PRE – PRIMARY EDUCATION AND PUPILS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PRIMARYSCHOOLS IN ILORIN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KWARA STATE

Abstract

The study examined the pre – primary education and pupils’ academic performance in primary education in
Ilorin west local Government Area of Kwara state, Nigeria. Specifically, the study assessed: (i) relationship
between pre- primary education and pupils’ academic performance in primary school placement examination in
English Language; (ii) relationship between pre- primary education and pupils’ academic performance in
primary school placement examination in Mathematics and (iii) relationship between pre- primary education
and pupils’ academic performance in primary school placement examination in Elementary science . The study
was a descriptive research design of correlation type, Random sampling technique was used in selecting pupils
with pre – primary education. Ten secondary schools where pupils under study were mainstreamed in Ilorin
West Local Government were used for the study. Two hundred questionnaires and students’ academic
performance proforma were used to access the performance of students under study in the placement
Examination. Main and operational hypotheses were tested using Pearson product-moment correlation statistics
respectively at 0.05 level of significance, all the calculated t- values are greater than the critical table values.
The finding of the study showed that students with pre – primary education performed significantly well in
primary placement examination. Based on the findings and conclusion, the study recommended among others
that government should compete favourably with private schools in the provision and funding of pre – primary
schools and also to formulate a national policy to provide guidelines and blue print for the establishment,
control and management of pre - primary schools.