CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The influence of
colonialism on Nigeria cannot be over emphasized. The influx of white
explorers, traders and missionaries led to the development of settlements that
differed from the traditional domestic environment. These new settlements were
designed to reflect the norms, values and economic policies of the colonial
masters. Africa, the land of blessed race, where the opportunists came to
develop in order to colonize their resources for their good, was then left in
vain hope(Allen, 2011).
Although primarily
established for white settlers, the new settlements known as urban areas or
township also served as a refuge for appreciable number of Africans who had in
some substantial degree emancipated themselves from the constraints of
traditional society. Among them were professional men, clerks and shop keepers
with at least primary education, growing numbers of wage-earners and large
number of farmers receiving cash income from growing crops for world market
(Fage, 1978).
The
projection of industrial capitalism in Africa produced well-defined urban
classes’ people with technical s twentieth century world modestly symbolized by
radios and bicycles and to enjoy freedom based on knowledge and a more advanced
mode of production. These ambitions were feasible only in an urban settlement.
Aba is reputed as a big commercial city. It is predominantly inhabited by
businessmen of various persuasions traders, big – time technicians and
craftsmen, importers and exporters transporters etc. Even the few professionals
like Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, and Engineers etc. have
unwittingly imbibed the commercial tradition of the dominant group.
In Aba you are either a
businessman or you are nobody. In fact the influence of commerce is so
pervading that the market unions have come to connote the defacto government or
power broker in all of Aba. The defunct famous Bakassi Vigilante Group was
composed of traders and craftsmen. The commercial nature of Aba has also
influence the attitude and life style of most residents. The rat-race syndrome
is very pronounced. Everything is measured in terms of its worth in money.
People do not have time for anything else but money. Parents do not even have
time for their children. In some cases the children are surrounded by paid
cooks, drivers and house boy/maids who attend to their needs
while their parents are busy making money. This creates room for child abuse
through neglect and over indulgence by parents. We can observe that the
environment regulates the social, religious, academic and cultural inclinations
of the child as other less fortunate children are abused through exploitation.
For example, those employed as shop assistants may sleep in the shops. The
typical day starts for such children of about 5.30am.
The business continues
up to 9pm since there is no legislation on shopping hours in Nigeria. Children
serving as house helps are in similar situation. They wake up about 5:30 am and
do household chores up to 7:30 am or even later. Some of these servants who
attend school go to school already very tired. In some cases they walk a
distance to school thereby worsening the situation. About 2.00pm when the
school closes they go home to continue the household chores or carry clothes to
sell in the streets. They come back late in the evening tired and sleep off.
This routine is performed almost daily at the hildexpense who hopes to grow up
and become a professional is subjected to social constraints that are likely to
obstruct his progress. Some of the constraints are child labour, street
hawking, street begging, early marriage, child abandonment, child prostitution,
child battering, sexual and physical abuse and therapeutic abuse by fake
traditional healers (Ebigbo, 1988, Echezona, 1991). The environment is characterized by models that cherish aggression act-rich
syndrome, substance level ambition and disregard of Education.
It is also necessary to
note that the surrounding or environment of a student influences their
performance. Learning and reading begins in school but the first foundation of
the child begins at home (Binkley 2008).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The poor academic
performance of pupils in schools in Aba educational environment has recently
become a cause for serious concern. It has been observed by the researcher that
some senior primary school pupils cannot write or read a letter. Others attend
as many as three schools within their primary school career due to constant
failures in a bid to avoid the shame of repeating a class. It has also been
observed by the researcher that in Aba and some other parts of Nigeria private
school proprietors tend to boost the population of their schools by admitting
students without a testimonial or statement of result and award fictitious
results to ensure the promotion of such pupils to the next class.
This
ugly development has been attributed to many factors such as teacher attitude
to work; poor infrastructure, examination malpractice; lack of qualified teachers;
truancy; poor motivation; Non-payment of salaries and the neglect of
instructional media by teachers etc. The primary school features the highest
number of impressionable learners and consumes a greater percentage of the
government budgetary allocation to education, hence the need to investigate the
influence of environment on the academic performance of pupils in Aba North
L.G.A.
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