Single Parent Family Education

Single Parent Households and Education The rise in divorce and deaths among partners in marriage has played an instrumental role in the emergence of single-parent households. On most occasions, these are perceived as untraditional homes. Notably, the parent left in charge of children always has the daunting task of single-handedly raising them by ensuring that they have access to food, shelter, and even education. The latter is one fundamental aspect of a child’s life that is always affected by the increasing emergence of single-parent households in the USA and other parts of the world. Accordingly, the structure of the family always has a direct impact on both the ability of children to attend school and their subsequent academic achievements.

The difference tends to emanate from the approach that the parents of both genders take toward raising children in the absence of their spouse. Battle and Coates (2004) have conducted a research that shows differences in the academic successes of children from single-parent households. This research was secondary in nature and was based on the data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS). The findings revealed that a survey of black girls in the 12th grade showed that those from single-mother families had better academic achievements than those who only had a father. The differences in parental configuration and the good grades of children in these households were less related than the socioeconomic status of single-parent families. Nevertheless, the difference is seen when fathers and mothers raise either boys or girls. Based on the Maynihan Report, Battle and Coates (2004) reveal that black families headed by women have a better chance of raising girls in a more responsible manner as compared to boys who might grow to be deviant in the adulthood. This is the reason why female children raised by mothers only tend to outperform those raised by single

With single mothers at the center of raising their children, the researches by Shaff, Wolfinger, Kowaleski-Jones, and Smith (2008) as well as Shechner, Slone, Lobel, and Schechter (2013) reveal that the sexual orientation of the parent does not have a significant effect on the performance of children at school. For instance, Shechner et al. (2013) study the impact that lesbian and heterosexual single mothers have on the academic performance of the children they raise. Interestingly, the study reveals that children, who have been raised by single lesbian mothers, tend to exhibit more pro-social behavior as compared to those whose mothers are heterosexual. Nevertheless, the academic performance of these children is always still good position and they are not affected by these conditions. On the other hand, while comparing the academic achievements from single-parent families to those who have both parents, Shaff et al. (2008) affirm that children from the former have poorer achievement scores. It does not matter whether a single father or mother raises them. However, the agreement here is that children, raised within the context of a full family, enjoy more benefits as compared to those from single- parent households. As much as a single mother could be better in comparison to a single father in terms of raising children and leading them to a better academic performance, the environment where