THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON PUPIL'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, EDO STATE

In recent times, the nation has witnessed a significant decline in academic achievement among Students at all levels of education. Experts from different perspectives have linked this concerning trend to various factors, such as ineffective teaching methods and insufficient educational resources. Interestingly, these experts tend to assign blame to either the Pupils or the teachers, overlooking the underlying causes. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that this trend is closely associated with parental involvement in children’s academic performance. Parent involvement in a child's early education is consistently found to be positively associated with a child's academic performance (Hara & Burke, 1998; Hill & Craft, 2003; Marcon, 1999; Stevenson & Baker, 1987) In particular, children whose parents are more engaged in their education exhibit greater academic achievement compared to children whose parents are less involved. This impact of parental involvement on academic success has been recognized not only by researchers but also by policymakers who have incorporated strategies to enhance parent involvement into broader educational policies. Additionally, studies have shown that a child's academic success remains relatively consistent beyond early elementary school, reinforcing the significance of early academic achievements (Entwisle & Hayduk, 1988; Pedersen, Faucher, & Eaton, 1978).