Academic Performance Between Foster Children and Pupils in General Population in Selected Primary Schools of Save Our Souls Children’s Villages Rwanda

ABSTRACT This study focused on Foster Children and academic performance in selected Primary Schools of Save Our Souls (SOS) Children’s Villages Rwanda. The study was guided by the following objectives: (1) to find out the profile of respondents in terms of age and gender; (2) to determine the category of SOS foster children; (3) to determine the level of academic performance of SOS foster pupils and pupils in general population; (4) to establish the significant difference between SOS foster pupils’ level of academic performance and pupils in general population. The study utilized both descriptive comparative and ex post facto research designs. The data were collected from the sample of 152 pupils of both groups SOS foster pupils and pupils in general population, frequencies and percentage distributions have been used to determine the profile of pupils. The means have been used to compare the level of academic performance of SOS foster pupils and pupils in general population. Then t-test was used to determine the difference in the level of academic performance between SOS foster pupils and pupils in general population using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of the study were retrieved as following: (1) the majority of the SOS Foster Pupils were 10 years old while Pupils in General Population were 12 years. Age did not significantly correlate with any of school performance tests; (2) more than 50% of SOS Foster Pupils were male while Pupils in General Population were female and gender did not have a significant effect on performance; (3) A significant number of SOS Foster Pupils exhibited different infections comparing to Pupils in General Population; (4) majority of SOS Foster Pupils are double orphan; (5) majority of Pupils in General Population excelled than SOS Foster Pupils. It was concluded that (1) the hypothesis of no significant difference between the levels of academic performance of Save Our Souls (SOS) foster children and pupils in general population was rejected; (2) the hypothesis of no significant relationship between the levels of academic performance x between SOS Foster Pupils and Pupils in general population was confirmed because SOS Foster Pupils regress. Based on the findings of this study, the recommendations were drawn to these aspects: (1) teachers in SOS primary schools should be re-trained to use more practical-oriented approach to teaching pupils with emotional and behavioural or low intellectual ability problems such SOS foster pupils in particular. This will make them realize the importance of the lessons taught and not regard them as abstract. Interest will therefore be created in the foster pupils and their desire to be in school would be increased. Teachers need to motivate the children. When these are working at full power in an individual, remarkable feats of learning can be achieved. It is therefore in the teacher’s interest to take the trouble to see that the child’s interest and appropriate desires are aroused before tryihg to teach him/her; (2) to strengthen the efforts in providing positive psychosocial and educational counseling support to foster children especially in the area of foster care centres such as SOS Children’s Villages and (3) to introduce compensatory academic support to fostered children in their early years of schooling even in the absence of evidence of psychosocial problems.