CAUSES AND EFFECT OF LATENESS TO SCHOOL

1.1 Introduction

Lateness generally refers to a situation in which an individual reports at a place later than the scheduled, appropriate or agreed time (Onoyase, 2017; Adegunju et al., 2019). Within the school context, lateness may be defined as arrival at school by learners after the official opening hours and may be further be extended to arriving late at scheduled normal timetable for lectures or classes to begin (Maile & Olowoyo, 2017). Late coming is an endemic problem in South African schools and has become increasingly difficult to eradicate. Late coming has become a major problem globally and from a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2013) which interviewed students from many countries, it was found that most students arrived at school after lessons had already started (OECD, 2013; Nonkonana & Kwenda, 2019).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Over the years, lateness to school by students of secondary schools has become a recurrent issue. Probably, this was why Chujor (2014) stressed that school administrators, teachers, parents and others have shown sincere concern about it. Chujor asserted that a lot of measures have been adopted to curb the occurrence such as giving punishment like flogging or being sanctioned. In short, recurrent lateness to school by students may be one of the reasons responsible for the falling standards of education in Nigeria. If lateness to school is allowed to continue, it may have adverse effect on the attainment of the objectives of the Universal Basic Education (UBE).

The Federal Government of Nigeria maintained that the UBE programme was geared towards achieving the following objectives to develop the general citizenry a strong consciousness for education and strong commitment to its vigorous promotion, provide free universal basic education for every Nigerian child of school-going age and drastically reduce the incidence of dropout from formal school system through improved relevance quality and efficiency. Without doubt, for any school to succeed in discharging its basic duty of training students there should be some form of discipline.

This according to Salifu and Agbenyega (2012) is necessary because it sets a congenial atmosphere needed for teaching and learning. Discipline encompasses punctuality and regularity of students in school. It is only when learners are present in school and at the right time, that they can benefit optimally from the academic program. Jumare, Maina and Ankoma-Sey (2015) opined that when students are punctual to school, they are opportuned to attend to all school programmes and activities and most importantly, get full benefits of morning hour lessons such as English Language and Mathematics.

The authors further noted that latecomers are flogged and given other punishment (such as toilet washing, sweeping and weeding) which make them experience pains and thus are unable to participate in morning classes.

Van-Breda (2006) stressed that recurrent lateness to school may not only affect the academic performance of students, it could also create serious problems for such individuals in later life if not checked. However, Chujor (2014) asserted that lateness to school can be excused in some cases when the reasons are cogent and beyond the student’s control. Manguvo, Whitney and Chareka (2011), observed that there has been a high prevalence of indiscipline among learners at all levels of the Nigerian educational system and that the most common students’ behaviour problems include stealing, not doing homework and lateness.

Lateness to school started long ago, everywhere in a way that cannot be controlled in recent time. The problem of lateness has eaten deep into Nigeria children the problem of pupils lateness to school has now turn to national problem. Lateness merely means arriving after expected time. Children commonly miss their school or coming lately because of their usual habits, such as waking up late due to laziness: rushing of undone assignment, unprepared bath, breakfast or meals, clothes, their pack lunch etc. and waiting for companions or friends coming to school the bus is late; and sometimes because of some problems in their parent that affects them and interest in coming to school seeing their with misunderstandings. A financial support is another too. Kids like having many delightful possessions. They would be and seeing their class mates with something they don’t have or sometimes they are ashamed of coming to school.

Oxford advanced learners dictionary defined lateness as arriving after the expected arrange or usual time. It is after the right, fixed, usual or expected time; therefore lateness is the opposite of early. Authorities have wonder why scholars come late to school. But they have not been able to make deep research into this problem in a bid of providing solutions and recommendation, which would help to cure the problem.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to investigate the factors responsible for the pupil’s lateness to school.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that lateness among school pupils is increasing and spreading. Everywhere is a way that cannot be controlled in our societies. A close look at the factors that are responsible for it, it’s the purpose of the study.

The importance of this can never be over liked in the process of learning experience had shown that children who are habitual late comer never do well in their academics, this is true because before their arrival it is very likely for them missing some steps in the teaching/learning process. This will affect their learning adversely.

In spite of the efforts made by the teachers and the school authorities to solve this problem, the children were still found indulging in late coming in an attempt to know the factors responsible the teachers attributed it to the parents while the parents hold the teacher to ransom. To some others, the children themselves and the peer’s group influence are responsible.

With the result of this study, it is believed that solutions to this problem will be provided as the factors responsible for the lateness are identified and recommendations are made. The children will be better guided and ways of overcoming their problems and like up to expectation as good children are known.

In addition, this study will also help the nation as the children will now develop the spirit of punctuality at school and becomes good citizen in their future life.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the factors that are responsible for pupil’s lateness to school and re-address the problem by providing possible suggestion, recommendation and solution, which relate to pupils lateness to school. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the distance between the pupils’ home and the school contributes to lateness to school;
2. To investigate the factors that instigates students' lateness to school;
3. To find out if delay in preparation of food on time by parents contribute to lateness to school;
4. To find out if lateness in waking up from sleep in the morning lead to lateness to school; and
5. To determine whether the demand for needed school materials in the morning time lead to lateness to school.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does the distance between the pupils’ home and the school contributes to lateness to school?
• Does lateness in waking up from sleep in the morning lead to lateness to school?
• Does delay in preparation of food on time by parents contribute to lateness to school?
• Does demand for needed school materials in the morning time lead to lateness to school?
• Does lateness to school by teachers influence pupils lateness to school?
• Does inadequate punishment to lateness contribute to lateness to school?
• Does waiting for friends to get prepared lead to lateness to school?
• Does hawking in the morning time before preparing to school lead to lateness to school?
• Does playing on the way to school lead to lateness to school?
• Does lack of performing well in school lead to lateness to school?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There are no significant factors that instigates students' lateness to school in the area under study
• H1: There are significant factors that instigates students' lateness to school in the area under study

1.7 Significance of Study

On successful completion of this study pupils and parents will be exposing to the various factors that are responsible for pupil’s lateness to school and to the rightful measure necessary to eradicate this bad habit.

This study will help to motivate parents to make the children come early to school and this will in turn improve the academic performance of the individual. Also it will enable the pupils to be discipline both at school and in future life.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Causes and Effect of Lateness to School. This study will cover four (4) selected primary school in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State.

The names of the selected schools are: Ozolua model primary school, Iguobazuwa, Ezoti primary school Udo; Okpon primary school, Obareti, and Okomu primary school Okomu.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
4. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
5. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

Factors: This refers to the conditions that affect the behaviour and development of the physical conditions that exist in the pupils learning environment.

Lateness: This refers to pupils getting to class daily, below the normal time schedule for the class.

Peer Influence: This refers to the bad company of children a child associate with, which affect the way the child, behaves and thinks.