ABSTRACT
The
research attempt to examine the Impact of High Cost of Living on Provision of
Qualitative Education to Secondary School Students in Oshodi/Isolo Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
Survey
research design was adopted, data was gathered with the use of a well
structured questionnaire. Two hundred and ten (210) questionnaires were
administered to parents of five secondary schools in Oshodi/Isolo Local
government area.
Data
gathered were presented on table using simple percentage. Three hypotheses were
formulated and tested. The result of the analysis revealed that High
cost of living significantly influence the provision of qualitative education
to the children, High cost of living significant effect on the standard of
living and finally Provision of educational materials affects the education of
children.
Conclusions
were drawn and recommendations were proffered to parents and high schools in
Oshodi/Isolo Local Government area, entire secondary schools in Nigeria.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
1.3
Purpose of Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypothesis
1.6 Significance of Study
1.7 Delimitations
of Study
1.8 Limitation
of the Study
1.9 Operational
Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Definition of High Cost of Living
2.3 Causes of High Cost of Living
2.4 Relationship
between Income and School in Education of Children in Secondary Schools
2.5 The Impact of Parents Socio-Economic
Status in Secondary School
2.6 Parental Attitudes towards High Cost of
Living and its Effects on Children Performance at School
2.7 Attitude
2.8 Principle of Developing Positive
Attitudes
2.9 Social Influence on Attitude
2.10 Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Population of the Study
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.5 Instrumentation of the Study
3.6 Validity of the Research Instrument
3.7 Reliability of the Research Instrument
3.8 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR:
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF
DATA
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Hypothesis Testing
4.3 Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
References
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
In
Nigeria today, cost of living has been a prevailing issue that every Nigerian
young and old feels the impact. Parents are now spending more on their
children's education than they use to do some years back. Equally, the prices
of goods and services have continued to rise daily, even though the government
policies might have meant well for the common man.
According
to Mendinnus and Johnson (1966) "cost of living is average cost of food,
clothing, and other necessities paid by a person, family etc. Foster (1985) observed that there is a
definite association between parental occupational characteristics and access
to school education by the children as a consequence of the cost of living
which may be telling more on the parents as they could not meet up with the
demands, they may prefer keeping their children at home so that they will
accompany them in the farm or go to support the family.
In
the view of Oderinlo (1998), most school heads contributes to the high cost of
education of children both in rural and urban areas as some school
Administrators and Principals embezzle the examination and other fees paid by
the guardians and parents on behalf of their wards. This negative attitude of
some School Administrators put further, strain on the cost of educating the
children and impedes the access of the nation's children to education.
Oderinlo (1998) commented further, that the affected students must not be
abandoned to fate. Government should liaise with other concerned organizations
such as WAEC, NECO etc to ensure that such retrogressive matters that are
likely to thwart the ambition of the students are quickly resolved.
In
1998, an incident happened at Okota Girls Secondary School where a student's
WAEC fees was embezzled by the Principal thereby putting further stains on the
parents meager resources. Nigerians are passing through one of the most
difficult times with the cost of living reaching unprecedented heights that
salary earners feel good only when they receive their wages or salaries for the
month. Every month, the fixed earning parents find themselves less capable of
handling their pay pockets to solve their financial problems as inflation bites
harder and cost of living continues to rise.
According
to Gross et al (1991) patterns of use of income highlighted the fact that on a
given income level, a family spending a longer than usual proportion on a
category could cuts elsewhere or goes on debt.
The
view was supported by the results of an interview conducted by Yomilend in
(1981). He interviewed middle class couples who are both graduates and
discovered that the average take home pay was N8,000 and he spent N6,000 every
month while the woman's average take home pay was N5,000. The result of the
interview indicated that the men were left with almost nothing at the end of
the month because they still had to pick their bills on rent and electricity
and maintain their cars. The same thing is with the woman, who had no money for
frivolities, especially with an average of two children per family who are to
be cared for.
A
messenger was also interviewed; his take home pay at the end of the month was
N7,000. He had this to say "I am never balanced, no matter how hard I try;
I spend more than I earn and find myself in debt every month, which I have to
pay back one way or the other."
It
is true that everyone needs food, such other things as medical transportation,
education, electricity things also require attention but only clothing and
shelter, care, taxes, rent, and so many other the rich minority
can afford them because at the continuous rise to the cast of living
and the education of the children.
Families
in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Areas may also have been affected by the rise
in cost of living hence, the need to conduct an investigation on the impact of
the high cost of living on the provision of qualitative education for the
children of Oshodi-Isolo area and see how the community can cope with the
rising cost of living with a view to returning its effect on the provision of
qualitative education for the children.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
High
cost of living is likely to impede the education of the children. It has been
observed that long before, one save money to buy an educational material for
his children, the price has risen by some unimaginable percentages and that
before one takes his or her list to the market, the budget has been rendered
useless as a consequence of spiraling inflation. This investigation will reveal
if these observations are true with respect to families in Oshodi/Isolo Local
Government area.
Mgboodile
et al (1986) observed that high cost of living has made parents to neglect
their responsibilities to their children and wards by failing
to provide them with the basic requirements such as textbooks, school uniform
and reasonable pocket money. They also fail to pay their wards school fees on
time and that such negligence and delay leads to absenteeism, pilfering and
neglect of school work, such situations they opined are to hamper academic
performance of such children.
According
to Nickel et al (1990) Academic achievement of students in school is threatened
such that there are more absenteeism as a consequence of rise in cost of living
with all these problems of the high cost of living, it has become necessary to
look into what effects these conditions having on children's education in
Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area.
1.3 Purpose
of Study
1.
The purpose of study includes finding out
the opinions of parents in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area on how the high
cost of living is affecting the provision of qualitative education to their
wards and children.
2.
To find out how government can help the
parents in solving the problems.
3.
To offer useful suggestions based on the
outcome of the study.
4.
To know how qualitative education can be
attained without the parents spending more.
5.
To reduce the high cost of living on
provision of qualitative education and still maintain a high standard of
qualitative education.
1.4 Research
Questions
1.
To what extent does high cost of living
influence provision of qualitative education to children?
2.
To what extent does high cost of living
affect the standard of living?
3.
To what extent does the provision of
non-position of the educational materials affect the qualitative education of
children?
1.5 Research
Hypothesis
Based
on the problems identified, the following null research hypotheses have been
formulated for investigation in the study.
1.
High cost of living does not
significantly influence the provision of qualitative education to the children.
2.
High cost of living does not have
significant effect on the standard of living.
3.
Provision of educational materials does
not affect the education of children.
1.6 Significance
of Study
The
study will throw light on the impact of high cost of living on the provision of
qualitative education to children in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area. It
will reveal how high cost of living in that area affects the provision of
qualitative education and general standard of living. The outcome of this
investigation will be of assistant to the Parent on the education of their
children despite the high cost of living in the society.
Finally,
this study will help the governments and other stakeholders in education in
taking decisions that will make it easier for both poor and rich parents to
finance the education of their children and wards.
1.7 Delimitations
of Study
This
investigation is to be carried out in Oshodi/Isolo Government Area of Lagos
State. It will cover five schools namely:
1. Okota Girls High School, Isolo
2. Ajumoni Grammar School, Isolo
3. Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive, Isolo
4. Ansa-Ud-Deen Grammar School, Isolo
5. Okota Grammar School, Isolo
1.8 Limitation
of the Study
Time,
information and finance ace the major factors of limitation to this project
work.
Time
Time
has been a major constraint of doing thorough and indept justice to this kind
of research work. Therefore, considering the fact that the study must be
carried out with a time limit along with other educational engagement, certain
details could not be researched into.
Information
Information
is the interaction between two people. For effectiveness of the project we need
a lot of information through electronic media, face to face interaction with
people and the library. Power failure is a constraint to securing information
through electronic media while face 6 to face interaction has
its own limitations, people are not willing to release information especially
when they are to be quoted. Most of the libraries lack adequate information as
a result of lack of funding by relevance agencies.
Finance
Money
had always been a scare resource; hence it had equally constituted a major
constraint to the willingness of the researcher towards carrying out a more detailed
study within the time limit.
1.9 Operational
Definition of Terms
Cost of Living:
Cost of living is the average cost of food, clothing and other necessities paid
by a person or family Mendinnus and Johnson (1996).
High Cost of Living:
According to Patherson in Spark (1987) high cost of living means when the cost
of living exceeded the common degree of measure than required.
Provision:
According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, provision is the act of
supplying with what one need or want. It is the supply of food, drinks, housing
and educational materials.
Qualitative:
According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, it defined Qualitative as a
high standard of good quality connected with how good a thing is rather than
with much of it.
Education:
Ugwu (1997) defined education as all efforts towards the inculcation or
cultivation of the right attitude, habits, skills and knowledge necessary for
proper adjustment in the society. It is a process that continues throughout
one’s life.
Durkheim
(1956) defined education as 'the influence exercised by adult generations on
those that are not yet ready for social life. Its objective is to arouse and
develop in the child a certain number of physical, intellectual and moral
states which are demanded of him by both the political society as a whole and
the social "mellien" for which he is specifically destined.
Aristotle,
Piati and Dewey have recognized education as a powerful instrument devised by
man for his own improvement.
Children's Education:
Durojaiye (1996) defined children's education as the services of training and
instructions given to school children to help them develop their potentials.
Family: Henslim (1990) defined
family as any group of people related by blood or marriage especially group of two
grownups and their children or those people descended from common person. The
family is made up of the bread winner who is the father, the mother and the
offspring.
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