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INSPECTORATE SERVICE OF EDUCATION UNIT AND QUALITY CONTROL IN EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

This study intends to investigates the extent to which Lagos State educational inspectorate has been effective in its role as an agent of quality control in Lagos State secondary schools. It also examines how efficient it is in the performance of its duties as a quality control factor in line with the provisions of the National Policy on Education (2004).

The purpose of inspection and supervision is to ensure that the standard of instruction is not compromised. This is what the inspectors refer to as quality assurance. Quality control (assurance) which exists in every field of life, considers the functionality of systems and procedures used to shape the inputs on one hand and measuring the standard of the output or product on the other hand.

In education administration, quality control is concerned with effective planning, control, tone, teaching aids, measurement, maintenance and improvement of education services rendered to the society Ejiogu (2004). The National Policy on Education (2004) stated that the objective of inspection/ supervision is to ensure quality control through regular inspection and continuous supervision of instruction and other educational services. Ogunnu (2000) noted that schools supervision is the art of overseeing the activities of teaching and non-teaching staff in a school system to ensure that they conform to generally accepted principles and practice of education as stipulated by the authority.

There have been various comments and articles on the strategies to arrest the falling standards of education in the country. Osiyale (2004) remarked that policy inconsistency and misplaced priorities of successive governments since independence have been identified as the basic problem of Nigeria’s educational system. Many Nigerians apportioned the blame on teachers, parents/ students, and education authorities. Parents blame teachers, teachers blame parents or students while education authorities are not left out in this act of bulk-passing.

Nwafuluku (2003) asserts that not only supervision but some other indices determine quality control in an educational enterprise, and these include the availability of workable policy, adequacy of modern teaching and learning models, adequate funding, continuous appraisal and upgrading of the educational programmes and personnel, availability of teaching staff, regular staff training and development programme. However, the immediate concern is to examine the extent to which the inspectorate unit of Lagos State Ministry of Education has been effective in discharging its role as the agent of quality control in Lagos State Secondary Schools.

The Lagos State Ministry of Education under the current civilian administration has a vision to provide qualitative and free education. Its mission is to provide citizens with good quality education in partnership with private sectors, parents, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and competent Teachers in a conducive learning environment. The Lagos Government’s Policy thrust on Education Upholds;

·        Construction of Millennium schools in the state,

·        Refurbishment of school buildings, laboratories and Libraries,

·        Provision of  School furniture, tools, workshops, equipment,

·        Provision of books, computers, instruction materials,

·        Curriculum review, entrepreneurial and technical training,

·        Teachers empowerment, welfare and enhancement programmes,

·        Community Based Vocational Education,

·        Eradication of Moral Decadence in schools,

·        Operation Green and clean the Environment in schools, and

·        Functional Scholarship schemes

The Lagos State Post Primary Teaching Service Law came into force on the 1st of March, 2005 though the bill was passed on June 7th 2005 by the Lagos State House of Assembly. It repealed the Lagos State Teaching Service Law (No 5 of 1989).The law which divided the state Ministry Of Education into six Education Districts has the following benefits:

1.   It provides for the enhancement of the career of teachers in post primary teaching service in that they can rise to the level of permanent Secretary.

2.   It ensures decentralized effective management of the post primary school systems; thus

a)   Bringing administration closer to the teachers.

b)   Making it easier to disseminate information faster to schools.

c)    Treating Staff complaints more quickly

d)   Aiding promotion interviews to be conducted fast with quick release of results

e)    Bringing workers, students, and parents nearer to the government

f)     Giving immediate attention to all documents and applications by the staff.

These breed healthy competitions among the Education Districts to enhance excellence in the performance of teachers and students.

The state law on Education of 1st March, 2005, also provided for   five departments in each of the Education District offices as follows:

·        Co-curricular, Science and Technology.

·        Inspectorate [Quality Assurance]

·        Personnel

·        Finance

·        School Administration

The law also provided District standing committees thus:

·        Funds Allocation and Management Committee.

·        District Tenders Board Committee

·        Community Relations Committee

·        District Coordinating Committee

·        Personnel Management Board [junior and Senior]

Below are the Education Districts at a glance as at January 2010

Local Government Areas                                           Location

  Alimosho, Agege and Ifako/Ijaye.                                        Agege

 Ikorodu, Shomolu and Kosofe                                   Ikeja

 Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Etiosa and Lagos Island                          Ikoyi

 Surulere, Mainland and Apapa                                            Sabo-Yaba

 Badagry, Ojo, Amuwo Odofin and Ajeromi               Agboju

Ikeja, Mushin and Oshodi-Isolo                                 Oshodi

Statement of the Problem

The following are the problems of the study:

1.           Continuous decline in standard of education,

2.           Increase in School Population,

3.           Inadequate Number of  Inspectors,

4.           Inadequate Number of  Instructional Aids,

5.           Unavailability of text books,

6.           Poor Classroom Condition,

7.           Weak Student Attitude to Learning, and

8.           Poor Environmental Factor.

Continuous decline in standard of education

There had been a public outcry on the continual decline in the standards of education in the country especially as indicated in public examination and the performance of education outputs that are inadequate for employment. For instance, in the year 2012 number of candidates that sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination [WASSCE] were 1,572,224 while number of candidates with five credits including English and Mathematics were 649,156 (38.81 percent) in the year 2014 number of candidates that sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination [WASSCE] were 1,692,435 while number of candidates with five credits including English and Mathematics were 529,425 (31.2 percent).  Employers of labour also complain about low performance of graduates from the nations institutions of higher learning.

Increase in School Population

The Lagos State Government of Nigeria set up the Lagos State Inspectorate Service in 2009 partly as machinery for inspection of schools and maintenance of standards. Fagbamiye 2001, noted that when school population increased through various Free Education Programmes. There was also an increase in the school population from 1.9million students in secondary school in 2006to 2.9million in 2009 and about 3.5million in 2012.

Inadequate Number of Inspectors

He contended that the available number of inspectors even as at 2000 was inadequate for the number of schools with the result that some schools were not inspected once in two years. The Bagauda Seminar (2000), recommended one inspector to two hundred teachers. In view of the shortage of personnel in the Inspectorate Division of the ministries of Education (2007) stressed that inspectors of schools should be acquainted with their new roles as advisors, guides, catalysts and source of ideas to teachers  in their instructional endeavors.

Unavailability of Textbooks

Filler (2010) noted that students who have used two or more books were almost three times better than those who have no textbooks in schools. Inadequate supply of textbooks in school is having a toll of teaching and learning activities in many schools. Its importance cannot be overemphasized since they are indispensable to quality education.

Mapederun (2010) also emphasized that the availability and adequacy of textbooks affect the academic performance positively. Effective teaching and learning depends on the availability of suitable adequate resources such as books. Goal attainment in any school depends on adequate supply and utilization of educational resources which enhance proper teaching and learning process with in a conducive environment.

Poor Classroom Conditions

Students in school building in poor condition had achievement that was 6% below schools in fair conditions and 11% below schools in excellent condition. (Edwards 2012)

Poor classroom conditions can encroach upon the teachers sense of personal safety. Student learning is influenced most directly by classroom conditions.

Weak student Attitude to Learning

Without positive attitude and perceptions, students have little chance of learning proficiently. The concept of attitude includes ways of feeling, thinking and behaving and maintaining an expression of one’s identity within the environment.

Poor Environmental Factor

Decaying environmental conditions such as peeling paint, crumbling plaster, non-functioning toilet, poor lighting, inadequate ventilation and imperative heating and cooling systems can affect the learning as well as the health and the morale of staff and student.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of study is to examine and determine the extent to which the Lagos State Inspectorate Service has justified its being setup as an agent of quality control in Lagos State Secondary Schools. This study is to find out the role of the inspectors of education as agents of quality assurance in Lagos State and also evaluate their work in the light of the policy objectives for which they are setup. Specifically, it seeks to identify the knowledge of inspectors on their duties and strategies for improvement.

The study will also highlight the problems facing the inspectors of education as quality assurance agents and discusses ways of solving these problems with a view to improve the quality of education in Lagos State.

The study seeks to achieve the following objectives:

·        Identify the job contents and responsibilities of Lagos State Inspectors of education as agents of quality control.

·        Assess the contribution to the quality control of education in secondary schools

·        Determine how effective the inspectors are in evaluating the school, administration according to the policy of education.

·        Determine the extent to which the Lagos State inspectors perform their roles to achi

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