PARENTAL SEPARATION AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of parental separation on the educational achievement of students in some selected secondary schools in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. In carrying out the study, four research questions were tested. The sample for the study consisted of one hundred and twenty (120)'respondents randomly selected from four public secondary schools in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. The instrument used for data collection was a self-developed questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using mean standard deviations. The results were held significant at0.05alpha levels. The results revealed that: There is no significant relationship between parental separation and students' educational achievement. The following recommendation were made; Schools can provide support systems such as counseling services for students who are dealing with parental separation, teachers and school administrators should maintain open lines of communication with both parents, try to minimize the number of transitions a child has to go through during this period, encourage both parents to stay involved in their child's education. Research shows that children tend to do better academically when both parents are involved, regardless of whether they live together or separately and providing additional educational support such as tutoring or extra classes for students who are struggling academically due to the stress of parental separation.