Psychological effects arising from male students dropped-out of school on parents in south-south Nigeria

Students dropped-out are on the increase across the nation’s universities and several factors have led to this dropped-out of school. This dropped-out of school of students have psychologically affects parents. The aim of the study is to ascertain the Psychological Effects Arising from Male Students Dropped-Out of School On Parents in South-South, Nigeria. The participants were male parents. A sample size of 480 participants were used for the study and the participants age were within 40 to 76 years. The study lasted for three months. Each participant was given one questionnaire to filled and submit after instructions by the research assistants. The findings showed that 79.17% of the participants were within 50-70 years of age. 62.50% of the participants had tertiary education and 62.50% were married, 16.67% were single and 20.83% were divorced. 62.50% were civil servants. The findings of the students course of study shows that 14.58% studied MBBS, 16.66% law, 10.42% engineering, 8.33% accounting while 50.00% studied other disciplines. 62.50% of the participant’s children were first born, 20.83% second borne while 16.67% were last born and 83.20% of the students were dropped-out. 95.83% of the participants were not happy and 50.00% had increase in BP. The psychological effects on parents revealed that 18.75% had depression, 6.25% had anxiety, 8.33% were uninterested in life, 14.58% had difficulty in sleeping, 8.33% faced isolation, 4.17% were shamed, while 39.58% felt hopeless.


Introduction
Dropping out of school is a serious problem because it denies individual students of their fundamental human right to education (Zira, and Zumo, 2020).Students who withdraw from school prematurely end up not obtaining any certificate of graduation (Zira, and Zumo, 2020).The major social costs of dropping out of school include reduced political participation, increased demand for social services, increased crime rates and poor levels of health.Individual costs include lower earnings, unemployment prospects, and greater likelihood of health problems and limiting their chances of economic and social well-being in the future.(Ahmad, Najeemah and Jamalsafri, 2017).The importance of education to the development of individual and the nation as a whole cannot be over emphasized.It is a great investment any country can make for accelerating development of its technology, economic and human resources.Isife and Ogakwe (2012) revealed that education is a powerful tool or weapon that can be used to eradicate ignorance, poverty, and diseases and produce individual that can function effectively in the society.Study by Onwuka (2012) revealed that education is the instrument that is used to free people from incapacitation and exclusion.When an individual is freed from incapacitation and exclusion or illiteracy, there is usually a change in that person's behaviour.This change influences the person's attitude and his whole life (Apebende, 2013).School dropout in its simplest meaning is the untimely withdrawal from school.These students who withdraw from school prematurely end up not obtaining any certificate of graduation.The issue of school dropout is a global problem confronting the education industry round the world.Previous studies by Mohsin et al, (2004), De Cos (2005) and studies by Bridgeland, et al, (2006), and Oghuvbu (2008) have since revealed this fact.The issue of school dropout in Nigeria has been with us for a very long time.Fafunwa (1983) showed that dropout is one of the most serious problems that have continued to bedevil our educational system since independence in 1960 from the colonial administration.Even before our independence, the problem of dropout has already established its grip on our educational system.This can be buttressed with the remark made by Nuffied foundations in 1953 that in the West coast of Africa, a considerable proportion of student's dropout of school each year.

Materials and Method
This is a cross-sectional study involving 480 parents who are within the age of 50 to 70 years and reside in the six (6) South-South States, in Nigeria.The study lasted for a period of three months, from August, 2022 to October, 2022.Consent was sorted from the participants before giving them the questionnaires.Questionnaires were given to the participants.Each participant had one questionnaire to fill appropriately and independently after instructions were given to them by the research Assistants.Data were obtained and analyzed using SPSS version 23 and P value < 0.05 was said to be significant.

Discussion
Students dropped-out of school is on the increased especially this era of yahoo boys and kpo fire businesses that is going on in the Niger Delta States and other parts of the country.Students have refused to study and graduate due to this business they regarded as lucrative.Yahoo boys and kpo (oil theft) fire business is trending in recent times and majority of students have venture into these business they tagged lucrative and it has replaced their original plan of becoming a graduate.This dropped-out of school have inflicted pains and also have psychological effects on their parents.Majority of the students' parents have been humiliated by the dropped-out of their children.
The study revealed that most of the participants (students' parents) were between 50 to 70 years of age.At this age, every parent expect that their children might have gotten at least a first degree.The study revealed that the children of the parents investigated were at various levels of their tertiary education such that 40(8.33%) were at 100 level, 60(12.50%)200 level, 200(41.60%)300 level, 40(8.33%)400 level, 90(18.75%)500 level, while 50(10.42%)were in 600 level.Imagine parents have struggled to ensure that their wards gain admission into the university and thereafter, the students missed behave.The study also, revealed the participant's wards of their course this revealed that 70(14.58%)studied MBBS, 80(16.66%)law, 50(10.42%)engineering, 40(8.33%)accounting while 240(50.00%)studied other disciplines.Some of their children were studying professional course and that alone bring joy and happiness to the parents.This joy and happiness can promote good healthy living among the parents.Majority of the dropped-out students 62.50% were first born and as a first born, you are like a crowned prince were the entire house administration has been transferred onto him.And when this expectation and aspiration of parents about their wards are not forthcoming, bitterness and acrimony set in and thus could result in psychological effects on the parents.83.20% of the students were dropped-out and this have brought a lot of concern to the parents having spent much on their children.Parents whose children were studying professional courses will not be happy hearing that there have droppedout of school.This bad news alone can weigh the parents down.When the level at which they dropped-out were examined, 8.33% dropped at 100 level, 12.50% at 200 level, 41.67% at 300 level, 8.33% at 400 level, 18.75% at 500 level, while at 10.42% dropped out at 600 level.Dropping out of school at final year may completely devastate the parents and this can painful.
The study revealed several psychological problems faced by the participants.Majority of the participants (95.83%) were not happy after hearing that their children dropped-out of school and 97.92% of the participants said their children dropped-out affected them and brought their plan to a standstill.Psychologically, the participants were affected.The present study revealed that several psychological problems the dropped-out of school of the children have on their parents and these psychological issues are depression (18.75%), anxiety (6.25%), uninterested in life (8.33%),difficulty in sleeping (14.58%), isolation (8.33%), shamed (4.17%), and 39.58% of the participants felt hopeless.The research findings also revealed the aftermath of the dropped-out of school on the participants (parents) and parents whose children dropped-out of school passed through several psychological trauma including: increase in blood pressure (BP) (50.00%), constant headache (4.16%), poor erection (20.83%), hallucination (14.58%), while 10.42% of the participants felt to commit suicide.This issue of dropped-out of school have caused a lot of issue including untold hardship to the parents.Majority of the participants are aged and their hope was on their children and they were thinking that their children will continue from where they stopped but that hope was dashed due to dropped-out of school.Some of the participants who were always proud of their wards were confused, especially those that droppedout at their final year becomes serious that the parents cannot mingle among their peers.

Conclusion
The study revealed that the participants faced a lot of psychological effects arising from the dropped-out of school by their children.The participants passed through depression, anxiety, uninterested in life, difficulty in sleeping, isolation, shamed, and some of the participants felt hopeless.They also experienced increase in blood pressure (BP), constant headache, poor erection, hallucination, while of the participants felt to commit suicide.

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Figure 1 Marital Distributions of Participants

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Figure 4 Position of Child in the Family