Family Location And Socioeconomic Factor As A Determinant Of Accessibility Of Early Childhood Education
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Family Location And Socioeconomic Factor As A Determinant Of Accessibility Of Early Childhood Education
ABSTRACT
The study’s goal was to look into how family location and socioeconomic characteristics influence access to early childhood education in a drought-stricken area of Itam Village Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
The study was guided by four research objectives: to establish the extent to which parental level of education affects access to early childhood education in drought-stricken, to establish the influence of household size on pupil access to early childhood education in drought-stricken
to assess the extent to which food security factors affect pupils’ access to education in drought-stricken, and to assess the extent to which pupils’ involvement in household economic activities The study used a descriptive survey design.
The target population consisted of all 24 pre-schools in Itam village. The schools had a total of 281 teachers and 700 Form Three students. The study included all eight heads of schools, 90 teachers, and 238 students.
Findings on the effects of parental level of education on access to education revealed that parents’ level of education was a factor that affected low access to education in the school, as indicated by the majority of 6 (85.7%) principals and 47 (55.3%) teachers.
The findings also demonstrated that home size influences students’ access to education at their school. The findings also revealed that insufficient food during the drought hampered students’ ability to attend school.
The involvement of students in household economic activities also had an impact on their access to education, as stated by the majority of principals (71.4%).
According to the study’s findings, parental education level was a factor that affected students’ access to school in a drought-stricken area in Itam Village, Itu LGA, and household size also had an impact on access to education.
Families with a large number of children were unable to provide educational help, so some youngsters missed out on possibilities. The study indicated that a lack of insufficient food during a drought hampered students’ access to education in the drought-stricken area of Itam Village, Itu Local Government Area.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Education serves as the foundation for any nation’s economic, social, and political progress. Investment in education can promote economic growth, increase productivity, contribute to national and social development, and reduce social inequality (World Bank, 2008).
According to UNESCO (2005), one of the most important measures of a country’s development is its educational level. Globally, education is seen as a fundamental human right.
The Human Rights Charter recognises education as a human right. According to Bishop (1989), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established Article 26 in 1948, which said that everyone had the right to an education and that it would be free, at least in the primary and essential phases.
According to Boit, Njoki, and Chang’ach (2012), the goal of education is to prepare citizens to transform society and reduce inequality. Secondary education, in particular, has an essential role in both national and individual growth. It is critical to developing a country’s human resource base beyond primary education (Achoka, Odebero, Maiyo, & Mualuko, 2007).
Education is disrupted, and a significant amount of school time is wasted in places affected by calamities such as conflict, flooding, and drought. These calamities endangered many children, exposing them to perilous and rapidly changing conditions.
The quality of education is impacted and disturbed as a result of catastrophic calamities, making children exposed to psychosocial trauma. Providing education during catastrophes also reduces the negative impact of emergencies on development;
prolonged crises halt progress towards attaining education development goals such as Education For All and Vision 2030. Emergencies also restrict children the right to free and compulsory basic education, as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution of 2010.
Arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) encompass 80% of the country, with annual rainfall ranging from 200 to 500mm and recurrent droughts as part of the climatic system (Kandji 2006). It is an induced phenomenon, and its impact is influenced by both social and economic factors. Drought causes vulnerability. ‘
Vulnerability’ refers to a population’s ability to predict, cope with, avert significant declines in well-being, and recover from the negative impact of shocks (Blaikie et al. 1994, World Bank 2001, Tesliuc and Lindert 2004, Brooks, Adger, and Kelly 2005).
Vulnerability is not a novel notion, but interest and worry have increased in recent years. Drought vulnerability refers to how vulnerable households are to the negative impacts of drought. Income, work, family structure, gender, social class, caste, cultural influences, and health all have an impact on vulnerability.
Several asset-based approaches have been proposed to identify vulnerable households (Alwang, Siegel, and Jorgensen 2001; Kamanou and Morduch 2002; Brooks, Adger, and Kelly 2005; Christiaensen and Subbarao 2005; World Bank 2005).
Drought-related humanitarian emergencies have become more severe since 2001, when Nigeria had its ‘first’ worst drought in 60 years. In the recent decade, four major food crises in Nigeria have been proclaimed
all of which were triggered by drought. According to Kandji (2006), drought is one of the challenges that Nigeria may face in meeting the millennium development goals (MDGs), particularly those connected to poverty eradication, food security, and environmental sustainability.
The recurring nature of drought in Nigeria, as well as the escalating humanitarian suffering caused by it, including loss of life, war, food insecurity, and child malnutrition, highlight the need for a long-term approach to end the drought-induced humanitarian catastrophe in Nigeria. Livestock production accounts for almost 90% of employment and household income in Nigeria’s arid and semi-arid north and northeast regions. Many of these villages have been most hit by the drought and rely on food help.
Drought is a periodic climatic event and a global phenomenon, but the characteristics differ by place. It is a persistent problem in arid and semi-arid areas. Drought is defined as a scenario in which rainfall is much lower than what has been determined as a ‘normal’ value for the area in question, resulting in negative effects for human wellbeing.
According to Anderson (1967), the parental level of education, occupation, and income levels play a significant role in access to and retention of pupils in education. Juma (1994) also noted that education experience and outlook of parents are transmitted to their offspring;
they are able to provide necessities and pay school levies for their children, thus encouraging the access and retention of pupils in schools because they understand the value of education. Taiwa (1993) asserts that parents serve as second teachers, advisers, and counsellors for their children.
Drought affects several countries worldwide, the majority of which are ASALs. In Africa in 1999, 29 countries were impacted by drought, with children suffering more than adults. They encompassed Senegal, Upper Volta, and Chad in the south and Morocco.
Algeria, Libya, and Egypt are in the north. The zone stretches from southern Somalia to northern Nigeria. South of the equator, the zone includes Lesotho, sections of the Cape, Northern Transvaal, and Free State provinces of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and parts of Zimbabwe. These regions saw a decrease in children’s engagement (UNESCO, 2009).
Since independence, access to secondary education has grown in absolute numbers, with a significant growth in the number of public and private preschools. The number of schools has expanded from 151 in 1963 to 4197 in 2004 (Government of Nigeria, 2006). Although secondary enrolment climbed from 30,000 to 928,149 within the same time period, the rise did not match to the population growth of children aged 14 to 17.
According to the 1999 population census forecasts, there were 3.1 million youngsters aged 14 to 17 in 2000, with the number expected to rise to around 3.6 million by 2010 (GOK, 1998). As a result, approximately 80.6 percent of preschool-aged children are not enrolled.
The drought that frequently affects various regions of the country causes severe food shortages, placing more than one million Nigerians at risk of starvation. Itam Village in Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State, is one of the regions that frequently experience severe food shortages during droughts, with a population of 125,940 according to Nigeria’s 2009 census statistics.
It covers an area of 2,093 km2. The terrain is dry, and the primary source of income is rain-fed marginal farming and livestock rearing, such as sheep, indigenous cattle, and goats.
During a drought, households are affected, which disrupts access to education. Schools record low attendance when students are engaging in home income-generating activities.
Loss of income for parents suggests an inability to pay for school levies. The perennial drought in Itam village, Mbere LGA, combined with the danger of starvation, has impacted access to pre-school education. Parents are constantly divided between fighting hunger and providing for their children’s education (UNESCO, 2011).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Drought is Nigeria’s single most serious natural hazard in terms of destroyed livelihoods, hunger, mortality, and nutrition-related disorders. The arid areas and semi-arid LGAs, often known as arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), are typically the hardest affected. ASALs occupy 80% of Nigeria’s land area and support roughly 30% of the entire population.
They cover at least 40 LGAs or parts of those LGAs, including Itu LGA. Most schools in Itu LGA are in rural locations with semi-arid climates, which result in low crop yields in most seasons. The area has a hot and dry environment with little and unpredictable rainfall. Drought limits access to education.
The figures from the DEO’s office in the LGA demonstrate that the transition rates have fluctuated between 30% and 40%. During droughts, attendance at Sikago village’s pre-school drops.
Principals complain about poor student involvement in school, indicating that there are issues that prevent youngsters from pursuing secondary education.
This study aims to investigate family location and socioeconomic characteristics influencing access to early childhood education in a drought-stricken area in Itam Village Itu LGA Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
1.3 The purpose of the study
The goal of this study was to identify family location and socioeconomic factors that influence access to early childhood education in a drought-stricken area in Itam Village Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
1.4 Objective of the study
The study was directed by the following aims.
To assess the extent to which parental level of education influences access to early childhood education in drought-stricken areas of Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom.
To determine the impact of family size on pupil access to early childhood education in a drought-affected environment in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom.
To analyse the extent to which food security factors affect students’ access to education in drought-stricken areas in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom.
To analyse the extent to which kids’ participation in home economic activities influences their access to school in drought-stricken areas in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom.
1.5 Research questions.
How does parental education level effect access to early childhood education in a drought-stricken area of Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State?
How does family size affect access to early childhood education in the drought-stricken area of Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State?
How does food security effect students’ access to education in a drought-stricken area of Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State?
How does students’ participation in household economic activities affect their access to school in a drought-stricken environment in Itam Village, Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State?
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study would provide pertinent information on family location and socioeconomic factors influencing access to early childhood education in a drought-affected area in Itam Village Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This information would be useful to the Ministry of Education as it works to address student engagement and access to pre-schools in drought-prone areas.
The findings may be useful to the government and education stakeholders by indicating how they might implement intervention measures during emergency conditions such as droughts.
The study would also benefit school principals in developing initiatives to increase and improve access to secondary education through the involvement of the state government. The local population, particularly those who are most vulnerable, can be informed about effective ways for minimising the consequences of drought on educational access.
The community may become more aware of drought hazards and the mitigation techniques to which they are exposed, allowing them to take particular activities to reduce the threat to their children’s education.
The study also recommends several potential approaches for improving access to education in drought-stricken areas. Finally, the findings were beneficial to scholars studying educational access since they added to the current literature.
1.7 Study Limitations
The study’s key weakness is that the researcher did not have direct access to parents in order to provide firsthand information on family location and socioeconomic factors influencing educational access.
The lack of parental participation in the study was owing to access issues. However, the researcher relied on the pupils’ comments. Another disadvantage is that some of the respondents provided socially acceptable comments to appease the researcher rather than exposing the negative aspects of the government’s participation in drought mitigation. However, attempts are made to explain the value of the study to the respondents, as well as to request that they be serious and honest.
1.8 Study Limitation
The study was conducted in Itam Village in Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom State, which is a rural setting; therefore, the findings should be interpreted with caution in other rural regions.
The study looked into the family location and socioeconomic characteristics that influence access to secondary school in the village. The study included headteachers, teachers, and students.
Although there are other factors that influence students’ access to school, the researcher focused on variables such as parental education level, household size, food security considerations, and students’ participation in family economic activities.
1.9 Organisation of the Study
The study was divided into five chapters, the first of which focusses on the study’s backdrop and problem statement, purpose, aims, significance, limitations, delimitations, assumptions, and definitions of key terminology.
The second chapter focusses on a literature review organised under the following headings: introduction, family location and socioeconomic factors influencing students’ access to education, parental level of education, household size, food security factors, and students’ participation in household economic activities. A theoretical and conceptual framework will be presented.
Chapter three discusses the research methodology that will be employed, which will include sample and sampling strategies, research instruments, instrument validity and reliability, data collection procedures, and data analysis methods.
The fourth chapter focusses on data processing and presentation of the findings. Chapter five includes a summary of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
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