CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

The school alone may not be able to effectively educate the child to achieve the desired result without the home partnering with it. If the home and school partner with each other, attendance rate may improve, drop-out rate may decreased, indiscipline could be checked, infrastructure may improved, the child education may be motivated and higher academic performance sustained. Researchers have shown that children whose parents partner with school, support their effort and encourage their learning appear to have better long-term academic success than children who lack such support regardless income or social status. Fantan (2007), Handerson & Mapp (2005), Hoover-Dempsey (2005) Jordan, Orozeo & Averett (2002), National Council of Jewish Women (2004).

InNigeria, public primary schools seem to be “Island”, that is; separated from the home they served.  Christenson and Sheridan (2006) stated that when the home and school relationship got strained, it results in disruptive behavior like truancy, dropout, lateness, absenteeism, lying and maladjustment which negatively impact on the academic performance of pupils.

The negative impact resulting from the dichotomy may be responsible for the poor performance of pupils in their school works which manifests negatively in their learning outcome at higher levels of their educational pursuit .For instance in Akwa Ibom State, 2008, 2009 and 2010 placement examinations results indicated that out of the 49,226 pupils who took part in the examination in 2008, 14 pupils passed in English scoring between 40 and 48 percent. Results in 2009 showed that out of the 59,137 who wrote the examinations, 21 pupils passed in English scoring between 40 and 45 percent. In 2010, 34,624 pupils who wrote the examinations recorded 1,835 passed scoring between 40 and 48 percents. In Mathematics, overall percentage passes were 38% in 2008, 34% in 2009 and 28% in 2010. In General paper, findings also showed 24% in 2008, 31% in 2009 and 42% in 2010. (Ministry of Education, Exams and Certificate Division, Uyo, 2010). However, the poor results did not prevent the pupils who failed from gaining admissions into various secondary schools in the State.

Failure rate in external examinations is a general problem in the country at large. Performances in West African School Certificate Examinations for instance, have been on the decline as the years pass by. Results showed that out of the 365,981 and 412,236 candidates who wrote the examinations inLagosStatein 2009 and 2010 results obtained showed 26% and 21% credit passes in English Language and Mathematics, Musa, (2008).

The situation is alarming and has attracted the concerns of stakeholders in education who attribute this problem to poor foundation laid in primary schools. Keffi, (2008). Reports showed that subjects foundation especially that of English Language and Mathematics are very poor and that most of the pupils cannot even write their names in the examination paper while some could not even buy successfully when higher denominations are involve.

Students’ lack of proficiency in English language is the foundation of the negative effects on other subjects learned and even social problems nowadays. The quality of English spoken and written by Nigerians students/pupils of this generation is said to be on the decline. As observed by Kobina (2008), the English used by many Nigerians of young generations has little English grammar and meaning which consequences are noticeable in their academic achievement in Arts, Sciences and Social sciences. One of the factors blamed for this problem is usually poor home-school partnership.

It is observed that the home have distanced itself from the school and the necessary importance and benefits that accrue from such partnership are denied the pupils. Nowadays, pupils are found dropping out of schools, involving in one crime or the other and Juvenile delinquency is on the increase as well. Most pupils lag behind academically because of lack of information and feedback from home to school and vice versa. Coopers & Linisday (2006).

Home-school partnership has been suspected to be the major panacea for the myriads of problems which have been observed in pupils academic lives. The success of any education system largely depends on the foundation. The foundation starts from the home in which parents are the first teachers. Therefore, if the home fails in its responsibility, there is bound to be a total decay in the educational system. To deal effectively with this, the home and the school need to partner effectively for the interest of the child and the nation education system. Home school partnership could be enhanced through reading at home, parenting, communicating, volunteering, study habit and open-day.

Lack of home-school partnership may contribute to the purported falling standards in the educational system. Parents’ and teachers’ attitudes towards home-school partnership in public primary schools have implications in the performance of the pupils in the primary school and other levels of education. It is therefore worthwhile to unravel the necessity of home-school partnership. Hence, the study dimensions of Home-school partnership and academic performance of pupils in public primary schools inAkwaIbomStatewas conceived to address the problem.

1.2   Statement of the problems