The myth of children without parents: Best or worst students?

Fabricio Zanzzi¹* and Liliana Arias²

¹Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Facultad de Economía y Negocios, Km 30,5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador

²Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Investigadora Área Educación, Km 1,5 vía a Parr. Virgen de Fátima, Guayas, Ecuador

Corresponding Author E-mail: pzanzzi@espol.edu.ec , lariasg@unemi.edu.ec;  Phone: 593 (04) 2853454

Accepted 10 December, 2012

Abstract

It is surprising to hear about children without parents who are the best students in the classroom (Myth 1). On other occasions it is easy to hear about children without parents, who suffer integration problems that do not allow them to be more successful in academic performance (Myth 2). We have considered as causes of such parental absence: divorce, emigration, death, chronic diseases (including terminals), prison and family neglect, in 21 between State and private schools. In this study we show empiric evidence to confirm a normal curve in the academic performance of children who live in Milagro City, Ecuador. So, -using hypothesis tests- we found, closely proportional, there are good students and bad students in the groups of children with their fathers and mothers at their homes, and children without their fathers and mothers at their homes, permanently. So, the myths are broken.

Keywords: Academic performance, absent parents.