THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON NURSERY SCHOOL PUPILS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

            Nursery education is the foundation of learning because children who have a weak learning foundation can hardly perform as exceptionally intelligent students in their entire academic life circle. It is at this early stage of learning that children are developed for higher academic exercises. The foundation of education of the child is the preschools education which forms an integral part of his or her early education which may be formal or informal, usually given in an educational institution to children aged 1 to 5+ prior to their entering the primary school. This educational level of the child provides for the physical, motor, health, nutritional, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional and social development of the pre-school child. If child education can provide these vital necessities which are fundamental in human life, it is not therefore unlikely to have an important and strong relationship with the pupils’ performance at the primary school level and perhaps at the secondary and tertiary levels Nakpodia (2011). Learning apart from a very rigorous exercise is procedural. If a child gets a particular step wrong or did not even get it at all, it becomes a very big problem to such a child. This makes nursery education very essential for the overall development of the education sub-sector.

            Importantly, it is always the parents' obligation to educate their children. This is in line with sociologist's common argument that education can be a tool for cultural change when it is taught at home. Thus it is not unreasonable to believe that a parent's socioeconomic status has an impact on a child's academic performance in pre-primary school. Whatever influences a student's growth environment may have an impact on their education or attitude toward it.  According to Rothestein, parents from various occupational classes often have diverse child-rearing approaches, different ways of disciplining their children, and different ways of reacting to their children. These distinctions do not manifest themselves in every family in the same way; rather, they influence the average tendencies of families for various employment classes (Rothestin 2004).

            In keeping with the preceding argument, Hill et al (2004) suggested that a parent's socioeconomic level not only affects academic accomplishment, but also allows students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds to compete well with their peers from high socioeconomic backgrounds in the same academic setting. Furthermore, Smith, Fagan, and Vivund (2002) claimed that parental socioeconomic position was a strong predictor of intellectual success at the age of eight years. Students' socioeconomic situation, as well as a variety of other characteristics linked to their home environment, such as their parents' educational backgrounds, health status, parental employment, and family size, may have an impact on their academic success. The term "socio-economic standing" refers to a person's entire social position, which includes both educational and economic achievement. The social and economic domains also have a role. (Ainley and colleagues, 1995).

The social position or class of an individual or group is frequently referred to as socio-economic status. Individual accomplishment in school, job, occupational position, income, and wealth define socioeconomic standing. Several parents may be able to give their children with better levels of psychological support by creating an atmosphere that encourages the development of skills essential for academic achievement .  Education, income, and employment are frequently used to calculate it. Inequalities in resource availability, as well as concerns of privilege, power, and control, are frequently revealed when socioeconomic status is examined. When compared to students from richer socioeconomic backgrounds, children from poor socioeconomic homes gain academic abilities more slowly. The socioeconomic position of the parents influences the rate of scholarship disbursement.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 
`           The responsibility of training the children is the primary role of the parents, this is because they are the first agent of socialization and this is usually an informal type of education which is being augmented by formal education in school. As a result of this, it is the duty of the parent to send their children to school and also ensure that they are progressing academically.  For an pupil belonging to a family of low class income earners, the tendency is that poor foundation might be given in home/mother care, day care, pre-nursery, nursery, primary and secondary schools. The children could not be provided with instructional materials at home and in schools, private lesson could not be organized due to lack of fund. These tends to make the students lack interest in certain areas due to poor foundation and the resultant effect is that is their adolescent stage in senior secondary school examinations, they would not perform well (Williams et al 1980, William 1987, Williams 1993). The reserve is the case with those children belonging to middle and upper class families. The consequent to this, the pupil will lack the skills required of them at their level and it will affect the individual and technological development of the country. 
            Even though there is a general assumption that nursery education is very essential to the academic achievement of primary school pupils, scanty literature exist to provide empirical evidence to support or disprove the impact of parent socio-economic status. Also problematic is the near absence of studies that sample both primary pupils who attended nursery schools and those that did not attend to arrive at a conclusion.Thus compelling the researcher to examine the impact of parental socioeconomic status on nursery school pupils' academic achievement.

1.3 OBJECTIVES  OF THE STUDY 
            The general purpose of the study is to find out impact of parental socioeconomic status on nursery school pupils' academic achievement. Specifically, this research set out to: 

1.        Determine whether children from rich families perform better than those in poor families. 

2.        Ascertain whether parent level of income has an impact on pupil academic performance

3.        Investigate whether  parent level of education  has an  effect on pupil academic performance.

4.        Examine whether  parent occupation type  has an impact on pupil academic performance.

1.4       RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The research is guided by the following tentative statement:

HO1: Children from rich families does not  perform better than those in poor families. 

HO2:  Parent level of education and parent occupation type does not  have any  effect on pupil academic performance.
1.5             SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will help to show various ways by which the socio-economic status of parent affects the academic achievements of the pupils both positively and negatively. This research will be of tremendous help to the government, the parent and the general public at large so as to make sure that all the constraints, obstacles of satisfactory socio-economic development are solved and proffer a lasting solution to them. The findings in this research work will help the parents to fine-tune their strategies in developing a high socio-economic status so that it will help in developing their pupils academically and to help in discovering their traits of leadership qualities and to fully realized their potentials and also help in promoting effective learning of their pupils. This study will also help the government to know the problems that the socio-economic status of parents can pose on the academic achievement of their pupils so as to improve the standard of living of the society. The research topic will be of future reference to all and  sundry  that want to acquire more knowledge on the effect of parents socio-economic status on pre-primary school pupils academic achievement.

1.6   SCOPE  OF THE STUDY

The research work deals with the effect of socio-economic status of parent on the academic achievement of pupils. It will focus on how the parents socio economic variables such as  Parent level of education and parent occupation type and income can affect the academic achievement of pupils both positively and negatively.The study is however delimited to Abakiliki Metropolis in Ebony State.

 1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only Nursery/Primary schools in  Abakiliki Metropolis in Ebony State. Thus findings of this study cannot be generalized for other Nursery/ primary schools in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Some of the key words as used in this study are explained below

Academic: It can be known as belonging or relating to studies such as language, philosophy and pure science rather than applied, technical or professional studies.

Status: the position of an individual in relation to another or others, especially in regard to social or professional standing

Parent: a parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species.

Achievement: it is something accomplished, as through great effort, skill, perseverance or courage

Socio-economic: is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person’s work experience and of an individuals or family’s economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education and occupation.

Pupils: A person usually young who is learning under the close supervision of a teacher at school, a private tutor, or the like student.

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