THE EFFECT OF MARITAL PROBLEMS ON CHILD EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
Abstract
This study looked at the impact of marital difficulties on children’s schooling in Nigeria. Three objectives were proposed: examine the need for an effective education for the Nigerian child, assess the level of marital problems in Nigerian homes and how it affects children’s educational development, examine the effect of marital problems on children’s academic performance or achievement in Nigeria, and recommend ways to improve the educational development of children from problematic homes.
A total of 77 replies were received and validated from the registered participants, with all respondents taken from the staffs of selected elementary schools in Jos north LGA, plateau state. The Chi-Square statistical method was used to test the hypothesis (SPSS).
chapter one
Introduction
The study’s context
Marriage is a fundamental institution in all societies, created by God as a social covenant between two people to become husband and wife (Becker, 2002; Uka, Obidoa & Uzoechina, 2013). It is an institution that grants sexual relationships and reproduction legitimacy to legitimate children (Ryan & Powelson, 2010).
Marriage entails joining two people of different genders in matrimony to become one flesh as husband and wife, given the necessity for companionship, procreation, and continuing and sustaining family ties (Gbenda & Akume, 2002; Abane, 2003; Bumpass, 2009). Nonetheless, marital instability is a major worry in today’s society because it is related with separation, divorce, and widowhood (Omoniyi-Oyafunke, Falola & Salau, 2014).
Marriage, according to Uka et al. (2013), is the legalization of a specific relationship between a man and a woman that society approves of, and it places partners under legal and social obligations to themselves and the society. Although the terms marriage and family are frequently used interchangeably, they do not have the same connotation. The term “family” refers to any two persons who are linked to one another (Sarker, 2007).
According to Onwuasoanya (2006), the family is the household and those who dwell in one house, as well as a network of people such as the couple, their offspring, and kin who are bound together by a social and familial link. Researchers both locally and globally understand the importance of a stable family (Becker, 2002; Sarker, 2007; Uka et al., 2013; Omoniyi-Oyafunke et al., 2014).
This is due to the fact that a stable family grows and promotes and sustains strong relationships. As a result, Sarker (2007) defines marital instability as the interpersonal interaction and association within the married partnership. Furthermore, Lesmin and Sarker (2008) defined marital instability as the process by which marriages fail due to separation, desertion, or divorce. As a result, the rising incidence of marital discord, such as divorce, indicates that marital instability exists in a lot of Nigerian homes (Ezennay, 2006).
Marital instability develops when one individual or spouse attempts to checkmate the other’s behavior and expectations (Uka et al., 2013). This endangers the stability of the household as well as the well-being of the children, as it frequently has an impact on their academic adjustment and achievement. Many individuals in today’s society believe that the educational system has failed.
However, the schooling system has clearly not failed; rather, the partnership has failed, with schools taking on the responsibilities that families and communities once assumed (Castro-Martin & Bumpass, 2009). Family stability frequently has a significant impact on a student’s drive to learn and her ability to cope with academics. The family environment is a powerful predictor of children’s academic adjustment and accomplishment.
This is because a number of children’s academic potentials are currently being jeopardized as a result of parental marital instability (Sarker, 2007). Contact between parents, instructors, and students has a significant impact on students’ academic success.
Those who do not routinely attend lectures due to a lack of effective parental monitoring may have difficulty transitioning intellectually (Bumpass, 2009). As a result, parents are faced with the challenge of improving their home environment in order to have a beneficial impact on their children’s academic achievement in school (Castro-Martin & Bumpass, 2009).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
One of the most noticeable developments in modern family life is the rise in marital issues in Nigeria. Lesthaeghe, 2005 Several studies have found that children from troubled marriages and other lone parent homes have poorer levels of economic well-being, and that the cross-national variation in these gaps is closely tied to welfare state support (Vleminckx and Smeeding 2000; Aassveet al. 2007; Heuveline and Weinshenker 2008).
The emergence of new types of marital difficulties necessitates a thorough examination of the new events in order to comprehend its causes and implications. Problems and the dissolution of family and conjugal ties have demographic, social, and economic effects for the people involved, especially children.
There are negative repercussions for separated or divorced parents’ and their children’s well-being, as well as poverty concerns for women with children. The overarching issue is thus to investigate the extent to which marital difficulties affect children’s educational outcomes.
1.3. THE STUDY’S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The study’s primary goal is to investigate the impact of marital difficulties on children’s schooling in Nigeria. Other specific study objectives include:
To investigate the need for an effective education for Nigerian children.
To determine the extent of marital conflict in Nigerian households and how it affects children’s scholastic development.
To investigate the impact of marital difficulties on children’s academic performance or achievement in Nigeria.
To make recommendations for ways to improve the scholastic development of children from troubled homes.
1.5. HYPOTHESIS OF RESEARCH
H0: Marital difficulties have no substantial impact on children’s education/academic achievement in Nigeria.
H1: Marital difficulties have a major impact on children’s education/academic achievement in Nigeria.
H0: Marital difficulties have little effect on children’s academic performance or achievement in Nigeria.
H1: There is an influence of marital difficulties on children’s academic performance or achievement in Nigeria.
1.6. THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
The project would significantly improve the educational performance of children from problematic households since it addresses such educational obstacles as they may develop. The study would also be extremely useful to students, researchers, and academics who want to conduct additional research on the issue by providing relevant material.
1.7. THE STUDY’S SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
The study will look at the impact of marital difficulties on children’s schooling in Nigeria, specifically in Jos North LGA of Plateau State.
THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS
Financial constraint: Inadequate funding tends to hamper the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data gathering procedure (internet, questionnaire and interview)
Time constraint: The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
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THE EFFECT OF MARITAL PROBLEMS ON CHILD EDUCATION IN NIGERIA