members has needs, feelings and attitudes which are of importance to themselves and to the family. And as an academic entity, it provides a wide range of services for its members.

          Within the family, parents are expected to provide a wealth of materials for role-playing. They transmit behaviour traits, attitudes and value system, which are basic to specific roles. Jibril (1996) maintained that a child may not have problem if: –  

• His or her psychological needs are satisfied;
• There is clearly delimitation of acceptable behaviours and
• The rules and regulation which the child is called up to meet are fair and attainable.

According to new encyclopaedia Britannica (1992), the role of student and mother is very important in the life of the children. In Nigeria, distinction made between a biological parent are a parent and a social parent, with the former producing the child and the letter raising the child and the letter raising the child and acting of mother and father in affective form. Under whatever parental condition, the child needs harmonious relation to be able to adjust normally and properly. In other words, if the parents are competent and loving in child rearing. It follows that such parents are bonus for child healthy growth.

Imoukmme (1995) stressed the importance of parental support in the social adjustment of the child. He carried out a study on social adjustment using 57 families as experimental and 32 families as control group. The result revealed that those children with psychological and academic problems were found disharmonious and broken home. This was because such families produced condition, which retarded social adjustment of the child.

The quality of parental relationship has been found to be significant to the social and harmonious development of the child. This was why Oladapo (2002) suggested that marital instability is associated with anti-social behaviours and other emotional disturbances in children. Makinde (1993) noted that children from unstable families are deprived of parental attention, which may cultivate into negative effects such as delinquency, truancy and school drop out. He further explained that they are unhappy and helpless victim of parental mistakes on which they have little or no control over such destinies.

Personal experience has also shown that such children may face problem of step mothers who came into their wives as a result of problems between their parents. They may therefore; lack necessary materials to enable them perform well academically and morally in schools. Furthermore, they may not talk of lateness to the school and late payment (if paid at all) of school fees. Bangudu Local Government Area of Zamfara is predominantly rural community. It as also dominated by polygamous, married person which Idowu (1994) described as frequently turbulous and insatiable many of the children in the secondary school are from these unstable family. It is therefore, not out of to investigate the influence of broken home on student’s academic performance in Ilorin Metropolis.