IMPACT OF LOST INSTRUCTIONAL TIME ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN RURAL BENUE SCHOOLS: THE ROLE OF CHILD LABOUR AND CLASSROOM INTERRUPTIONS

The study investigated impact of lost instructional time due to child labour and classroom interruptions on students’ academic performance in rural schools in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprised 346 students in rural schools. A sample of 120 students was selected through random sampling technique. The instrument for collecting data was developed by the researchers and validated. The reliability of the instrument was determined by conducting pilot test. Adopting Cronbach alpha procedure, the reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained. Data analysis was done through SPSS. Mean and standard deviation were used for answering research questions while t-test was used for testing hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that child labour and classroom interruptions have significant impact on students’ academic performance in Kwande LGA in Benue rural schools. It is therefore recommended that parents and teachers should avoid using their children for child labour.