The Challenges Confronting Operators of Private Primary and Secondary School in Some Selected Schools
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the study
Against the background to the study, this study is aimed at achieving the following objectives;
- To highlight the challenges confronting private primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
- To trace the historical antecedent of private primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
- To analyze how lack of school facilities pose a problem in the management of private primary and secondary schools in the state.
- To highlight the prospect of privatization of education in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the review of related literature on the challenges of confronting operators of private primary and secondary schools in selected primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state. Views and opinions of other authors will be presented as follows.
TRENDS IN PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION ENTERPRISE
Education is a powerful tool for human capital development and nation building. Prior to the universality of education by the United Nations, the Missionaries introduced western education to the Southern Nigeria in 1842 after the collapse of the human trade. The first nursery school was established by Mr. and Mrs. De Graft in Badagry in 1843 as an affiliate of the Methodist Church. The Muslim missionary societies, notably Ansar Ud Deen and Ahmadiyya later established schools. The missionaries controlled 99% of the schools as at 1942. The community-based organizations also established schools to break even (Fafunwa, 2004). Realising the importance of education in human capital development, the United Nations agreed on the Universal Declaration of Human Right (UDHR), 1948 and Article 26 of UDHR states that “everyone has the right to education”. In the pursuance of this mission statement, for instance, by 1964, the Nigerian Government supported education through the making of grants-in-aid available to the schools primarily on the basis of enrolment figures. The proprietors of the schools supplemented this with income from school fees. This system subsisted until the early 1970s when state governments took over and assumed control of private schools in all states in Nigeria.
The post civil war era 1970-1978 in Nigeria witnessed the publication of the National Policy on Education in 1977 while in October, 1979, Nigeria enjoyed a period of constitutional rule. The National Policy on Education was revised in 1981 to reflect the provision of the 1979 Nigerian Constitution. During this period, private sector operators interested in establishing and running schools came out to pursue their interest because it was obvious that the financial burden was becoming unbearable for the affected governments. The teaching materials were grossly inadequate, teachers’ salaries and approved allowances were unpaid for months and as a result schools were closed as teachers went on strike in many states in Nigeria.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter is set to expose readers to the kind of methods and approaches used by the researcher in carrying out the research. The research was carried out and discussed under the following headings: research design, population, sample and sample techniques, instrumentation, and procedure for data collection, procedure for data analysis, reliability and validity.
RESEARCH DESIGN
This research will make use of survey method of descriptive research. This is done in an attempt to collect data and valid information for the manipulation of the variable in order to determine the current status of the population or sample of the population.
This method will be used to collect information about the challenges confronting operators of private primary and secondary schools in some selected schools in Bayelsa State.
AREA OF THE STUDY
The study the challenges confronting operators of private primary and secondary schools in some selected schools with a particular reference to selected private primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa State.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the presentation of data analysis and interpretation of data collected. The data was collected was through the use of questionnaire while the analysis was based on the research questions and research hypotheses stated earlier in chapter one of this study.
The above 1 shows that out of 140 copies of questionnaire structured and distributed to selected private primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa State, 120 representing 85.7% number of questionnaire returned while 20 copies of questionnaire representing 14.3% was not returned for data analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the summary, conclusion and recommendations for further studies.
SUMMARY
This study was carried out to investigate the challenges confronting operators of private primary and secondary schools. To achieve this objective, the study revealed that:
In table 2, it was discovered that 90 respondents representing 75% indicated yes that there are challenges confronting private primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state and 12 (10%) of the respondents indicated no while 18 respondents (15%) asserted no idea on the question. Therefore, it is deduced that there are challenges confronting private primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
In table 3, it was found out that 85 (70.8%) of the respondents indicated yes that the historical antecedent of private primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state be traced while 19 respondents representing 15.8% asserted no and another 16 (13.3%) of the respondents opted no idea on the question. From this analysis, it is deduced that the historical antecedent of private primary and secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa state be traced.
Table 4 revealed that 94 (78.3%) of the respondents pointed yes that the lack of school facilities pose a problem in the management of private primary and secondary schools in the state while 6 respondents representing 5% said no and another 20 (16.7%) respondents pointed no idea on the question. Based on the analysis, it was deduced that the lack of school facilities poses a problem in the management of private primary and secondary schools in the state.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that the challenges facing private primary and secondary education in Nigeria, which include the poor performance of students, negative attitudes of teachers and students, inadequate fund, infrastructures and facilities among others were discussed. The ways to tackle the challenges were also looked into. The government, parents, and secondary schools’ administrators have roles to play towards ensuring that these challenges are combated and that secondary education is moved forward, from its status quo.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made:
- Government should provide enabling environment to remove the perceived policy threats and extraneous charges by giving constitutional recognition to the role of private sector in the establishment and operation of private secondary schools as an intervention strategy to make the cost of education affordable and expand access to quality education, so as to ensure the full realization of the United Nations conventions epitomized in EFA Goals, MDGs and the UBE Goals in Nigeria.
- The school proprietors should provide adequate learning resources, standard infrastructural facilities and employ adequate qualified teachers to enhance effective teaching and learning processes in secondary schools.
- The school proprietors should provide constant and comprehensive feedback on students’ academic performance through the Parents – Teachers Association meetings, e-mail and text messages to parents in order to sensitize and encourage them for prompt payment of schools fees and provision of the required textbooks and other learning materials for their children/wards to achieve better learning outcome in secondary schools.
- School proprietors should collaborate with relevant stakeholders to organise periodic capacity development seminar/workshop to improve teachers’ knowledge, pedagogical skills and competence in curriculum delivery, and educational managers (Proprietors/Principals) on human resource management and instructional supervision to enhance the quality of curriculum instruction and students’ learning outcome in secondary schools.
- Government should improve the condition of social amenities such as road network and electricity supply in both rural and urban areas to enhance private sector entrepreneurs’ involvement in the establishment and operation of quality-oriented secondary schools for students’ entrepreneurial skills development and better learning outcome in secondary schools.
REFERENCES
- Adesola, A. A. (2002). The state of education in Nigeria. UNESCO Abuja Publication, 11-43.
- Adeyemi JA, Ige AM (2002). Examination malpractices in Nigeria educational system: Causes, effects and way out. J. Clin. Couns. Psychol. 8(1):59.
- Adeyemi JK, Ajayi IA (2006). Analysis of cost of spillover students’ wastage in a Nigeria university. Int. Stud. Educ. Admin. 34(1):34-45.
- Adeyemi TO (2012). School variables and internal efficiency of secondary schools in Ondo State. Nigeria J. Educ. Soc. Res. 2(3):204-214.
- Ahmed TM (2003). Education and national development in Nigeria. J. Stud. Educ. 10:35-46.
- Ajayi IA (2002). Resource factors as correlates of secondary school effectiveness in Ekiti State. Nigeri. J. Couns. Appl. Psychol. 1(1):109-115.
- Ajayi T, Shofoyeke A (2003). School Discipline, Teachers Attitude and Ethics of the Teaching Profession. Paper presented at the workshop on skills improvement programme for performance of teachers in Ondo State, Nigeria.
- Ayeni, A. J. and Akinola, O. B. (2008). Influence of principals’ leadership styles and motivation of teachers on quality assurance in secondary school: A case study of Ondo State. Ife Journal of Theory and Research in Education Vol. II (1&2), 162-170.
- Fafunwa, A. B. (2004). History of education in Nigeria. Ibadan: NPS Educational Publishers Limited.
- Hinchlifee K (2002). Public expenditure on education in Nigeria. Issues, estimates and some implications. Abuja, Nigeria: World Bank.
- Ige AM (2011). Myths and realities of falling standard of education in Nigeria: The way forward. Niger. J. Prof. Teach. 2:36-48.
- Jaiyeoba AO, Atanda AI (2003). Community participation in the provision of facilities in secondary schools in Nigeria. Paper presented at the skills improvement programme for effective performance of teachers in Nigerian schools at Ondo, Nigeria.
- Martinez P, Munday F (1998). 9000 voices student persistence and dropout in further education. Further Education Development Agency Report No 7.
