CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

            Historically, all societies usually establish hierarchies, among their members, social-stratification is universal. Human beings have invented numerous ways to classify people by wealth, power, prestige, ability, education, occupation: even through where they live. According to person, Stephanie and Deborah (2001), socio economic status is an expression which is used to differenciate between people’s relative status in the community regarding family income, political power, educational background and occupational status. The academic performance of a child is usually determined by parental education level, parental occupational statist and income level (Jeynes, 2002). The term “social class” originally referred to group of people holding similar roles in the economic processes of production and exchange such as landowners or tenants, employers or employees. Such position correspond to different levels of status, prestige, and access to political power. However, social class eventually took on a more generic meaning and to refer to all aspects of a person’s rank on the social hierarchy (Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, 2002).

            Belonging to social class is generally accompanied by a perception of class identity. In this sense, social class is not merely a personal attribute, but also a contextual variable that characterizes a group of people. The shared culture of a particular class influences, and is influenced by people’s attitude and life styles. Social class may be ascribed at both as with royalty or nobility, or with castes in human societies. More commonly, however, a person’s position at birth is modified by their children’s achievement, typically through education, occupational, or income. Class can not be measured directly: instead, indicators of socio-economic status, typically based on educational attainment, income, wealth, or occupation are used. Education is the best legacy parents can give to their children, the development of the nation starts from the family. When the family succeed in teaching and impacting good value to their children, the country becomes a better country and place to line.

            It is generally believed that the basis for any true development must commence with the development of human resources and will help to make education a fundamental development of the nation. This is because the development of any nation or country depends largely on the quality of education.