ABSTRACT
This project takes a critical look at the effect of single parenthood in the academic performance of pupils in primary school, a case study of Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The study revealed the following findings.
Apart from the child’s academic, single parent affects the child’s psychology for the child will not be able to relate well with his or her mates. The kind of home a child comes from will reflect in his or her performance as well as in his or her public relation That the unruly behaviour of step parents affect the pupils negatively.
From the result obtained, the research recommends that parent should stick together in harmony. Children who found themselves in single parent home should try as much as possible to adjust to new situation at home and should try to relate well with the parent or relatives they are living with. They should try to be disciplined to instruction they are given either at home or in the school.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
Background of the study
Statement of the problem
Research questions
Purpose of the study
Significance of the study
Scope of the study
Limitation of the study
Definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Literature
CHAPTER THREE
Research methodology
Research design
Population of the study
Research instrument
Data collection
Statistical techniques
CHAPTER FOUR
Data presentation and interpretation of result
CHAPTER FIVE
REFERENCES
QUESTIONNAIRE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY`
A single parent is a parent not living with a spouse or a partner. The single parent has most of the day to day responsibilities in raising the child or children.
Single parenthood is the practice of raising children or building family without a spouse or partner. As a choice of building a family, single parenthood (single parenting) is now acceptable in our society. In western society in general the child will end up with the primary caregiver usually the mother or the secondary caregiver usually the father when there is a separation. Some sociologist perceives the prevalence of single parenting as an alternative family form, rather than as a problem in the society. Regardless of how it is perceived, the increase of families raised by one parent influences the social economical and political context of family life.
In Nigeria, the existence of single parent was formerly unknown and where they existed they were ignored as exceptional cases. However, nowadays they are fast growing family pattern both inside and outside Nigeria. Although there is no available statistic of single parent in Nigeria, practical experience and newspaper report shows that there is an increase of single parent in Nigeria.
Historically death of a partner was a major cause of single parenting, other causes include divorce of a couple with children parent that never married, early pregnancy e. t .c. however, children with single parent are three times more likely to dropout of school than children from two parent families (similes and lee, zool). The demographic of single parenting show a general increase worldwide in children living in single parent homes. A child from home where the father and mother are present will be taken care of and socialize in best way possible, this is due to the fact that the process of socialization depend on both parents playing complimentary role in the upbringing of the child such a child is likely to achieve self actualization later in life, unlike children from single parent home who are likely to suffer deprivation and denial of some right and opportunities.
Over the past 20 years single parent families have become even more common than the nuclear family. Life in a single parent household through common can be quite stressful for the adult and for the children. Member of a single parent family can function like the two parent family and may not feel comfortable when it cannot. The single parent may feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for the children; maintain a job and keeping up with the bills.
Amato (2003) suggested that single parent is problematic for children socialization because many with one parent receive less economic and emotional support, less practical assistance less information, guidance and supervision, less role modeling than children in two parent families those. Among children in single parent families those from mothers absent household earn lower grades than children from fathers absent homes and matter which are absent children from single parent families generally find it difficult to connect with school activities both academically and morally (Murkey et al 2004).
The family is the first socializing agent; the child come in contact with it has a great influence on the child’s physical mental and moral development. The father is to provide the necessary tools for educational while the mother is supposed to supplement the father’s effort in this regard when the father is absent and the mother is not privilege enough to cater for all the basic needs as well as supervised the child educationally and morally will be backward. The teacher at school commonly describe children from as more hostile, aggressive, anxious, fearful, hyperactive and distractible than children from two parent families.