CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Primary education is the foundation a child requires in his or her educational pursuit. The quality of primary education a child get would determine his performance in secondary school as well as tertiary level. It will equally affect his or her life after school. As such the importance of primary education cannot be overemphasis.

It is in this regard that Malotyre and Clarkj (1996) opined that the  attitude of parent determine the quality of  education their children or wards receive in primary school. The positive attitude of parent have a positive impact on their children performance and aspiration, help in raising knowledge and increasing understanding and facilitate academic progress through the involvement of parents in their children academic activities. On the other hand negative attitude of parent towards their children education have a negative effect on their academic progress leading to poor academic performance and consequently the withdrawal of such children from school. This makes such children take to street and become menace to the society later in life.

However, Obodochi (2003)  opined that most parent in the rural areas of Nigeria are careless about the primary education of their children as such put up negative attitude towards their children’s education at level. This is so because most rural dwellers in Nigeria are more interested in achieving short term immediate development of their children as such prefer sending their children to learn vocational trade or assist them in farm work but parent in urban areas have a positive attitude to education of their children and wards owing to their perception about education and the value they attach to education and its effect on the future of their children.

It is in this regard that Wilkinson (1997)  states that the perception of the value of education to a large extent determines the attitude of parent towards their children in Kwali Area Council Abuja.

1.2     Statement of Problem

Primary education is the foundation of education and is very vital to a child’s educational development Okoh (2005).

But in spite of the importance of primary education to children’s educational development, the attitude of parents towards their children education in unsatisfactory and remains a big impediment to primary education in the area understudy. This is evident in the high rate of street  hawking by children of primary school age and enrolment in vocational trade during school hours. This is attributed to myriad of vague problems ranging from poverty to cultural and religious constraints as well as parents lost of faith in Western educational sequel to the declining standard of education and the high rate of unemployed graduate combing the street in search of jobs endlessly. Hence the attitude of most parents towards the education of their children becomes questionable.

It is against this, that the subject matter: Attitude of parents towards the primary education of their children is seen as a problem worthy of being study. As such the search light is on Kwali Area Council Abuja.

1.4The Objective Of The Study

The central objective of the study is to examine the attitude of parents towards the primary education of their children in Kwali Area Council Abuja. The specific objectives are:

·                    To find out the perception of parent about the value of primary education on their children educational development in Kwali Area Council.

·                    To evaluate parents involvement in their children academic work in Kwali Area Council.

·                    To determine whether the declining standard of primary education affect parent attitude towards their children education.

·                    To identify those parental attitude that is militating against primary education in Kwali Area Council.

1.                 To make recommendation for practice, policy and future research on the subject matter.

1.4     Significance of the Study

The significance of a study of this magnitude cannot be overemphasized. Parents, local government education department, state and federal ministries of education involved in policy formulation and implementation, would find this study really useful especially as they utilize the findings of the study.

The study will equally add to the existing body of knowledge on the subject matter. Students undergoing research work similar to the present study who may wish to use this work as a reference material or a spring board for their own work will find this work really useful.

1.5     Research Questions

1.       What are the perception of parents about the value of primary education in Kwali Area Council Abuja?

2.       How involved are parents in their children academic work in Kwali Area Council Primary schools?

3.       Does the declining standard of primary education has any effect on parent attitude towards their children primary education?

4.       What are those parental attitude that militate against the primary education of children in Kwali Area Council.

1.6     Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study covers the empirical examination of the attitude of parents towards the primary education of their children in Kwali Area Council. The study equally covers the perception of parent about the value of primary education as well as their involvement in their children academic work. The study also seek to find out whether the declining standard of education has any effect on the attitude of parent toward their children primary education as well as those parental attitude that militate against primary education in Kwali Area Council Abuja

The research is limited by inaccessibility of  research subjects resulting in using less than a fair representative sample, low return rate of questionnaires, inability to use correct data gathering instrument due to ignorance between the  researcher’s institution and the study area.

1.7     Definition of Terms

All the terms will be defined as they were used in the context of this research.

·                    Parental Attitude: The way parent behave toward their children primary school.

·                    Parents: This refers to a father, mother or guardian responsibility for the educational training of wards or their children in primary school.

·                    Primary School: School for children between ages of 5 and 11 establish for elementary studies.

·                    School Management: This is an act of getting things done through teachers or the day to day running and administration of primary school.

·                    Educational Policy: This is the statement of government on education.

·                    Educational leadership: This is the process of formulating and implementing educational polices in primary schools.

·                    Head teacher: A teacher who is in charge  of primary school.