THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Education is a fundamental instrument for enhancing the quality of human life and ensuring social and economic progress (UN, 1999). Further, education is a key to creating, adopting and spreading knowledge. In this regard, the World Bank Development Report 1998-1999) notes that the gains in access to education have been unevenly distributed with the poor rarely getting their fair share (World Bank 1998). According to the World Bank (2002), formal education makes a considerable contribution to the economic and social development. Education is crucial in: Promoting economic growth and enhancing productivity, reducing poverty through individual earnings, reducing hunger and malnutrition, promoting gender equity and empowering women and lastly reducing child mortality rates.
The impact of parental socio-economic status on pupil’s academic performance is a major concern in education development in many developing countries. According to UNESCO (2010), the goals of Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), informal strategies to improve socio-economic status are necessary so as to improve performance in examinations. The Government of Kenya (G.O.K) is committed to ensuring the provision of Education For All by 2015 and Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2005 (UNESCO, 2010).The Kenya Government has put in place policies geared towards achieving this goal. These include the abolition of user charges in primary education in 2003, expansion and improvement of provision of infrastructure in schools, among others (G.O.K, 2011). Despite these interventions, still pupils continue to register poor performance in KCPE examinations. The World Bank data reveals that more than 56% of Nigerian are living below the poverty 2010. This, therefore, means that they are unable to access even the most basic requirements for their children. In addition, the gap between the rich and the poor is rapidly expanding (East Africa Standard, October 5, 2005:2).Most of the pupils dropping out of school are from poor background and the efficiency of educational 2 system has been declining at an alarming rate yet the Government is committed towards the provision of equity and quality education. The performance of students in secondary has been very dismal for several years. Despite government efforts to ensure equity and access to all in education; poor results continue to be a major impediment to access of secondary education.
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THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
