CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Problems affecting students’ academic performance in Nigeria include absenteeism and truancy. These are behaviours that students exhibited that deviate from the social norms of the school. It has caused serious problems to the smooth running of the school system. There are a lot of effects of truancy and absenteeism on a child and society in general. Absenteeism and truancy may lead a child to become hardened criminal in future life, if not curbed (Abayomi, 2002). When a child tends to get involved in acts such as running away from school, he may not have time to concentrate on his/her studies, whereby having negative impact on the academic performance of such a child. This will make such a child neglect his intended goals and if this happens, such a child will not be able to concentrate on his/her studies and his/her career will come into a stand still. In a situation where a child is always playing the truancy, such a child will be missing a lot of lessons and definitely will not know anything being taught by the teacher. As a result, such a child will never achieve any goal in his/her education and career. Education plays a vital role in individual and national development. One can state with little contradiction that a well-educated and gainfully employed large population would be an asset to any country. On the contrary, an uneducated, underemployed large population would be a disastrous debit for a country will be a footstool on which others will step to climb to higher levels. Technological advancement of many nations depends on the quality of the education of its manpower. Most technologically advanced countries have high levels of education and there is always a positive correlation relationship between advancement in technology and level of education in nations all over the world.

Economic development is seen to follow the same trend, a nation blessed with a lot of natural resources can remain crippled (as in the case of third world countries) without the availability of the skilled man power required to put these resources into use. As early as the sixteenth century, Smith (2006) brought into focus the need for nations to invest in human capital through education. The objectives of education in Nigeria and other countries of the world serve as a channel for increasing equality of opportunity as well as help to transmit feelings of patriotism, reinforcement of culture and ideology of the country. It is thus seen that a nation takes a serious view of education of its citizenry will not only progress technologically and economically but also politically and socially. Selemani (2007),reiterates that education opens people’s eyes, makes them more politically consciously so that they acutely aware of their right and citizens and their duties to their nation. Nyerere (1994) also point out that education is a potent tool for people to break the bondage of poverty, ignorance and disease. It also helps people who have scientific outlook and practical approach to problem solving. The individual can through education have a better social status, better personal satisfaction and a sense of achievement. He can see things from a broader horizon through continued learning which helps him know and understand people of different cultures and backgrounds.

Education therefore must be held in high esteem by the child, teacher, parents and society as a whole. Staying in school is the first step to a good education. But when students become truants and do not attend school, everyone loses. Students loses the benefits of instruction, the district loses income and the community suffers from an increase in juvenile crime. In Nigeria, the general attitude of students towards education in secondary schools has aroused the concern of scholars, philanthropists and other interested people in the country. Each school day, students are absent from their classrooms many without cogent reasons. A recent survey was discovered that the general attitude of students to learning in senior secondary schools is having a deteriorating effect on the development and advancement of the performance in Nigerian schools. Thurston and Dave (1992) defined attitude in terms of three possible direction of movement. According to this view, there is a tendency to move to wards, against or away from a person, object or situation. The first is the compliance attitude, that of friendliness and willingness to cooperate or do what one is told. The second is the aggressive attitude, that of opposition and antagonism, implying dislike, detached attitude, and that of running away or escaping threats, fear and anxiety created by the environment.