Impact of Socio-Economic Status of Parents on Academic Performance of Learners in an Economics Classroom, Chris Hani East District, South Africa

This research aims to determine the impact of a parent's socio-economic status on their child's academic achievement in an Economics classroom. The study employed a quantitative approach to gather and analyse data. The data was collected from thirty (30) grade eleven (11) Economics students. The data was analysed descriptively through SPSS. The study's findings show that students' academic performance is strongly influenced by their parents' socio-economic status, with financial support, access to resources, and parental involvement being key factors in their success. The study concludes that a parent's socio-economic status significantly affects students' academic performance in a secondary school within the Chris Hani East District, as most students reported that financial support, parental involvement, and access to educational resources from higher socio-economic backgrounds contribute positively to their success. At the same time, good nutrition and healthcare also play a critical role in enhancing cognitive function and overall achievement, highlighting the need to address socio-economic differences to improve educational outcomes for all learners. The study recommends that schools and communities should enhance access to academic resources, provide strong nutrition and healthcare support, encourage parental involvement through workshops, offer financial assistance for extracurricular activities, establish free tutoring programs, and ensure that the government invests in schools in low-income areas to create equal opportunities for all students to succeed academically.