Effects of socio economics challenges on pupils’ attendance in Ayieta junior high school, Sandema at the Builsa North Municipality

Abstract

The study was conducted to examine the effects of socioeconomic challenges on pupils’ attendance in Ayieta Junior High School, Sandema in the Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The objectives of the study were to discuss the causes of socio-economic challenges confronting pupils, examine the effects of socioeconomic challenges on pupils’ attendance and to find out measures which could be adopted to reduce socio-economic challenges affecting pupils’ attendance. A descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population was pupils and parents of Ayieta Junior High School at Builsa North Municipality. Simple random sampling was used to select 81respondents, consisting of 10 parents and 71 pupils for the study. Structured questionnaire was used for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such frequencies and percentages. Reliability test yielded Cronbach Alpha of 0.78. The study found that poverty and parental neglect are the major causes of socio-economic challenges that affect pupil’s attendance. School feeding improvement and was the major measures suggested to mitigate the menace of socio-economic challenges impeding pupils’ attendance to school. It is recommended based on the study that the Parent Association and the Ghana Education service should organize training workshops on various income generating ventures to enable parents to fulfill their financial obligations in their children’s education to promote attendance to school.