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THE EFFECT OF POLYGAMOUS FAMILY ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Polygamy is the type of marriage system practiced in the traditional African society whereby a man takes more than one wife at the same time. Polygamy was mostly practiced in African society because of the economical and sociological values associated with it in the olden days.

Also, in African however, polygamy is wide spread and nobody seems to believe question that its occurrence is closely related to economic conditions. One of the strongest appeals of polygamy to men in African is precisely its economic aspect, for a man with several wives command more land, can produce more food for his household and can achieve a high status due to the wealth which he can command. The wives and children were made to work in the farms in order to boost agricultural productivity. At that time, the education of the child was not very important. Viewing this from the social and economic point, polygamy is not an ideal form of marriage because the more number of wives and children the more problems the father is confronted with.

The moral decadence of the society today, may be as a result of the inability of polygamous parents to give the children adequate financial support for academic excellence some polygamous family may not give their children the educational materials they need due to lack of funds. This may result in poor feeding and general maintenance of the family members. Parents serve a useful purpose in the up bringing of their children in the home, but in polygamous home there is not much in interaction between fathers and their children because of the larges number.

The parents may not be able to go through their school work at home consequently, they may not be able to identify, the need of their children who may be left to grow in latify. Infact, polygamy may affect the up bringing of children educationally, socially and morally. Furthermore, this tendency affects most polygamous home negatively, as equal opportunity is not given to the children in their educational pursuit. The above statement was supported by Osaigbovo (2000) he agreed that there is gender inequality in favour of the children. Most girls from polygamous home are withdrawn from school at the tender age and they are given to husband.

Some girls who would have loved to go to school are frustrated by the problems of non-availability of fund in the polygamous home. This leads to the eventual dropout of the girls from school.     

1.2         STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The practice of polygamy in Uhunmwode Local Government has constituted a great hindrance to the formal education of the child. Equal opportunity is not given to the children by their parents in their education pursue. Some children are withdrawn from school. The few ones that are allowed to school are subjected by going from house to house to house, street to street after school e.g. hawking. And it exposes the child to accident, rape and street violence, at a later stage according to Esther Boser Up (1970) even within the ordinary school there is a significant difference in the teaching of the two sexes. Lack of proper care of students may lead to poor educational performance. If school materials are not provided for such student their performance may be poor.   

1.3         OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to enlighten parents, the general public about the problems confronting the educational performance of students from polygamous homes. This study will also enable parents to realize the danger they are exposing their children to, if they fail to give them the basic training required of them.

This study will be useful to the government because they are in the best position to provide necessary material needed for a good education.  

1.4         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of t his research is that it will provide necessary ways and means in which the problem can be tackled and providing enlightenment campaign and enlightening the public on the effect of polygamous homes and exposing them to the different problems involved in polygamous homes.

1.5         RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.            Do the children from polygamous homes perform poorly due to parental deprivation?

2.            Are children from polygamous home provided with adequate school materials to enhance their performance?

3.            Do over-crowded homes affect the performance of the children?

4.            Do the economic strain on the polygamous father affect the performance of the children at school?

5.            Is the attention given to children from polygamous homes adequate with respect to their performance in school?

1.6         DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Decadence: Failing to a lower level in morals.

Polygamous: It is the custom of having more than one wife at the same time.

Performance: The scores in school examination through actual work done.

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