Socio Economic status refers to "the social and economic positions of an individual or a family in any given society. The higher a family's socio-economic status, the more likely its children are to succeed in learning. This is explained below:
a) Early start in school
Parents of high socio economic status send their children to school earlier than their lower status counterparts. Ezewti (1983) notes that families with a high socio economic status prepare their children for school more adequately than lower status families. Consequently, children of high status families are ready to learn and thus stand a better chance of succeeding in their studies. In Nairobi, particularly in affluent areas, it is possible to find four to five-year-olds in Standard 1 while in slum and rural areas, some children join Standard 1 at the age of ten. Sending children to school earlier results in their joining the labour market earlier and hence occupying jobs before others of the same age bracket. Wealthy and better educated parents utilize private schools and deploy resources in a manner that creates conditions which are conducive to successful school performance.
b) Providing text books and other necessary learning materials
People of higher socio-economic status either earn a high salary or are independently wealthy. They can provide their children with books and necessary school materials. These children can read ahead of their teachers. On the other hand, parents from low socio economic backgrounds may lack money to purchase books. The quest for survival makes it impossible for them to create time for their children. These children lack books and it is impossible for their teachers to give home assignments. There is no way a child in the academies can compete on equal basis with one in a public village school. While the former is pampered with all educational facilities, some bordering on luxuries, the latter is crammed in a classroom of over 60 children or sometimes learns under a tree.
In schools attended by children from high socio economic back-grounds, a teacher can move fast and finish the syllabus whereas in schools attended mostly by children from low socio economic status, the teacher must move slowly since it is either him/her and/or a few students who have the text books. Hardly any homework is given because students lack the required textbooks. Teachers are discouraged.
c) Patronizing the best schools in the land
Some schools are more prestigious than others and attract the best qualified and experienced teachers. Children from high socio economic backgrounds- attend these schools because their parents can afford the levis required. These schools have facilities needed to make learning conducive. Children from poor families may attend poorly maintained schools with limited sanitation amenities. Due to class overcrowding and poor sanitation, many are likely to suffer from common colds and diarrhea. This affects school attendance, resulting in poor grades. Teachers in these schools are not motivated owing to overcrowding which makes the marking of assignments impossible.
Kenya's high socio economic status families ensure that others are cut off or discouraged from sending their children to elite schools. They do this by maintaining high school levies, to maintain their status; these parents do everything possible to ensure that their children receive specialized attention, which guarantees them admission to the best secondary schools, particularly national schools. The result is that these children have good chances of performing well since their effort is supplemented by holiday tuition. They do well in national examinations and pursue competitive fields of learning, which assure them of accessing prestigious occupations and high incomes. As a result, these children are able to retain their parents' status and pass it on to their own children,
This stratification is replicated at the university level. Children from rich families can afford to pay and enroll in programmes of their choice because their parents can afford to pay. On the other hand, students from poor socio economic backgrounds but with similar or superior qualifications and who are unable to pay are not admitted. They arc cast out and forced to look for jobs or enroll in diploma colleges. Children from low socioeconomic backgrounds suffer many hardship at the university. They cook in their rooms instead of pursuing the core business of study and are likely to take a longer period to complete their studies. Many perform poorly due to these hardships. On the other hand, those from high socio economic backgrounds can buy meals from the cafeteria and even hire fellow students to do their laundry. They there-fore have ample time for studies. Many perform well and are able to further their studies.
d) High value placed on education
The value a family attaches to education determines the motivation that is given to the children pursuing that education. High socio-economic status families tend to show more concern for their children's education. Most of these families tutor their children after school or pay someone to teach and encourage them. The children have house helps to perform house chores. Thus, their education is not interfered with.
On the other hand, children from low socio economic status families are involved in after-school activities for basic survival. These include business or manual labour. At times, these have adverse effects on concentration and learning. Most parents in low socio-economic families are unable to assist their children with academic work. Many are semi-illiterate.
High socio-economic status families can provide support and bring pressure to bear on teachers. They demand good academic results. Teachers, therefore, do their best to ensure that learners perform well. Parents are also in a position to give tokens of appreciation for good performance. This motivates teachers. In low cost schools, most parents are uncomfortable visiting schools due to their shabby attire and language handicap. Many lack money to contribute to buying tokens that would motivate teachers to work harder. In addition, poor parents - through their criticism of the education system - may discourage their children from working hard at school. Parents from high socio economic status families are interested in both academic and non-formal school activities. They support these activities and by extension motivate their children.
This is not the practice in poor schools.
e) Model English used at home
English is the language of instruction in most Kenyan schools. Children from high socio- economic status families usually speak good English at home. This is because their parents, due to a good educational background, can provide sound models of English for children to emulate. Children from low socio economic backgrounds may speak English only at school. At times, they are extremely handicapped in the language of communication. This puts them at a great disadvantage since all examination papers - apart from Kiswahili - are in English.
Children from high socio-economic status families are sometimes discouraged by parents and relatives from speaking vernacular. Some-times this happens by parents or relatives directly avoiding to speak in mother tongue. The children are often brainwashed to see vernacular as a language for the low class or manual labourers. They are socialized to see themselves as leaders. They may believe that as leaders, they must communicate in proper English. Since most of these children learn and master English before starting school, they are likely to find minimum difficulty in communicating at school. They are therefore likely to learn faster and perform better in examinations as compared to their colleagues from low socio-economic backgrounds. Since most school books and other learning materials are written in English, children from rich back-grounds have an advantage.
In a nutshell, a learner's background may influence academic performance both at l ocal and national levels.
f) Academic and job aspirations
The academic and job aspirations of children are positively related to the socio economic status of their parents. Most children from higher socio economic groups aspire to be like their parents or better. This is likely to motivate them to do well in school. Their peers from low socio economic status families lack role models. Many aspire to be primary school teachers, matatu drivers, hawkers and other low cadre jobs. The females aspire to be traders, tailors and hairdressers. Such low aspirations may not inspire them to work hard at school, since they are hardly challenged. On the other hand, children from high socio economic status backgrounds must strive to be like their parents. This acts as a motivator.
g) Conducive learning environment at home While most high socio economic status families live in peaceful, quiet environments such as Karen, Runda and Kileleshwa - very conducive for study - some of the learners from low socio economic status families reside in such places as Mathare, Korogocho and Githurai. They hardly find time to read after school. Their immediate environment is noisy and humid. Congested and poorly lit rooms make studying impossible. These children also encounter disturbances, harassment and violence. Their education is adversely affected (Biogiovanni, 1979). On average, high socio economic status families are more likely to encourage and support their children in performing well in school than low socio economic families.
The provision of basic needs is a prerequisite for good academic achievement. Children from high and middle socioeconomic status families are well fed, clothed and sheltered. They are also provided with house helps, a home library and private tuition. These provisions help to keep their focus on education. On the other hand, their colleagues from low socio economic status families are sometimes expected to perform after-school pall time jobs such as hawking to supplement the family income. Many work until very late. Cases have been reported of school girls who are harassed after being lured to go and collect money for products they sold. This affects their learning. They often attend school tired because of being overworked at home and sleeping in congested and poorly ventilated rooms.
It is clear from the foregoing discussion that education succeeds in creating and reinforcing social classes. We seem to have two distinct classes of learners: the extremely rich who have great opportunities to succeed and secure prestigious jobs, and the extremely poor who are likely to fail and join the masses of the unemployed and unemployable.
francis1897 answered the question on August 19, 2022 at 07:34