INCREASE IN POVERTY AND ITS RESULTANT EFFECT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

Increase in poverty and its resultant effect on academic performance of in-school adolescents in Anambra state. The specific purpose was to identify the causes of poverty, to identify the effects of poverty on the academic performance of Male in-school adolescents in English Language, to identify the effects of poverty on the academic performance of female in-school adolescents in English Language and to suggest possible strategies that can be employed to curb the effect of poverty on academic performance of in-school adolescents in Anambra State.  The population of the study consists of 1,263 teachers in the 45 public secondary schools in Awka Education Zone of Anambra State. The sample for this study consists of 126 teachers drawn from the population of the study using simple random sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was a 34 items questionnaire developed by the researcher and validated by two educational research experts. The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation in accordance with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) in analyzing the data obtained. Results revealed that poverty is a significant problem against academic progress in Secondary Schools. The causes of Poverty in Anambra State are Economic Instability, Lack of employment opportunities, low income and Wages, Political instability, Lack of access to education, and High cost of living. The study also revealed that limited participation in extracurricular activities, Lack of access to educational resources (e.g., textbooks, computers, tutoring), Lack of proper school Uniforms, Inability to pay school fees, Poor school attendance, high dropout rates, increased stress, increased mental health issues, inadequate nutrition, and Inadequate Health care are the effects of poverty on the academic performance of both male and female in-school adolescents in Anambra State. The study generally recommended that; schools should consider a reduced payment system for tuition fees to accommodate students from poor homes, adequate training should be provided to English Language teachers to meet the needs of low-income students better among others.