Answer to Question #211274 in English for Sphesihle Zuma

Question

Research problem: Many high schools have to deal with learners who come from child-headed

families due to parents working far from home. The impact of this problem is a lack of support

with schoolwork and the attendance of school meetings.

Research question: What are the key factors and solutions in dealing with learners from child-

headed families in selected high schools?

Imagine that you are the researcher undertaking this study. In developing your argument for this

study, you should firstly refresh your memory by reading section 2.3 from the study guide again.

Then indicate your three premises and conclusion as follows:

● First premise: the background to this question

● Second premise: why you focus particularly on secondary schools

● Third premise: what contribution your research will make to the improvement of

educational practice

● Conclusion: why research attention is necessary

Answer 1

A child-headed household is one where there are no adult careers available and children live on their own. Typically, an older child will care for siblings, cousins, nephews or nieces. Such a situation is increasingly common in areas with high AIDS mortality and regions affected by genocide or war. These households are a result of challenges such as divorce, domestic violence, and parental deaths (mainly due to HIV and AIDS). Research findings established that HIV/AIDS was the major cause of child-headed households. It was also established that child-headed households face a number of socio-economic problems. Child/Adolescent headed household is a rapidly growing form of family in Sub-Saharan Africa mainly due to increased deaths rates caused by HIV/AIDS, civil wars and the weakened state of traditional family safety nets in taking up care and raising responsibilities of orphaned children. Hence Poor housing conditions: Many of the child headed households are living in overcrowded and unhygienic living conditions. They have no tenure security and their continued access to shelter is dependent on the goodwill of the farmer. There are real fears about their future as farms are resettled.