Abstract

The main objective of the study was to find out the effect of poverty on students’ academic performance in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology- University of Buea.

To accomplish this task, data were collected from both primary and secondary sources.

This study makes use of both quantitative and qualitative methods in the collection, presentation and analysis of data.

A sample size of 30 was used and the targeted population were students from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Buea.

From the study carried out, the researcher found out that students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology are affected by Poverty, which affects academic performances.

It was also discovered that poverty jeopardizes the academic performance of students; others repeat courses.

Some recommendations were made, and if taken into consideration they will greatly help in reducing poverty and its negative effects on the academic performance of students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Education is a process through which individual acquire skills, competencies and altitude. It is the right of every child to be educated, be it traditional or western.

Thus education is being regarded as a culture to man, people and the nation of the world at large. This explains why man has to educate himself and his offspring in the society.

Poverty is one of the factors militating against a man from carrying his educational activities perfectly.

Because of the various perception and complexities of the term poverty, a universally agreed definition cannot be arrived at. But then poverty according to Oxford advance learner’s dictionary [2000] defined poverty as the state of being poor.

Poverty is a multifaceted concept which may include social economic and political elements. Absolute poverty, extreme poverty or destitution refers to the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal need such as food, clothing and shelter.

Relative poverty occurs when a person who lives in a minimum level of living standard as compared to the rest of the people of that country.

It will therefore be considered in a broader way which implies that it has be viewed in various perspective which includes one’s national state and home background.

At the national level, a nation can be considered poor when her economy standard is considered low and this automatically makes the nation underdeveloped.

The economy of a country that does not reach a certain stage of development in terms of infrastructure and other development indices as regard poverty in the family level, we are referring to the home background.

Even before the indigenous education or western type of education, the home has always been the agency through which man learns various aspect of life to enable him to live a meaningful life in his environment.

The home which is also known as the traditional way of educating the young ones is still regarded as the first school of a child before he enters the larger society

The role of the home cannot be overemphasized because the general assumptions that states of poverty in the family or home go to a long way to the extent of youths or students educational development. Education is seen by many to alleviate poverty.

There is no doubt that meaningful; education is the most potent instrument for alleviating and eventually aborting poverty.

In considering the effect of poverty on academic performance of students to be precise, the home background is the most important phenomenon that needs to be seriously considered in order to enhance the effective study of the relationship between poverty and students’ academic performance.

A view of this, some factors that needed to be considered in the home or family background are parents academic qualification, socioeconomic class and facilities available in-home or home environment as well as parent status.

1.2 Historical background

Almost half the world over three billion people live on less than $2.56 a day, at least 80% of humanity live on less than $10 a day and more than 80% of the world population lives in countries where income differentials are widening.

The poorest 40% of the world population accounts for 5% of global income. Based on enrolment data about 72 million children of primary age in the developing world were not in school.

Nearly a billion people entered the 21^st century unable to read a book or sign their name.

According to a recent estimate, 1.4 billion people are trapped in extreme poverty and reside in developing countries (IFAD 2011). At the macro level, the latest bank estimates suggest that the divide between rich and poor nations is even more. Forty per cent of Cameroons 23.7 million people live below the poverty line and human indicators remain low.

According to the result of the household survey (ECAM 4) which was conducted in 2014 by the National Statistics Institute (INS).

Results showed that out of an estimated Cameroonian population of 21,657,488 in 2014, 37.5% are poor.

This means 8,088,876 people live below the poverty line, which is XAF339, 715 per adult equivalent per year. Are included, people who are not able to spend XAF931 per day per adult equivalent to meet their basic needs (food and non-food needs).

As in 2007, poor people in Cameroon in 2014 were concentrated in rural areas, 90.4% of the total poor population. Regions with the majority of the poor are the Far North (35.8%), the North (20.1%) and the North West (13.2%).

Most of them reside in households with more than 8 persons (48%) and in those with an out-of-school head of the family (46.9%).

In addition, poor people come from households within which the heads are farmers, fishermen and herders or work in the informal agricultural sector.

1.3 Statement of the problem

Research indeed has found that students living in poor backgrounds including the family have lower educational aspiration than counterparts living in affluent circumstance.

Evidence shows that in Cameroon the number of those in poverty has continued to increase every year, especially with the crises.

It has been a controversy though in the minds of people that; if the poor status of any society or even family can nearly have an impact on the students educational performance.

In view of this poverty is not just an obstacle to education and attaining university education but also affects the academic performance of students.

Poverty though sometimes a motivating factor is detrimental to academic achievement in the University of Buea.

Poor students suffer from starvation at home or hostels lack the necessary school requirements like handout, textbook and laptops for further research and often fail to meet payment datelines.

It has been observed that many factors affect the academic performance of students at the University of Buea among which poverty is one of the major factors.

Thus this study will be to assess the effects poverty has on the academic performance of students.

1.4 Research Question

This study seeks to address the following research questions:

1.4.1Main Question

What is the effect of poverty on students’ academic performance in the department of Sociology and Anthropology-University of Buea

1.4.2Specific Questions

-What are the influence of family’s socio-economic status on students’ academic performance in the department of Sociology and Anthropology-University of Buea?

-How can poverty be combated among students of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology- University of Buea?

1.5 Objectives of the Study

1.5.1 Main Objective

The study seeks to examine the effect of poverty on the academic performance of students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Buea

1.5.2 Specific objectives

     In order to achieve the research purpose of the study, the following specific objectives are stated as below:

• To find out the influence of the socio-economic status of the family affect students’ academic performance in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology-University of Buea
• To Find out how poverty can be combated among students of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology-University of Buea

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