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THE CHALLENGES OF IMPROVING FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background to the Study

Education is an investment on human being, the investment and characteristics of education given by the society can easily be assessed by the quality of its products. The input is assessed by the output. It is a truism that the success of an education system depends on effective and efficient utilization of quality and quantity resources made available to schools. Schools resources in any situation imply the totality of everything which the school’s system needs for its smooth running and that include money, man and materials available in the realization of the organizational goals. Denga (2016) described educational resources as the human capital and the technical capital used in attainment of educational goals and objectives.

The degree of provision and utilization of educational inputs may affect the performance of a school and its programmes. Udoh (2014) stated that the selection and use of educational resources depend on its availability, the characteristics of the resources, the objectives of the educational programmes, and the level of civilization of that society. Over the years, education has been ranked as the best legacy any conscientious leader, government or parent could leave for her/his people (Otu, Charles & Akpabio, 2011). This is increasingly important because the quality of education given to a people determines the standard of growth achieved.

Amaele (2011) asserted that free education means the establishment of various kinds of schools and expansion of school curriculum to make each child develop according to his or her ability, age and interest. It includes the establishment and provision of library facilities, technical and vocational equipment, recruitment and retention of qualified and adequate man power. It means tuition free; free feeding, free books, free accommodation, free transportation, uniform and other personal needs of the learners. Free education entails the removal of every socio-cultural impediment to education. The sum total of all these, makes education free. The partial implementation of the above can never qualify the system as free because the presence of any one of the above constitutes constraint to the child’s access to education.

1.2  Statement of the Problem

Free and compulsory education in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom state particularly is faced with several problems primarily because the poor allocations to the education sector are at variance with the UNESCO provisions (Akpabio and Sammy, 2015). In addition, mounting evidence abound of the declining students’ performances in schools and public examinations in Akwa Ibom State. This is likely linked to the fact that students graduating from the state-owned secondary schools where free and compulsory education programme is implemented perform poorly. This is compared with their counterparts in the private schools where learning resources are more available and frequently used for instruction. There has been also outcry from the society on examination malpractice, truancy, falsification of result and incessant strike action by teachers. These challenges are what the researcher intends to investigate and proffer solutions.

1.3   Objectives of the Study

The following are the objectives of the study:

. To identify the need for effective implementation of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state.

. To identify the several challenges of free and compulsory education implementation in Akwa Ibom state.

. To determine the impact of the challenges of free and compulsory education on the performance of students in public schools in Akwa Ibom state.

. To reveal how the challenges of free and compulsory education can be defeated.

1.4   Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated based on the objectives of the study:

. What is the need for the effective implementation of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state?

. What are the challenges of free and compulsory education implementation in Akwa Ibom state?

. What is the impact of the challenges of free and compulsory education on the performance of students in public schools in Akwa Ibom state?

. How can the challenges of free and compulsory education be defeated?

1.5  Statement of the Hypotheses

As a guide to achieve the objectives of the study, the following hypotheses were formulated:

Ho: Easy access to education, eradication of illiteracy, and development of the youths in the society are not the need for effective implementation of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state.

Ha: Easy access to education, eradication of illiteracy and development of the society are the need for effective implementation of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state.

Ho: Limited funding, lack of learning facilities and instructional materials and limited qualified teachers are not the challenges of free and compulsory education implementation in Akwa Ibom State.

Ha: Limited funding, lack of learning facilities and instructional materials and limited qualified teachers are the challenges of free and compulsory education implementation in Akwa Ibom State

Ho: Poor performance of students, high rate of academic failure and slow development are not the impact of the challenges of free and compulsory education on the performance of students in public schools in Akwa Ibom state.

Ha: Poor performance of students, high rate of academic failure and slow development are  the impact of the challenges of free and compulsory education on the performance of students in public schools in Akwa Ibom state.

Ho: Adequate funding, provision of infrastructural facilities and recruitment of more qualified teachers are not the ways the challenges to free and compulsory education can be defeated.

Ha: Adequate funding, provision of infrastructural facilities and recruitment of more qualified teachers are the ways the challenges to free and compulsory education can be defeated.

1.6   Significance of the Study

It is believed that this research work will be beneficial to the government of Akwa Ibom State in the following ways: It will help in buttressing the fact that lack of adequate funding is a major cause for the poor implementation state of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state. It will help in identifying the challenges to successful implementation of free and compulsory education in Nigeria. The study will also reveal the reason for the poor performance of students in public schools. The study will serve as a useful resource material to individuals and students.

1.7   Scope of the Study

This research work is focused on the challenges of improving free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state  in Nigeria a case study of Government of Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. Also included in the scope are:  Four variables as listed in the research questions. The use of questionnaire as instrument of data collection. Use of descriptive statistics Fifty respondents The use of Chi-Square statistic.

1.8   Limitations of the Study

The study was limited by the following factors:

Financial Factor: Inadequate funds affected the way data were collected since the researcher had to travel long distances for the distribution of the research questionnaire forms.

Time Factor: This affected the reduction in the size of the sample used for the study because the researcher had less than two months to complete the study.

Material Factor: Shortage of relevant materials for literature review posed a great difficulty.

The study was also limited to the information gathered from primary and secondary records.

1.9  Organization of the Study

In this research study, the researcher took a critical look at the challenges of improving free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria a case study of Government of Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. The research work was divided into five chapters. Chapter one was on the background of the study, as well as statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, statement of hypothesis, significance of the study scope and limitation of the study, organization of the study and definition of terms. Chapter two reviewed the related literature on the subject matter and contributions of different authors. Chapter three is on the research Design and methodology, it presents the research design, population of the Study, Sample and Sampling Technique, Instrumentation, Method/Plan for Data Analysis and Problems of Data Collection. Chapter four takes care of the data presentation, analysis and interpretation as well as discussion of findings. Chapter five (5) encapsulates the summary, findings, conclusion and recommendations made by the researcher.

1.10   Definition of Terms

Education: The process or art of imparting knowledge, skill and judgment.

Free: Obtainable without any payment.

Compulsory: To make something obligatory or a must.

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