THE EFFECT OF POLYGAMY ON CHILDREN EDUCATION IN THE CALABAR SOUTHERN EDUCATION ZONE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Many educational authorities have developed an interest in understanding the reasons for the decline in children's educational attainment over time. Obemeata (1971) and Daramola (1994) ascribed it to the children's upbringing, which varies according to the sort of household in which they are reared. They emphasized that the setting and the type of social contact that takes place in the home can have a beneficial or bad impact on children's education. Daramola (1994) went on to say that the sort of household they come from, the psychological circumstances in the home, the availability of equal chances, the social environment, and the quality of good care they receive are all elements that impact their schooling.

The family, as the major agent of socialization, has a strong impact on children, and the social environment in such a family may either help or hurt children's scholastic attainment. Variation in psychosocial and emotional fortification in polygamy families might be a predictor of children's educational achievement.

Polygamy has been suggested as a factor in Africa's low savings rates, widespread HIV infection, high child mortality, and poor educational achievement of children (Uwaifo, 2008). Polygamy is a type of marriage in which a man marries many wives at the same time. The number of spouses a man has, which might range from two to many, is determined by his religious and economic capabilities. The extended family is a term used by sociologists to describe this type of marriage. This is a frequent practice in Nigeria, due to the varied structure of every family from culture to society (Asikhia, 2010).

Polygamy is still prevalent in most parts of Africa, ranging from Senegal to Tanzania, where more than a third of married women are polygamous (Akanle, 2007). Polygamy is prevalent in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, but it has also been documented in Europe, North America, and other Western countries (Zsolnai, 2002). To our knowledge, there are no precise or up-to-date statistics on the frequency of polygamy in the world. Estimates of polygamy in Nigeria's Cross River state range from 20% to 50% of all marriages, with higher rates reported among less educated husbands and wives, Muslims, and rural residents; however, there has been an increase in recent years in the rates of polygamy among highly educated men who can afford a second wife (Aremu,2000).

The moral decay of today's society may be attributed to polygamous parents' failure to provide appropriate financial support for their children's education; some polygamous families may not be able to provide their children with the educational resources they require owing to a lack of cash. As a result, the family members' eating and basic upkeep may suffer. Parents have an important role in the upbringing of their children at home, but due of the enormous number of children in polygamous households, there is little connection between fathers and their children.

Because parents may be unable to complete their schoolwork at home, they may be unable to recognize the needs of their children who may be allowed to develop on their own. Polygamy, in reality, has the potential to negatively impact children's scholastic, social, and moral development. Furthermore, this trend has a detrimental impact on most polygamous households, as children are not offered equal opportunities in their educational pursuits. Adika (1987) acknowledged that there is a gender gap that favors children. Most polygamous household girls are taken out of school at a young age and delivered to their husbands; nevertheless, some girls who would have liked to go to school are disappointed by the polygamous family's lack of funds. As a result, the girls eventually drop out of school.

Children who have exited polygamous households, on the other hand, have been severely harmed in every element of their schooling. Due to the secrecy surrounding polygamous relationships, this information is not readily available to the general public, especially outside of the intermountain west. Polygamy in the United States has its historical origins in this region. As a result, the focus of this study will be on the impact of polygamy on children's education in Cross River State's southern education zone, in order to provide a general statement about the basic principles and attitudes of modern-day polygamy, as well as to describe the negative psychological impact of polygamy on children's education.

1.2 Statement of problem

Polygamy has become a significant impediment to children's formal education in Cross River State's southern educational zone. Parents do not provide equal opportunities for their children in their educational pursuits, resulting in some children being removed from school. After school, the few children who are allowed to attend school are forced to walk from home to house, street to street, peddling and engaging in various child labor activities. At a later stage, it exposes the youngster to accidents, rape, and street violence. Polygamous parents' failure to provide sufficient care for their children may result in low academic achievement. If such a pupil does not have access to educational resources, his or her performance may suffer.

Given the family's significant impact on the kid and its role as a main agent of socialization, there is little question that the child's academic success can be boosted or hampered depending on the family's social environment. Many people tend to be unaware that their family type has a significant influence on their children's academic ability. Polygamy's essential structure is dictatorial and secretive, which must first be understood. It is believed by those who practice it that they have the ability to manage and control their wives and children in the home.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study will be to examine the impact of polygamy on children’s education in Southern educational zone of Cross River State. Specifically, the study will consider the following;

(i) To examine the effect of family  type on children’s education in Southern educational zone of Cross River State.

(ii)  To investigate  the effect of  family psychological conditions on children education in Southern educational zone of Cross River State.

(iii) To access the effect of  gender/equal opportunities on children academic performance in Southern educational zone of Cross River State.

(iv)  To determine the influence of  family social climate on children  academic performance in Southern educational zone of Cross River State.

(v)  To evaluate the influence of parental care on children academic performance in Southern educational zone of Cross River State

1.4 Research Questions

In order for the researcher to achieve the objectives of the study the following research questions will guide the study;

(i) To what  extent does  family  type  affect children’s education in Southern educational zone of Cross River State?

(ii) How does  family psychological conditions affect children education in Southern educational zone of Cross River State?

(iii)To what extent does  gender/ equal opportunities in a family affect children academic performance in Southern educational zone of Cross River State?

(iv) To what extent  does family social climate impact  children  academic performance in Southern educational zone of Cross River State?

(v) To what extent  does lack of proper care in a family influence children academic performance in Southern educational zone of Cross River State?

1.5 Significance of the study

Educational planners, psychologists, instructors, students, parents, and society at large will benefit from the conclusions of this study. The findings will allow educational planners to reconsider their position on blaming teachers for children's education after learning that polygamy (family type) can have an influence on children's education. This would allow them to revamp their curriculum in order to address the issue of controlling the threat in the educational system.

This research will aid instructors in understanding the nature of elements that may affect children's education, how they connect to school performance, and how to monitor and mitigate the impact on children's education. The findings of this study will aid psychologists and counsellors much since they will allow them to identify youngsters who are facing a lack of care, a bad social climate, or psychological disorders in their families. Psychologists will also be able to detect the causes of children's low academic performance and provide appropriate interventions.

Curriculum designers will benefit from the results because they will be able to revamp their curriculum to satisfy the demands of persons with unstable psychiatric problems. Stakeholders will learn about another technique to check and reduce the inexorable rate at which pupils/students fail in Cross River State's Southern Educational Zone through this study. Furthermore, these findings will inform parents and Nigerian society at large about the different harmful effects polygamy has on children's education, as well as strategies to deal with the problem and the appropriate steps to take to address this anomaly. Administrators will create relevant sensitization programs based on the results and recommendations of this study to mitigate the impact of polygamy on children's schooling. The government will successfully establish policies and programs to improve the welfare of children with poor psychological circumstances, a lack of sufficient parental care, and gender/unequal family chances, allowing parents to properly nurture their children..

1.6 Scope of the study

The study was carried out in the southern Educational Zone of Cross River State of  Nigeria, therefore any generalization of the findings should be in context of that state or any other geographical area having the same characteristics. 

1.7 Limitations of the study

The researcher’s conception of the variables may not be comprehensive enough to integrate all other possible views of the definition of these variables. Other facts that exist elsewhere in which the researcher could not have access to are seen as limitation to the work, inadequate material for literature review also limited the study. Another factor worthy of mention was the reluctance or indifference on the part of respondents towards participation in the study.

1.8 Definition of terms

Polygamy: This refers to the custom of having more than one wife at the same time. The circumstance, facts or event that influence, cause or explain something. A persons social class, family status, level of education e.t.c.

Family: Is a  group consisting of one or two parents and their children. A group of people that are related by blood.

Academics:  It is connected with education, especially studying in schools and universities.

Income: Money received over certain period especially as payment for work as interest on investment. Money received from work, business.

Performance: It is an action or achievement, considered in relation to how successful it is. The ability to operate, capable of high effectiveness.

Education: Is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, or research.

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