CHALLENGES FOR SINGLE PARENT STUDENTS FACE IN ATTAINING IN SCHOOL (YABARUS SECONDARY SCHOOL)

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the challenges that single parented students face in attaining secondary school education. The study was conducted in one secondary schools in Wolkite town yabarus secondary school. The study had three objectives with related tasks and questions. The study investigated the challenges encountered by single parented students in secondary school, how the challenges affected their education attaining and possible solution to the identified challenges. Qualitative approach was used. Data collection methods included interview, documentary analysis and focus group discussion (to discuss one point of problem and identify this problem it). The sample of the study included 107(one hundred seven) single parented secondary school students, 1(one) head of secondary school and 03(three) secondary school teachers. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that challenges that single parented students face in attaining secondary education are not only multiple but also complex. They are complex because no single challenge that stand on its own and be able to explain the challenge without connected to the other. It was also revealed that these have affected single parented students’ education attainment as they have poor academic performance, poor attendance, drop out of school, and engaging in bad behaviors. In the view of the findings it was recommended that single parent students who are living in economic hardship must be identified so as to be helped by the government in the payment of the fees(to help off encourage student attaining school). Also community, media, school administration are encouraged to offer guidance and counseling services to single parent students in order to encourage them to work hard and accept single parenthood and also to their parent on how best to rear these children