Abstract

The research on the effects of broken homes on adolescent education in the Buea subdivision was aimed at investigating the effects of broken homes on adolescent education. This study was carried out in the Buea municipality involving Government High school Bomaka, government bilingual high school Muea and government high school Great Soppo. This study was carried out through random sampling.

The main instrument use in collecting this data was the questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered face to face in all three schools. In all 90 students took part. Data based on the findings from the study shows that broken homes have a negative impact on adolescent students’ education.

The statistical technique used was descriptive statistics and the data analysis techniques used were tables and percentages. Analysis of findings and discussion was done using research items. Recommendations were made to school managers, principals, teachers, and parents. The researcher ended up by proposing further research on the aspects of the effects of broken homes on adolescent student’s education.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Education is a tool that empowers every human being, it is equally the best gift parents can offer to their children as it will help them build a better future and will be able to do without the presence of their parents in later life.

Broken homes have an influence on the educational performance of adolescent students as it affects their psychological, emotional, social, and even economic lives. Education can be defined as the acquisition of skills, knowledge, or attitudes that are of good value to man and the society where he lives.

Marriage is a social institution for the union of a man and his wife in body and soul (Olayinka, 1990).   When God created humans, he made it possible for the production of offspring by the coming together of a man and woman through marriage. People view the concept of marriage from various perspectives. Some people view it as a contract that is a result of legal consequences.

Christian marriages do not agree with these views mentioned above.  Christians assert that marriage is not a contract and should not be terminated or separated at the least loss of interest. Marriage to them has a deeper and different meanings. The catechism of the Catholic Church defines marriage as a matrimonial covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of whole life.

It is by its nature ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. The chief function of marriage is to provide a forum for affection and emotional security from one generation to another. In the marriage union, man and woman develop the full sense of togetherness, belonging, responsibility and interdependence.

Makinde 2004 asserts that the function of marriage is to provide happiness, security, cultural growth, and development of a sense of responsibility for enhancing continuity and social perpetuation. Marriage is seen as a permanent union of a man and woman done freely, founded on love, and designed for companionship, procreation, and proper upbringing of the children. It can only be lawfully dissolved by death. Divorce is usually perceived as the solution to difficult marital relationships irrespective of the repercussion on the couple, children, adolescents, and society at large.

Divorce is one of the most stressful life events a person can experience regardless of whether one sought the divorce or was unprepared for the divorce. When adolescents are involved the stressful event is even more complex.

Chapter one introduces the topic of study. The Chapter highlights the background of the study. It also includes the statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, objectives of the study, significance of the study, research questions, scope of the study, and operational definition of terms.

1.1 Background Of The Study

Generally, a broken home occurs as a result of the separation of marriage either by death or divorce. Broken homes have contributed a lot to anti-social behavior in society. The problem of broken homes is a universal phenomenon that affects both developed as well as underdeveloped countries. Yet the causes and effects still persist with a varying degree in the various part of the world.

In an ideal society, children should be happy with their parents, children should appreciate the love of their parent towards them, one of the tasks that should be fulfilled by parents, is to educate their children because the education of children does not start from school. This is because the education of students starts at home. A home is the walls of the house but the people who live in it make a home. A house only becomes a home, when if complete. Home also became a house when is not broken.

A broken home means a heroic in which the parents are separated or divorced or are no more by either as a result of death. Children from such homes lack proper care and security. The suffering of such children could be seen in different dimensions.

In most cases, adequate parental care and affection may not be given to the children properly by the adopted parents that are the guardian. Unfortunately for the children who find themselves in such a manner can be neglected by peer groups and society instead of being love and care for. The rate of broken homes is increasing unprecedented, consequently, it is necessary for the psychologist and teacher to find out the relationship between homes and adolescent students’ education.

Homes are dwelling places. We want to say that it is also a place of natural shelter from the rain, sun, and cold which is the season. The other point he stressed was security and care while we concluded by the fact that it provides a place for happy family life with room and equipment for preparing and eating means for recreation.

When a student imagines his home as a “Vacuum Can” which exposes him or her to some problems in the environment. In some societies in Cameroon and other parts of Africa, such children are regarded as neglected. Some researchers state that mothers are considered as the backbones of major providers of programs of services to individual children.

Based on the needs and understanding of his environment, they said children from broken homes feel very sad when they lack the carrying, affection, security, and concern for a lovely home. Those children are supposed to enjoy. Such children tend to develop a kind of inferiority complex, and aggression, hostility, reserved and isolation among their peer groups. They said when children are not secured and not enjoying the love and parental upbringing, it will affect the cognitive love of the children, thereby affecting education.

However, as the home becomes an insecure place, the children respond by developing tension, frustration, aggression, anger, and hatred toward one or both parents because of their behavior, which leads to separation, and also broken homes could cause the children to feel isolated.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The family which is the most important social unit that provides social and economic security to its members such as children is under threat due to rising cases of divorce and separation. Divorce impacts the youngster’s behavior in the school environment, peer group, and even in the society at large.

The family structure is altered and thus affected. Many divorces are emotional and can even draw the children into conflict between the parents. Adolescents facing problems of family dissolution have a more difficult time with academic and social expectations at schools, among peers, and the society than children from conflict-free families.

The emotional aspect of divorce which affects adolescents includes the feelings of anxiety, depression inferiority complex, guilt, and sometimes aggression. Parental interaction has a better effect on adolescents than divorce.

In other words, the negative outcome of divorce may increase pre-existing differences in the family unit prior to the divorce itself. For this reason, schools are likely to have more students whose parents have been divorced or separated than ever before.

Little seems to have been documented on the effect of broken homes on adolescent education in Cameroon. In order to fill this gap, this study aims at investigating the influence of broken homes on adolescent students’ education in some selected secondary schools of the Buea sub-division.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

Generally, the objective of this study is to investigate the effects of broken homes on adolescent student’s education in Buea sub-division

1.4 Research Questions

1. To find out the extent to which parental marital status affect adolescent student’s education
2. To find out how affection and love affect adolescent student’s education from broken homes.
3. To find out how lack of Parental security affects adolescent students’ education from broken homes.
4. To find out how lack of parental discipline affects adolescent student education from broken homes.