Effects Of Level Of Literacy Of Parents And Pupils Academic Performance
[A CASE STUDY OF ILORIN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KWARA STATE]

Statement of the Problem
According to Ozurumba et.al, (2007), poor academic performance amongst Federal Capital Territory pupils of elementary school has constituted a serious problem and has become a cause for concern to most parents in different ways. Government and school heads have been unable to provide adequate solution to the students’ poor academic performance. Parents have been partly blamed for failing to lay the right foundation in their children, through informal education. This problem has contributed to a loss of reputation by affected elementary schools of learning in the area.
 Research Questions
This research work intends to answer the questions below:  
1.    What is the academic performance of pupils in English language in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara state?
2.    Does parent’s gender influence pupil’s academic performance in English language Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State?
3.    Does parent’s academic qualification influence pupil’s academic performance in English language in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State?
4.    Does parent’s marital status influence pupil’s academic performance in English language in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State?
Research Hypotheses
The two hypotheses below were formulated to guide the study,
Ho1: There is no significant effect of parents’ level of education on the academic performance of pupils.
Ho2: There is no significant effect of parents’ level of education on themselves.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to critically ascertain the effects of parental level of education on academic performance of students in Ilorin West Local Government, Kwara State. The project intends to find out the effects of level of literacy of parents and academic performance of pupils in Ilorin West Local Government Area.
Significance of the study
It is hope that the findings of this study will make various educational stakeholders like head teachers, Parents and Teachers Associations to understand the effects of level of literacy of parents on academic performances of pupils and therefore put appropriate measures to counter the problem.
The study will also help educational planners and policy makers to understand the relevant educational policies to be used to improve pupil’s academic performance irrespective of their parents’ level of literacy.
It is also hoped that the findings of this study will help parents with negative attitude towards education to change their negative attitude and start to assist pupils do homework while at home in order to improve their academic performance.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study focused on eight selected public primary schools in Ilorin West Local Government. It focused on the effects of level of literacy of parents and academic performance of pupils. Three hundred primary six pupils, twenty head masters and fifty teachers were sampled for the study.
The proposed study was faced with some limitations. First, in some schools, the required information was missing.  
Secondly, accessibility to some schools was a challenge due to poor terrain and means of transport available.
Finally, respondents especially pupils who sat for Common Entrance Examination were not available to give first-hand information.
Definition of Terms
Literacy: ability to read and write.
Performance: the measurement of ability of pupils in understanding the task before him or her and the response given to such task.
Parents: a person’s father and mother who are responsible for taking care and educating of the person.
Students: a person who attends school to learn