The effects of Parental Socioeconomic Status on Academic Performance of Students

Back to: Contemporary India and Education-Unit 1

Socio-economic status refers to the social status and economic health of an individual. A child belonging to a good socio-economic background is likely to gain better educational attainment than someone who comes from a poor socio-economic background. The academic performance of learners depends on their home environment too rather than just their school learning. A learner coming from a good socioeconomic background can enroll in good educational institutions while children belonging to a lower social class may have to go to public schools where they may not receive the best attention. Hence, parental socioeconomic status has a huge impact on the academic performance of students.

The parental socioeconomic status impacts the academic performance of students in the following ways.

Learning materials

Learners require adequate learning materials such as books, stationery, and other such materials that can aid them in learning. A learner belonging to a poor socioeconomic background may not be able to have adequate learning resources.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays an important role in affecting cognitive and physical development. A nutritious and balanced diet is required to ensure the proper development of a child’s cognitive skills and physical growth. Hence, parental socioeconomic also determines the availability of nutrition to learners.

Learning Opportunities

The learning environment and opportunities a child is surrounded with can have a major influence on their cognitive development. A child who is given learning opportunities from an early age can reach milestones sooner.

Tuitions

As learners reach a higher grade, they will be introduced to more subjects for which classroom teaching may not be enough. Children having a good socioeconomic background may receive tuition classes but the same cannot be said for those belonging to a poor socioeconomic background.

Career Opportunities

Parental socioeconomic status also influences the career opportunities available for learners as the investment in their quality of education and training is highly influential in determining which career path the learners may take.

Learners who have a low parental socioeconomic status may Science lower academic achievements due to the lack of resources and learning opportunities presented to them. Hence, parental socioeconomic status plays a major role in the academic performance of the students. have adequate learning