EFFECT OF DIVORCE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (A STUDY OF ILORIN METROPOLIS)

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: -  

(a)          His or her psychological needs are satisfied;

(b)         There is clearly delimitation of acceptable behaviours and

(c)          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 po0lygamous, 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.

Statement of the Problem

       Children from disharmonious families face many problems which could affect their schooling and academic performance. For example, they witness constant quarrels between their parents, they may not have good school dress or may lack school materials to function well (Oladapo, 2000). This may not augur well for such children may face difficulty in school works.

          Many research studies Gecas. (Nwaomu 1990; Jubril 1996; Obayan and Kareem 1992, etc) concentrated on social, emotional, psychological or behavioural problems affecting children in their home none of these studies worked on influence of divorce on academic performance of children. This is seen as a problem which this study, intended to solve. Thus, the study investigated the influence of divorce on the academic performance of students in Ilorin Metropolis.

Purpose of the Study 

          The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of marital instability on the academic performance of students in Ilorin Metropolis. The study also sought to investigate if: -

1.           There is any difference in the influence of divorce on the academic of the male and female secondary school students.

2.           There is any difference in the influence of divorce on academic performance of young and old secondary school students?

3.           There is any difference in the influence of divorce on academic performance of Muslim and Christian secondary students?

General Question

          What are the influences of divorce on the behaviours of their children in secondary school in Ilorin Metropolis?

Research Questions

          In view of the problem of the study, the following research questions were raised.

          Will marital instability influence children’s academic performance of secondary school students in Ilorin Metropolis?

1.           Is there any difference in the influence of divorce on the academic of the male and female secondary school students?

2.           Is there any difference in the influence of divorce on the academic of the young and old secondary school students?

3.           Is there any difference in the influence of divorce on the academic of the Muslim and Christian secondary school students?

Research Hypotheses

1.           There is no significant difference in the influence of divorce on the academic of the male and female secondary school students.

2.           There is no significant difference in the influence of divorce on academic performance of young and old secondary school students?

3.           There is no significant difference in the influence of divorce on academic performance of Muslim and Christian secondary sch1ool students?

Significance of the Study

        The increasing day to day search for stable and happy home is universal. This is borne out of the desire to prevent complete broken down and to avoid the consequent effect, particularly on the children. The psychological and educational problem confronting children from unstable homes need to be studied so that adequate preventive and corrective measures could be suggested.

          Furthermore, the high rate of unstable home left unresolved problem. From all these, there is need to look into specific problem like poor academic performance of students in these homes. These may go a long way to assist in finding fasting solution to the problems. Awareness of the negative influence of marital instability may prevent or minimize such incidence. This study may serve as information to the counsellors, psychologist and social workers who deal with problems of students from such homes. This knowledge may help them to formulate strategies to deal or solve such problems.

          Finally, the study may contribute to the existing studies by adding to the document in the area. Thus scholars, researcher and students may fund the materials in it useful as references in their further studies.

Delimitation and Scope of the Study

          The study investigated the influence of divorce on the academic performance of secondary school in Ilorin metropolis. It is limited to the selected students who responded to the questionnaire.

Operational Definition of Terms

          The following terms are defined as they are used in this study.

Marital Instability: Strain and streets of relationship which may or may not involve separation.

Academic Performance: Scores obtained from student examination.

Divorce: This is the legal ending of a marriage so that the couple involved in the total separation can re-marry if they so much desire.

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