INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND SCHOOL LOCATION ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN ACCOUNTING IN KWARA AND OSUN STATES, NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Historically, all societies usually establish hierarchies among their members. Socio-stratification is universal. Human beings have invented numerous ways to classify people by wealth, power, prestige, ability, education, occupation; even through where they live. According to Parson, Stephanie and Deborah (2001), socio-economic status is an expression which is used to differentiate between people‘s relative status in the community regarding family income, political power, educational background and occupational status. The socio-economic status of a child is usually determined by parental educational level, parental occupational status and income level (Jeynes, 2002). The term “social class” originally referred to groups of people holding similar roles in the economic processes of

production and exchange, such as landowners or tenants, employers or employees. Such positions correspond to different levels of status, prestige, and access to political power. However, social class eventually took on a more generic meaning and came to refer to all aspects of a person’s rank in the social hierarchy (Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, 2002).

Belonging to a social class is generally accompanied by a perception of class identity. In this sense, social class is not merely a personal attribute, but also a contextual variable that characterizes a group of people. The shared culture of a particular class influences, and is influenced by people’s attitudes and lifestyle. Social class may be ascribed at birth, as with royalty or nobility, or with castes in Hindu societies. More commonly, however, a person’s position at birth is modified by his or her achievements,

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typically through education, occupation, or income. Class cannot be measured directly; instead, indicators of socio-economic status, typically based on educational attainment, income, wealth, or occupation are used. Education is fundamental to the development of any nation. It is generally believed that the basis for any true development must commence with the development of people. This is because the development of any nation or community depends largely on the quality of education.

INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND SCHOOL LOCATION ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN ACCOUNTING IN KWARA AND OSUN STATES, NIGERIA