Introduction

Children embody parental pride and act as a unique connection between current and future generations. Each child undergoes a developmental phase known as childhood, during which they are considered incapable of making substantial decisions and are legally required to be under adult supervision. Orazen (2003) defines childhood as a phase of life characterised by the lack of stress, exuberance, playfulness, education, and being a valued family member.   Experts contend that not all children undergo a blissful childhood; many navigate this phase amid significant stress and hardship, frequently requiring labour to assist their families. This is termed child labour.   Child labour is a multifaceted issue that appears to be widespread in rural Africa and possibly in other global regions. Orazen (2003) defined child labour as work performed by individuals under the age of fifteen (15), typically occurring in two forms: unpaid labour within the household or on a family farm, and paid labour outside the home in a commercial or market environment. 

Family exposure to the external environment, providing the child’s foundational education and socialisation. Agulana (1999) Family and home are either structurally intact or compromised.   A home is considered broken when it is not physically intact due to illegitimacy, divorce, separation, or the death of a parent.   Frazer (2001) asserts that factors such as children’s illegitimacy, adoption status, unstable homes, divorce, and parental deprivation are the primary influences on psychosocial home conditions. Previously, single parents in Nigeria stemmed from fractured households, and when acknowledged, they were regarded as anomalous cases.

Life in a disrupted household is arduous to careers and offspring. Insufficient financial resources pose difficulties for many families (Child Defence Fund, 1994).  Schultz (2006) asserts that adolescents from stable households demonstrate fewer emotional, social, and academic issues than their counterparts from unstable households. Scales and Roehlkepartain (2003) contend that children’s academic achievement is profoundly influenced by familial dynamics and structure. Levin (2001) contends that parents are generally the individuals with the most evident, singular interest in their children’s academic success.   Fundamental data suggests that marital instability induces stress, tension, demotivation, and irritation to some degree.   These expressions clearly negatively affect a child’s academic performance. Children from divorced or separated families frequently experience challenges and emotional vulnerabilities, as observed.

This may not be relevant to all situations concerning destroyed homes, however.   Some children, regardless of their family background or structure, may exert significant effort and attain success in life. Ayodele (2006) posited that a child’s learning potential and ensuing academic success are profoundly affected by their living conditions. Abdulganiyu (1997) noted that research demonstrates a child’s home environment, including socioeconomic status, parental attitudes towards education, and child-rearing practices, can influence the child’s development. Family background factors and children’s academic achievement, particularly among students in the sciences who require affection and support. 

Kissekka (1989) contends that children engaged in productive labour on a near full-time basis are coerced into such participation. Grant (1990) reported that more children were deprived of primary education.  Functional literacy was assumed to exist in every nation, requiring universal access to a comprehensive basic education program. Numerous authors have defined and described academic achievement. 

Problem Description 

Students in senior secondary school have identified child labour as a significant factor contributing to their academic failure. A lack of mutual support in these responsibilities may negatively impact the child’s cognitive development as they grow. These and other factors substantially affect children’s academic performance. A notable concern related to single parenting that impacts teenagers’ academic performance is poverty. Extreme poverty can drive students to partake in harmful activities such as prostitution, cybercrime, armed robbery, and kidnapping. This reduces the time dedicated to studying, negatively impacting their academic performance. Over the past decade, single-parent households have become increasingly prominent in Nigeria.   The rapid economic development and westernisation of Nigerian society have resulted in varied perspectives on marriage among the younger generations of Nigerians.   Younger generations in Nigeria demonstrate a tendency towards individualism. 

Research Premises 

1. No Meaningful correlation between the academic achievement of secondary school students and child labor.

2. No discernible link between academic achievement in secondary school and single parenting. 

3. Academic performance is not significantly correlated with child labor or single parenting. 

Methods
This descriptive design utilises a representative sample to systematically gather information about an occurrence.  The study’s sample consisted of 100 children from Ondo State, and the data collection instrument was a custom-designed questionnaire titled “.” The questionnaire was distributed.  The researchers employed the instrument to assess its face and content validity.  The researcher employed a test-retest methodology, administering the questionnaire to a cohort of twenty secondary school students in Ekiti State.  The identical instrument was administered to the same cohort of young individuals once more following a two-week interval.  The correlation coefficient of 0.82, Data were analysed

Results

Research One: No Meaningful correlation between the academic achievement of secondary school students and child labour 

Table 1: Summary of significance correlation between the academic achievement of secondary school students and child labour 

Table 1 presented the computed value was 32.45, whereas the tabulated value is 21.03, with 98 degrees of freedom at a significance level of 0.05.    A significant correlation exists between the academic achievement of secondary school students and child labor 

. Hypothesis Two: No discernible link between academic achievement in secondary school and single parenting 

Table 2: Summary of the link between academic achievement in secondary school and single parenting.

Table 2 shows the computed value was 32.45, while the tabulated value is 21.03 and there are 98 degrees of freedom at a 0.05 alpha significance level.  It is found that the academic performance of children from intact homes is closely related to that of children from single-parent homes in secondary school.

Hypothesis Three: Academic performance is not significantly correlated with child labor or single parenting 

Table 3: Summary of the relationship among child labour, parenting and academic performance.

Table 3 summarised the chi-squared (χ²) test that shows the correlation between children’s academic performance in secondary school, depending on whether they lived in intact homes or single-parent homes.  The computed value found was 28.84 and the tabulated value is 21.03, with 98 degrees of freedom at a 0.05 significance level.  The study found that children from intact homes tend to perform better in secondary school than children from single-parent homes.

Analysis of Results 

 The findings from the first hypothesis indicate a strong connexion between child labour and the grades of secondary school students.   As a result, the connexion between child labour and single parenting can strongly affect students’ performance in school.   Their study showed that single parenting and child labour are two factors that strongly affect how well students perform in social studies.

The second hypothesis showed a strong parenting and academic performance.   This result is consistent with what Cassady and Johnson (2002) found, that single parenting is linked to better academic results for students.   Unlike the present findings, Kaula, Peter and Ndeke (2014) showed that single parents were more likely to have children who performed well academically in secondary school.

Hypothesis three indicates a strong connexion between child labour, single parenting and the academic results of secondary school students.  The same result was found by Chamundeswari, Sridevi and Kumar (2014), who also noticed a strong link between these factors and social studies grades.

 Final Thoughts

The findings show that children with only one parent are more likely to have less parental involvement in their studies, whereas children with two parents usually benefit from stronger involvement by their parents in education. Research has it that working as a child often leads to missing school and not doing well academically.

 Suggestions 

 It is imperative for parents to manage their time efficiently to assist their children with homework, offer guidance on attaining academic success.

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