Polygamy represents expanding family studies that
are based on marriage involving a husband with two or more wives interestedly.
Polygamy is legally and wildly practiced in 850 societies across the globe. In
the fact last two decade polygamy has been the focus of significant growth in
public politics and academic awareness. This form of marital structure has
effect on behavioral, emotional and academic adjustments of children.
Psychologist and educationist are consciously
emphasizing that there are dear evidence to the fact that pupils achievement in
schools are partly affected by their family background.
The effect of polygamous on pupils on academic
performance has attracted the attention of schools and authorities. This is
because the behaviour of the child in school or outside is a reflection of his
or her home where he or she comes from.
in Nigeria today there are many problems on academic performance of pupils in school and also the parental background in school or home in which a child comes from have great or adverse impact on the pupils and this is due to the fact that the academic performance has not be tailored and mastered from the beginning.
in Nigeria today there are many problems on academic performance of pupils in school and also the parental background in school or home in which a child comes from have great or adverse impact on the pupils and this is due to the fact that the academic performance has not be tailored and mastered from the beginning.
Polygamous home has made it competitive for their
children to contest for limited resources available and parents affection in a
situation where by a man marries two or more wives at a time, it tend to
unequal treatment to children, jealously and survival for the fittest for a
child to succeed in life he has to struggle which may be the detriment to his
academic performance.
Definition of Terms
i.
Polygamy:
The customs of having more than one wife at the same time.
ii.
Family:
a group consisting of one or two parent and their children. It can also be seen
as a group of people knotted together by blood ties on marriage bond.
iii.
Academic:
Connected with education especially in schools
iv.
Income:
Money received over certain period especially as payment from work as interest
on investigation. Money received from work, business etc.
v.
Performance:
An action or achievement considered in relation to how successful. It is the
ability to operate a capable of high effectiveness
vi.
Monogamy:
refers to a situation of having one partner.
Conditions
That Influence Academic Achievement of Pupils
Self Esteem: One argument against polygamy is that most likely
to present harmful effects, especially towards children, than monogamy. If
children are affected their academic performance is likely to go down. Children
from polygamous families are most likely to lack confidence in them as there is
no one who encourages them as they grow up. Women and children in polygamous
families are at higher risk of low self-esteem as well as depressed, than women
and children in non-polygamous relationship.
School
Requirement: Orphans do not
usually get all school requirements this is because no one is fully committed
to them especially at the death of a mother in a polygamous set up. Women in
polygamous marriage have also been found to be at a greater risk of sexual
diseases including AIDS; women are at a greater risk from men with three or
more wives both as their wives and as extramarital sexual partners than from
men with one wife. This can lead mothers dying of AIDS, children becoming
orphans no one among the remaining mothers will fend for them the way their
mother used to do. With the condition, children lack parental care and
encouragement from parent to do well and better in school.
Home
Environment: Children from
polygamous families experience a high incidence of marital conflict, high
violence, family disruption than do children of monogamous families. Their exposure
to such environment tends to affect them psychologically the psychological
state mind plays a role in the child’s performance in class. The stress that
environmental condition and nature of social interaction that goes in the
family may have some positive or negative influence on the academic achievement
of a child
Learning
Problems Associated with Pupils from Polygamous Families
Children’s
attitude and behavior: Problems
children face at home are more likely to disturb them academically. This is
because psychologically problems are potential sources of troubles with
learning. Children from polygamous marriage are at greater risk of both
behavioural and developmental problems. One’s attitude or behaviour has a
bearing on his academic performance. As eluded to, in the study carried in
Nigeria, one’s attitude and behaviour has a bearing on his achievements. If the
family set up molds the child to be a hooligan that same behavior will enhance
his performance.
Parental
Involvement: The first school the
children have is the home they come from. The nature of informal education they
are given at home as the bedrock of schooling will reflect in their academic
performance. Parental involvement in their children’s work is reflected in
their children’s performance. Studies reveal that the influence of parents and
the parental relationship is a main source of children academic problem. The
studies also revealed the percentage of educated mothers and fathers from
polygamous families is as low as 18% in the above scenario the parental
involvement in child’s academic work becomes low as well.
It was discovered that parents that there are very
much involved in educational activities that is engaged in home-works and
attending parent – teaching association meeting of their children enable them
to have good performance in school. In this regard it is pointed out that the
poor academic performance of children emanates from lack of proper supervision
of their children home-work. The situation at home spells doom for the child
since parental involvement is critical to academic performance.
Educational
Background of Parents: Argentina and
Nigeria have revealed that polygamy is associated with parent of uneducated
background, if the parents are uneducated what educational influence do they
have on their children? Some children from uneducated parent background might
have the urge to change the trends in their families. This will be influenced
by the personal attitude towards his school work. Most of the parents in Babi
district are gold panners. This is so not because of socio-economic condition
prevailing but because they are educated they value money than education. The
teachings they impact on their children is that gold is more valuable than
education. These leads to children not concentrating on their studies and rush
to have money through gold panning which somehow shapes their performance,
Kellegham (1993) affirmed that academic success of a child depends on what
parents do at home. On the other hand, Stephen & Ceci (2001) observed that
parent-child interaction are forces that leads to better academic performances.
Home Environment:
Adenika (2013) posits that a
negative influence on a child’s emotions and psychology will consequently affect
his or her academic achievement. Therefore violent trends at home tend to
affect the emotion of the child. The child can develop rude behavior such that
he would even love to stay at home to protect his or her mother or in protest
of prevailing situation. Absenteeism after the general performance of the
child, Uwaifo (2008) in his study on the effect of family structure concluded
that parental involvement and an individual experiences at home play a
tremendous role, in building the personality of a child and making the child
what he is.
Polygamy and
Performance: Khasawneh (2011)
feels that polygamy does not negatively affect pupils, but affects them
positively and negatively. He assets that when the needs of children are all
met in their polygamous home. Children are not affected emotionally in their
homes. Children from polygamous homes can assist each other in their school
work. This can only happen if the environment at home made them develop a
sisterhood attitude towards each other. The children would be sharing the
burden of household chores therefore getting enough time to do their school
work while at home. Children raised in polygamous families exhibit development
dysfunction as reflected in many outcomes including poor performance, poor
mental health status, low self-esteem, poor social adjustment, rivalry between
full and half siblings. The stressors lead to distress disagreement and marital
tension which challenge parent ability to take care of their children. When the
family breaks down in this way the children bear the greatest burden and often
become the target of the parents’ frustration. The distress and hostility and
pre-occupation that arises from marital difficulties is transferred into
parenting behavior resulting in dysfunctional parenting and impaired outcome
for children. A child who is exposed to stress and violence in the family
setting tends to express more hostility and more violent coping methods. Petit
(2008) concur with this sentiment when he assets that a chronic pattern of
family. Violence in children and academic performance of a child could be
traced to the kind of home he comes from.
Absenteeism: Teacher and interviewers were of the idea of
absenteeism influence performance. Interview states that pupils from polygamous
families were on top of the list of being absent from school
Some of these pupils from polygamous families have
the potential of performing better but they are always absent which makes them
miss more lessons. Missing lessons affect their performance.
Oleh et al (2011) citing Moore (2003) concur with
interview, when they say that when attending class students will benefit more
knowledge through direct contact with teachers, review of notes, discussion,
illustration and distribution. Thus, this will help student learn better and be
able to get better grades during final examination. Regular attendance is
related to students’ commitment of pursuing education at school. Richard and
Wanga (2012) are in support of this view when they say that, student
absenteeism affect academic performance and levels of students. Absenteeism
mattered in academic performance
Family Income: pupils who come from polygamous families faced
financial problems when it comes to fees payments and acquiring of basic
requirement. The research findings reveal that most parents who were not highly
educated were relying on gold panning as a source of income while mother were
mostly house wives. This has a bearing on the child if the family income is not
constant. Pupils fail to pay the fees on time because their parents won’t be
having money to pay.
Conclusion
Polygamy as a cultural practice does not affect a
child but it has factors that are in it that affect and influences the child’s
academic achievement. Family size affect the child as they lack the need,
attention, guidance when doing their school work. The level of family cohesion
and family relationship that exist in families are capable of influencing
pupils’ academic achievement. In polygamous families, where relationship among
mothers and among siblings is not good, negatively influence the child’s
academic performance. The home influences the child at the most earliest
possible time when his mind is most receptive. The pupils are psychologically,
socially and emotionally affected by the bad relationship that exists in
polygamous homes and thereby performing badly in their exams
The financial position of the polygamous families
influences the academic achievement of the pupils. This affects the child in
getting his fees paid on time, getting all the school requirements on time and
hiring domestic workers to avoid absenting the pupils
The academic level of parents is seen as one of
the major contributing factor of a child’s academic performance. It affects the
achievement drives of their children’s learning endeavors. Parents with low
academic achievement fail to assist their children with their school work. “Not
all polygamous set ups influence the pupils” academic achievement in a negative
way. Some parents from polygamous families afford to provide conducive
environment relate well and financially cover their children’s needs.
References