ABSTRACT
The major aim of this study was to assess the educational outcomes of left-behind children of the Ghana Police Service Officers on UN Peacekeeping Missions.
Particularly, the study sought to examine: the demographic characteristics of migrant police officers on UN peacekeeping missions; how police officers on peacekeeping negotiate their family relations during their temporary absence; how the absence of police officers on peacekeeping missions affects the educational outcomes of their children.
The study used both quantitative and qualitative data in the analysis. Purposive sampling and snowball methods were used in selecting samples from the target population to participate in the study. A total of fifty (50) participants were selected comprising of 30 left-behind and 20 migrant parents.
It was revealed by the study findings that some of the left-behind children would prefer their fathers leaving rather than their mothers. This is because few of the respondents indicated that there is a negative effect on their educational outcomes. These few people cited that when their fathers are away the effect on them is rather positive through remittances sent to them but mothers leaving were indicated to have negative effects on some of the left-behind children.
Also, their parents keep in touch through various communication media whilst they were away. Generally, there was no significant effect of the absence of parents on left-behind children‟s education because the academic positions of the left behind children indicated that
before and after parents embarked on UN missions there have been no significant difference in children‟s performances.
The study recommended counselling sessions and educational support for left-behind children. The study finally made future recommendations by stating that further research should be extended to what happens to families and not just the child when parents who go on peacekeeping do not return.
CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Introduction
Migration has become a common phenomenon. Migration refers to movement across different boundaries of territories which mostly involves a change in a place of temporarily or permanent residence. Migration according to Golscheider (1974) can also be described as the separation from the organized activities of one area and the total shift or movement of a whole round of activities to another area. Over the years, there has been a phenomenal increase in the volume as well as the magnitude of migration accounting for the diverse spread of humans across every corner of the globe. Scholars of the various literature on transnationalism indicates that the improvement in the level of ICT, easier and affordable means of air travels as well as the modern capitalist production relating to the past half century have bring about a new and increased flows of ideas, money, goods and people, which seem to bring together disparate communities to locations of places all over the world (Vertovec,1999;Portes,1998 Glick Schiller et al, 1995; Awumbilla, 2011). The escalation tends to be attributed to current trends of globalization, civil wars, uneven distribution of economic resources and porous borders that makes it easy for people to travel beyond borders in the quest for lucrative jobs and higher living standards.
The concept of international migration can be defined as the geographical or territorial exit due to the inability of an economy and its institutions to provide well-being and human security for its inhabitants (Hirschman 1970). The universal count of international migrants continues to increase rapidly in recent times. The number of international migrants stood at 173 million people in the year 2000. This number had increased to 220 million in 2010 and a further increase to 258 million in 2017. (UNDESA Population Division, International
Migration Report, 2017). The bulk of international migrants tend to be nationals of developing countries who try to reach the developed countries. Martin and Zurcher (2008) argue that an estimated number of 62 million people migrated from the developing countries to the developed countries in 2005. In 2017, high-income countries hosted 64 per cent, or nearly 165 million, of the total number of international migrants worldwide (UNDESA, The International Migration Report, 2017).
However, population control arising from tightening of migration laws such as border control in some countries tend to reduce the flow of people (Beneria et al., 2012). As a result, people migrate and leave their families behind mostly children (Parrenas, 2010). Parents‟ decision to leave their children behind means the transfer of their roles as best care givers to others. The absence of parents may have implications on the wellbeing of left-behind children (Maruja, 2006). The situation becomes deemed when mothers‟ instead of fathers‟ migrate because the former play active role in child care (Asis et al., 2004). Coe (2012) argues that the lives of these children become difficult because of the transfer of the role of child rearing from parents to other people as caregivers. Consequently, life becomes unbearable for these children and studies have shown the plight of children left-behind by migrants (Sanaratna, 2012).
The main focus of this study, however, is on Ghana police service personnel on UN peacekeeping missions engaged in offering security, protection and prevention of involuntary or forced migration caused by violent conflict, extremists groups, organized crime, armed political, and religious conflicts and how their absence whilst on peace keeping duties tend to affect their left-behind families particularly children.
Problem Statement.
Generally, migration is highly considered as a means to provide economic support for families. In spite of the economic relief that migration offers to the family through remittances, migration also present a hindrance to the social development of children left behind and impact the social structure of the family. Thus, migration is not completely advantageous for the left-behind family. The role of wives change when their husbands migrate (Manuh, 1999). In a study done by Khalaf (2009), 77.6 per cent wife respondents interviewed admitted that in addition to the increased responsibilities, they also faced various challenges in their new role as family heads in their husbands‟ absence.
There have been various research undertaken on some areas of predicaments of the left- behind children. For example, effects on left-behind children was undertaken by Appiah (2003) but the focus was on children of international migrant mothers. The effect of parental absence on left-behind children have also been examine by Rattray & Crawford-Brown 1994; Jones et al 2004, Smith et al 2004; as cited in Jokhan, 2007 but the focus was on when children are are left-behind in vulnerable stages lacking effective alternative care (nannies and caretakers) as well as guidance. They tend to look at the physical, social, emotional and psychological effect on the left-behind child. (Brodber 1974; Senior 1991 as cited in Gooulbourne et al).
An identified research gab in existing literature on the effect of parental migration on left- behind children is the emphasis laid on the effect on the physical development, social development, emotional development and health risk on the left behind child. However, there is a dearth of studies in parental migration and its impact on the educational outcomes of left- behind children particularly, in the Ghana Police Service. The migration of Ghanaian Police personnel may bring about some challenges especially concerns for their safety. However, the children left behind face more challenges to adjust and cope in the absence of their
parents. In most cases, there is a major increase and disruption in the regular routine of the child left behind. This can be more challenging when they are still in school. Significant focus has been placed on remittances, property acquisition of the migrant on return and changing roles of wives left behind, however, little attention has been devoted to the consequences of voluntary migration on left-behind children‟s educational outcomes of UN Peacekeeping Officers in Ghana. Few literature have been dedicated to examining the effect of migration on the educational outcomes of left-behind children by their parents. This research is therefore aimed at bridging the identified gap by providing vivid findings on the extent to which the academic performance of the left-behind child is affected by parental migration, thus, adding to the knowledge base of the existing literature on the migration debate.
