CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The differential scholastic achievement of students in Nigeria has been and is still of concern and research to educators, government and parents. This is so because of the great importance that education has on the national development of the country. All over the country, there is a consensus of union about the fallen standard of education in Nigeria (Adebule, 2004). Parents and government in total agreement that their huge investment on education is not yielding the desired dividend. Teachers also complain of student’s low performance at both internal and external examination. The annual releases of senior secondary certificate examination results (SSCE) conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) justified the problematic nature and generalization of poor secondary school students performance in different school subjects. For instance, the percentage of failure compared with students who passed English and Mathematics between 2007 to 2010 is shown below.
Poor academic performance according to Aremu (2003) is a performance that is adjudged by the examinee/testee and some other significant as failing below an expected standard. Poor academic performance has been observed in school subjects especially Mathematics and English Language among secondary school students (Adesemowo, 2005). Aremu (2000) stresses that academic failure is not only frustrating to the students and parents, its effects are equally grave on the society in terms of death of manpower in all spacers of the economy and politics.
Education at secondary school level is supposed to be the’ bedrock and the foundation towards wisher knowledge in tertiary institutions. It is an investment as well an instrument that can be used to achieve a more rapid economic, social, political, technological, scientific and cultural development in the country. The National Policy on education (2004) stipulated that secondary education is an instrument for national development that fosters the worth and development, general development of the society and equality of educational opportunities to all Nigerian children, irrespective of any real or marginal disabilities.
The role of secondary education is to lay foundation for further education and if a good foundation is laid at this level, there are likely to be no problem at subsequent levels. However, different people at different times have passed the blame of poor performance in secondary school to students because of their low retention, parental factors, association with wrong peers, low achievement, low retention, low achievement, motivation and the likes (Aremu & Sokan, 2003, Arem 85 Oluwole 2001, Aremu, 2000).
However, Marakinyo (2003) believe that the falling level of academic achievement is attributable to teachers’nonuse of verbal reinforcement strategy. Others found out that the attitude of some teachers to their job is reflected in their poor attendance to lessons, lateness to school, unsavory comments about students’ performance that could damage their ego, poor method of teaching and the likes affect pones academic performance. .
The question therefore is what the cause of this fallen standard and poor academic performance of student? Is the fault entirely that of teachers or students or both of them? It is that students of today are non-achievers because they have low intelligent quotient and a good neutral mechanism to be able to act purposefully, think rationally and deal effectively with academic tasks? Or is it because teachers are no longer putting in much commitment as before? Or is it in teachers method of teaching and interaction with pupils? Or is the poor performance of students caused by parents neglect, separation and poverty? The present study therefore sought to identify the causes of students poor performances in the secondary schools in Billiri LGA of Gombe State. .