STAKEHOLDERS’ DISCERNMENTS ON THE SUPERVISION OF PUPILS’DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OKENE AND LOKOJA EDUCATION ZONES, KOGI STATE

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STAKEHOLDERS’ DISCERNMENTS ON THE SUPERVISION OF PUPILS’DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OKENE AND LOKOJA EDUCATION ZONES, KOGI STATE  

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to assess the ―Stakeholders‘ Perceptions on the Management of Students‘ Discipline in Secondary Schools in Okene and Lokoja Education Zones, Kogi State‖. The researcher was interested in assessing the various forms and techniques of managing students‘ discipline in both urban and rural areas in Okene and Lokoja Education Zones, Kogi State, Nigeria. The study used survey method that covers all public secondary schools within Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State. The study population was therefore made up of Principals, Teachers and MOE Officials with the total of seven hundred and thirty one (731). A total of (220) respondents were used as sample for the study; i.e. 20 principals, 163 teachers and 37 MOE officials. The instrument used was adopted questionnaire to collect relevant data. Pilot study was conducted that yielded reliability coefficient of 0.82. Four (4) hypotheses were formulated and the testing was done by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results showed that, various forms of indiscipline existed among students in secondary schools which hindered their academic performance. It was found that lateness to school, drinking of alcohol, rudeness, smoking, and drug addict among others were forms of indiscipline. These forms of indiscipline affected teaching and learning. The study also revealed that these forms of indiscipline caused students‘ disloyalty for their teachers. The study concluded that, there were no proper disciplinary actions in many schools in the areas. However, it was recommended that head teachers and teachers need to use different strategies such as discussion with parent and signing of undertaken by the students to improve safety, support, academic challenge, and social-emotional learning to monitor the effectiveness of interventions and to ensure that school management policies positively influence students‘ discipline. Also, school Head teachers, teachers, parents and local communities have to do more in terms of teaching the students about good behavior and respect, to improve discipline among students in Okene and Lokoja Education Zones, Kogi State. The officials of MOE should monitor and supervise the schools on regular basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operational Definition of Terms

Indiscipline:  Indiscipline refers to deviant behaviours. It is a situation whereby students set aside the school rules and regulations and do what they like and leave undone what they are expected to do.

Management: management simply mean the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of human and other resources to achieve organizational goals effectively and efficiently.

Cutism: Cultists lure innocent students into cultism, claiming to be protecting their interest while others joined out of share youthful inquisitiveness.

Examination malpractice: is a deliberate wrong doing contrary to official examination rules designed to place a candidate at unfair merit or demerit.

Sexual harassment: this act of indiscipline has almost become a monster in institutions of learning, from generation to generation. It is used to prevent a person from being able to focus or excel based upon her sex.

Riots: This is a form of confrontation and consequent revolt among students against school authorities for trivial reasons that are often amplified by some deviant students.

Lateness to School: Lateness leads to absenteeism and general failure in life. Students could sometimes feel the extent of their lateness and very often they just decide to be absent.

Drug Abuse: is a process that students attempts to manage the onset of drug use or limit the development of problems associated with using psychoactive substances such as drinking of alcohol, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, volatile solvents including among other things glue, gasoline, aerosols, ether.

Truancy: This is irregular attendance in school or classes by the students.

Stealing: This is the removal of another person‘s property without his permission.

Drug Addiction: It means taking drug without prescription by the appropriate person.

Abused drugs include cigarettes, alcohol, tobacco, heroine and smoking of herbs.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Secondary school education occupies a very unique position in the educational system in Nigeria, because it is that level that determines98 the academic and professional career of students. According to Federal Government of Nigeria (2004), in the National policy of education, the broad aims of secondary education within the overall objectives are preparing students for useful living within the society and preparing them for higher education. Precisely, the aim of secondary education is to provide opportunity for qualitative education for primary school leavers, cater for the differences in talents of the pupils, develop Nigeria cultural heritage, produce a generation of people who respect the dignity of labour, foster Nigerian unity and to inspire its students with the desire for achievement and self-improvement both at school and in later life. It must be stated that only the provision of qualitative education can guarantee the accomplishment of the above-stated goals. The extent to which the secondary school system is able to accomplish its objectives determines its effectiveness.

School institutions remain a preparatory ground to empower and certify the requirement for human development. The teacher is faced with the challenges of educating, socializing, empowering and certifying students, but with the help of good teaching atmosphere (Fafunwa, 2004; Farrant, 2004; Wasagu, 2009). By implication, the task of a teacher, which includes sustaining education system, do not rest on his or her professional competency alone, but on the entire features of the school climate (Loukas, 2007). The school is a type of service organization vested with primary function of educating the child and the control is a problem faced by all organizations especially learning institution, which work with people. For the efficient functioning of the school, school managements reserve power to control the conduct of students through reasonable rules and regulations. Once these rules and regulations are made, they must be enforced on the problems, which beset secondary schools, indiscipline comes first.

Disciplinary problems dominate the issues of the day in both large and small schools both in towns and villages. Students disobey school rules and regulations with impunity.

They have little or no respect for their teachers and even the school administration. Students‘ misbehaviour is a prevailing problem affecting schools not only in Nigeria but also across the many nations around the world. Students‘ misconduct in the classroom interferes with teaching and learning and is thought to be precursor to later school dropout and similar negative social outcomes. Students‘ behavioural problems are also thought to be a leading contributor to teachers‘ stress and attrition.

The indiscipline problem in schools is ranked as a major problem among students of secondary schools in Kaduna state. Disruptive behaviour is a concern to schools and parents and to fellow students, whose education may be adversely affected. Therefore, disruptive behaviour cannot be ignored, and schools management must tailor a wellunderstood sound behaviour and discipline policy.

Discipline is universally viewed as issues of central importance in any society and at all levels of education. The problem of maintaining discipline among secondary school students has agitated the minds of government officials, school authorities, parents and organizations over the years. Kaduna State has experienced growth in the number of secondary schools in the last 30 years and has become more appreciative of the value of Western education.

However, in the last 20 years the State has also experienced a lot of student unrest.

Abita (1990), noted that, ― in recent years indiscipline has become a serious problem in secondary schools, including those in Kaduna State. There have been increasing cases of truancy, bullying, stealing, breaking bounds, examination malpractices, smoking, taking of hard drugs, and violence, all of which add up to indiscipline‖. This has resulted to public outcry against acts of indiscipline in schools. For example, in March 1976 form five students of Rimi College, Kaduna, demonstrated in an unruly manner against the transfer of their History Tutor to Daura. Twenty-two final year students were later expelled for their gross indiscipline, New Nigerian, June 10, (1996: 11). It was also reported in New Nigerian, June 5, (1996: 11), that nine final year students of Government Technical College, Soba; were expelled from the college for their part in the disturbances that led to the indefinite closure of the institution.

It was also reported in the New Nigerian, March 15, (1992: 6), that the students in the secondary schools have turned schools into vulgar exhibition centres. In addition to these are the frequent breaches of school rules and regulations, open confrontations with the principals or teachers by individual students as reported in Barewa College, Zaria, Rimi

College Kaduna, Kaduna and Alhuda-huda College Zaria. These cases of indiscipline in Kaduna State schools have therefore motivated this researcher to examine the perceptions of stakeholders on the management of discipline in secondary schools in the state, because, this level of education seems to have problems of indiscipline in spite of its importance in the educational system in the state.

These acts of indiscipline in secondary schools have attracted considerable concern of the public, educationists, press and education authorities. As a result of this, in July

1977 and November, 1990, two conferences on ―Discipline and Motivation in Schools‖ were respectively organised among school principals from all parts of the country and professionals from all walks of life, to discuss the issue of indiscipline in schools and its remedies. Likewise, other governmental policies and programmes which are specifically influenced by the desire of government to stem the rising wave indiscipline practice in schools include the purge of 1975, the attempt to deploy soldiers to schools to restore and maintain discipline, and the Jaji Declaration of 1977. Other steps taken include the setting up of the public Complaints Commission, the Corrupt Practices Bureau and the Council for Civil Education, the propaganda arrangements as the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) and the National Orientation Movement (NOM).

In spite of all the measures taken by the Federal and State Governments, it does not appear that the problem of indiscipline in secondary schools, with particular reference to Kaduna State, has been solved. The researcher therefore deemed it proper, timely, and relevant to conduct research into the on-going disciplinary problems in secondary schools in Kaduna State in order to ascertain the perceptions of stakeholders on the management of discipline, causes of indiscipline and to give possible recommendations Abita (1990). This has therefore, given rise to a number of issues which agitates the mind of this researcher. Such issues are to identify the perceptions of stakeholders on the management of discipline in secondary schools, causes of indiscipline among secondary school students, attitude of students to discipline in schools, the factors that militate against positive attitude to discipline among students in secondary schools in Kaduna State. The researcher strongly believes that a study of the disciplinary problem is justified in order to be able to identify and promptly control indiscipline in secondary schools which threatens the realisation of the school goals and objectives in Kaduna State and the country in general.

Elkland (2007), stakeholders refer to all persons, agencies and organizations with an investment or ―stake in the health of community and the local public health system. This broad definition includes persons and organization that benefit from or participate in the delivery of service that promote the public health and well beings. Howlett and Nagu (1997), meanwhile define stakeholders as all those people and institutions who have an interest in the successful design, implementation and sustainability of a project. In this study, stakeholders refer to an individual or group with an interest in the success of a school in fulfilling its mission, delivering intended result and maintaining the viability of its products and outcome overtime.

Education stakeholders are group of people who have vested interest in an action of organisation. It could be an individual or group of people with an interest in the success of an organisation in delivering intended results and maintaining the viability of the organisations products and services. Stakeholders influence programmes products and services. Hence stakeholders are identified as head-teachers, teacher, pupils, parents, parents-teachers association, school management committee, board of governors and Ministry of Education.

The roles of education stakeholders are inevitable in the school system. These include an advisory position, developing strategies to train and retrain staff and leaders, turning the academic research into practical points for policy making and international cooperation among countries to promote efficiency of processes and production of reliable leaders, co- training of teachers among sub-African and improve teachers‘ integrity. Based on these roles the researcher is interested in using the education stakeholders (pupils, head- teachers and parents) to assess teachers‘ integrity. Teacher Integrity implies the discharge of teaching activities in an open, honest and responsible manner; this is referred to as academic honest.

Raffini (2000), defines discipline as the process of maintaining order by assisting learners to discover value, unity and necessity of obeying reasonable rules and procedures to assume responsibility. Burden (1995), states that disciplining involves the action that teachers takes to restore order. Mwamwenda (1999), defines discipline as controlling with the intention of avoiding undesirable behaviour to happen while George

(1990), defines discipline as creating and maintaining a learning atmosphere in which educators can teach and learners learn in an environment that encourages respect for educators, classmates and administrators.

Gareth and Jennifer (2003), the term ―management‖ is the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of human and other resources to achieve organizational goals effectively and efficiently. While Smith and Lastett (1993), define management as the skill that is applied by an individual in an organization also in the presentation of lesson, in such a way that all the learners are actively involved in learning.

Lastett (1993), management of discipline can be defined as the process of controlling; organizing and overseeing ways in which learners‘ behaviour can be guided and corrected in a school situation. In this study, management of students discipline refers to the effort of stakeholders such as teachers, parents, students, in enforcing students‟ discipline in the school. It was characterized by punishment, suspension of students, enforcement of school rules and regulations, formation of guidance and counselling, effective communication and formation of disciplinary committee.

Managing students‘ discipline is one of the major concerns of teachers all over the world.    Charles (1996), listed discipline as a major problem which managers have to address because it is a significant factor in educators leaving the profession. Students‘ misconduct in the classroom interferes with teaching and learning and is thought to be precursor to later school dropout and similar negative outcomes (Azizi, at al 2009), further expressed that students indiscipline problems are also thought to be the leading contributor to teachers‟ stress and attrition, profound negative effects on teachers and teachers are subjects to abuse and intimidation and some reported fear for their safety, lack of sense of dignity, feeling of anger, humiliation and shame, isolation and depression and this eventually reduces their level of commitment.

 

1.2   Statement of the problem

Discipline in secondary schools is of vital importance to the national system of education because it forms the basis of achieving the school goals and objectives and the development of the country in general and Kogi State in particular. This study is therefore intended to find out the stakeholders‘ perceptions on the management of students discipline in secondary schools in Okene and Lokoja education zones, Kogi State Nigeria, with a view to identifying the different stakeholders, their perceptions on the management of discipline in schools. The study specifically focuses on; factors responsible for student‘s positive and negative attitudes toward school discipline, roles of stakeholders in the management of indiscipline in schools.

However, Schools where parents were relatively active in issues of financing, indiscipline and follow up of school management related activities seemed to perform relatively better than those where parents were reluctant. With the introduction of Universal Basic Education (UBE), this was particularly likely, since some parents might erroneously construe the responsibility for the education of their children as resting with the government and schools.

This is despite the fact that many school administrators in the area are already complaining that their efforts to improve the quality of education are being frustrated by lack of infrastructure, scholastic materials poor staff remuneration and they feel that the burden of improving students‘ academic performance is being left to them. Therefore the researcher was motivated to investigate the stakeholders‘ perceptions on the management of students discipline in secondary schools in Okene and Lokoja education zones, Kogi State Nigeria to guide efforts to improve indiscipline in secondary schools through increased parental participation in school management hence, the justification for the study.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

This study was set to achieve the following objectives:

  1. determine the forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State;
  2. examine the management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State;
  3. ascertain the forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Rural Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State; and
  4. find out the management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in rural

Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions are raised to guide this study:

  1. What are the forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban

Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State?

  1. What are the management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in

Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State?

  1. What are the forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Rural

Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State?

  1. What are the management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in

Rural Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State?

 

 

 

 

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses are stated to guide the study:

  1. There is no significant difference in the opinions of principals, teachers and MOE on the forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State;
  2. There is no significant difference in the opinions of principals, teachers and MOE on the management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State;
  3. There is no significant difference in the opinions of principals, teachers and MOE on the forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Rural Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State; and
  4. There is no significant difference in the opinions of principals, teachers and MOE on the management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Rural Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State.

1.3 Basic Assumptions

The following assumptions underlie the study:

  1. It is assumed that there are forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State.
  2. It is assumed that there are management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Urban Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State.
  3. It is also assumed that there are forms of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Rural Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State.
  4. It is assumed that there are management of indiscipline among students in secondary schools in Rural Areas in Okene and Lokoja education zones in Kogi State.

 

1.4 Significance of the Study

Indeed a thorough examination of the aims of this study on the perceptions of stakeholders on the management of students discipline would be significant in many ways. It would for instance:

That level of education is the major step to higher education and to adulthood. In spite of its importance, it is still faced with the problems of indiscipline, as such; a study on disciplinary management problems at this vital level would be beneficial to the educational authorities as well as to parents.

The findings are expected to go a long way in revealing major causes of indiscipline in secondary schools. Thus, it would help principals, teachers, parents and educational authorities to understand the possible causes of indiscipline among secondary school students. This will enable them to develop better strategies for overcoming indiscipline.

The study would provide the State Ministry of Education with factual information about the attitudes of principals, teachers and students towards disciplinary policies in the secondary school system. In that way, it would help correct wrong conceptions about students‘ behaviour and make for more understanding of their problems. This

information is relevant to educational planners, psychologists, and guidance counsellors in planning the secondary school system. One modest contribution that this study tries to make is that it attempts to shed light on help that organised guidance services could offer in secondary schools.

 

 

 

1.8   Scope of the Study

This study focused on stakeholders‘ perception on the management of students discipline in secondary schools in Okene and Lokoja education zones, Kogi State Nigeria. Furthermore, the study was limited to some selected secondary schools in the area. However it is hoped that the result of this work will be applicable to most secondary schools in others state in Nigeria and the respondents of the study were the entire principals, teachers and Ministry of Education Officials (MOE) in the schools, these categories were selected due to the fact that they are responsible for managing and monitoring students discipline in secondary schools in Okene and Lokoja education zones, Kogi State Nigeria.

STAKEHOLDERS’ DISCERNMENTS ON THE SUPERVISION OF PUPILS’DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OKENE AND LOKOJA EDUCATION ZONES, KOGI STATE  

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