Influence and Consequences of Parental Neglect on the Academic Performance of Students in Public Technical Colleges in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Academic readiness is deeply rooted in the security of the domestic environment, a reality that is increasingly challenged in regions experiencing socioeconomic and post-conflict distress. This study investigates the influence and consequences of parental neglect on the academic performance of students within Public Technical Colleges in Yobe State, Nigeria. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, the inquiry evaluated a stratified sample of students and teachers across multiple regional technical institutions. Data were gathered through validated, researcher-developed instruments designed to measure self-reported student experiences of neglect alongside structured teacher observations. The findings reveal that structural vulnerabilities predominantly household poverty, parental migration for informal labour, and domestic instability serve as the primary drivers of neglect in this educational sector. This lack of parental support manifests directly in the classroom as acute material deprivation, severe emotional distress, and a marked inability to concentrate. Inferential statistical analysis indicates a profound, statistically significant negative relationship between parental neglect and academic achievement, alongside a strong link to chronic student absenteeism. Notably, these debilitating academic consequences affect male and female students equally, showing no significant variance across gender lines. Based on these outcomes, the study underscores the need for systemic intervention. It recommends the urgent institutionalization of dedicated school counselling units, the implementation of community-level parental engagement initiatives, and the expansion of targeted state-sponsored social safety nets to safeguard the academic futures of vulnerable technical education students.