ABSTRACT

The study investigated the influence of truancy on the academic performance of primary pupils in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State. Two hundred pupils were purposively selected from collected 20 primary schools through the influence of truancy on academic performance question more data was analysed using frequency counts, percentage, t-test and ANOVA statistics. The results indicated that truancy has negative influence on the academic performance of male and female young and old and pupils from polygamous and monogamous parents. However, there is a significant difference the influence of truancy on the academic performance of pupils from illiterate non graduate and graduate parents. In view of this finding it is recommended that guidance and counseling should be introduced to primary school to assist pupils with problems.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Pages                                                               i  

Certification                                                             ii     

Dedication                                                               iii

Acknowledgements                                                  iv    

Abstract                                                                   v

Table of Contents                                                     vi

List of Tables                                                           viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study                                                 1     

Statement of the Study                                            7

Research Question                                                   8

Purpose of the Study                                               9     

Research Hypothesis                                                       9

Significance of the Study                                                 10

Scope/Delimitation of the Study                              11

Definition of Major Terms                                                11

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE RELATED

LITERATURE

Introduction                                                             13

The Concept of Truancy                                           13

Causes of Truancy                                                   16

School Factors in Truancy                                       19

Effects of Truancy                                                    27

Appraisal of Related Literature                                         30

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction                                                             33

Research Design                                                      33

Population of the Study                                           33

Sample and Sampling Techniques                           34

Instrumentation                                                       34

Validity of the Instrument                                        35

Reliability of the Instrument                                    35

Administration of the Instrument                            36

Procedure for Data Analysis                                             37

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Hypothesis Testing                                                  38

Discussion of Findings                                            44

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary                                                                         47

Conclusion                                                              48

Recommendations                                                   49

References                                                               50

Appendix                                                                         52

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Distribution of respondents by sex             38

Table 2: Distribution of respondent by parental education       38

Table 3: Distribution of respondents by age             38

Table 4: Distribution of respondents by family types       39   

Table 5: Result of t-test analysis on the academic

performance of male and female pupils.          41

Table 6: Result of t-test analysis on academic

performance of young and old truants.            41

Table 7: Results of ANOVA analysis on the

academic performances of pupils from illiterate and literate parents.    42

Table 8: Duncan multiple range test on parental education  43

Table 9: Result of t-test analysis on the

academic performance of pupils by party type.  43
CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The school is a social organization and as such it has got her established patterns of behaviour expected of all its members. These are expressed in the form of rules and regulations which governs the deeds of the headmaster, the teacher, the pupils and many other groups of personal that work within it.

Today, the school like most other social organization, faces the serious problem of its members, mostly the pupils do not conform to the standard behaviour expected. The   non-conforming to norms of an organizations is what sociologist refers to as “deviant behaviour”.

Truancy is one of its aspects and the most common among primary schools pupils and secondary school students.

According to Webster’s Dictionary (1991), truancy is the act of a child absenting himself or herself from the school without permission or good reason. Also the Oxford Dictionary (1989) defined “truancy as absence from duty without leave, especially a child absenting himself or herself from school without permission or running away from one’s place of work or school without a good reason”.

From the above definitions, truancy could be take to mean an act of staying away from school by a child without a good reason. According to editorial comment of Nigeria Tribune (20^th July 2001 Pg 10) the news was as worrisome as it was alarming. It was widely reported in the media recently that about 600 students from various primary and secondary schools in Lagos State were found at a party organized by some of the at a hotel situated at lyana-Ipaja during school hours. Bewildered the matter to the Lagos state commissioner for education who promptly sent the rapid response team of education ministry to investigate the case.

By the time the team and some armed policemen arrived the hotel, the students has reportedly embarked on a drinking space and sexual orgy of unimaginable proportions. They were said to have dangled bottles of bear and condoms at the government team, which forced the door of the hotel open.

Subsequently, thirty students were arrested while the rest escaped leaving their bags behind. This is symptomations of the pervasiveness of the not in the society in general and the education sector in particular.

Such incident, has become imbiquistes all over the country in recent times. Rather than staying in schools, some students visits video games shop, hostel and recreation centres where they some cigarette, drink alcohol and generally indulge in vacuous nefarious activities.

It is this some set of students who are members of secret cults in Nigeria secondary or primary schools. This situations is so bad that the students reportedly bring things to their schools to molest teachers and fellow students. Little wonder than that these students are daily being recruited as pimps, prostitutes, drug carries and even armed robbers by criminals who frequently besiege hotels like the one located at Iyana-Ipaga where students held their “Owanbe party”. It is therefore beyond the researchers imagination of hotelies that would allow underage student’s to hold a party as early as a 9.00-am and even sell cigerattes and alcohol to them.

Perhaps, it is such playing of truancy that has led to the phenomena decline in the standard of primary and secondary education in the last ten years and the attendant increase in the examination mal-practices.

Primary education as referred to in the National Policy Education (1998) is the education given in an institution for children aged normally 6-11 years plus.

Since the rest of the education system is built upon it, the primary level is the key to the success or failure of the whole system. This being the case, the general objectives of primary education are:-

a.     The inculcation of permanent literacy and numeracy and ability to communicate effective.

b.     The laying of sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking.

c.     Citizenship education as a basis for effective participation in and contribution to the life of the society.      

d.     Character and moral training and the development of sound attitude.

e.     Developing in the child the ability to adopt to his changing environment.   

f.      Giving the child opportunities for developing manipulative skills that will enable him to function effectively in the society within the limits of his capacity.

g.     Proving basic tools for further educational advantage cement including preparation for trades and craft of the locality.

In pursuance of the above objectives of the Kanaiwa Cegiwa square venue of the lunch of UBE president Obasanjo took the tumultuous crowd down memory land when he launched the Universal Primary Education (UPE) in his position then as the military of state 23 years ago. The justification for that programme, at that time, remains such the same as it is today. There is a continuous need to provide for the children and indeed for all citizens, the basis educational skills they require to be useful citizen in their communities, their country and in the world at large. He said the UBE was almost the same in concept as the defunct UPE, “It is still full and universal like before, but now in addition, it will be compulsory” he further maintained that, the present scheme extended to all children from age (six) 6 to 15 primary school to junior secondary school and adult literacy programme. The Universal Basis Education programme has been expanded to enable all Nigeria children not only to learn how to read and write but also to learn how to acquire basis technical and other skills for survival in this modern time.

Education describes the total process of human learning by which knowledge is imported facilities trained and skills developed. Schooling is only one form in which education is provided. The ideas are implicit in the world education, one is that of leading out into knowledge and experience, the other is that of feeding, thereby producing growth and development.

Both of these helpful in understanding what education is and both point to the fact that education is an essential process whereby the adult members of the society guide the development of the younger ones. It is how deviation of the expected roles affects the system that is the forms of this study.

Statement of the Problem