PUBLIC SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

PUBLIC SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Education is generally accepted as a great tool for civilization of a nation. It is regarded as the excellent catalyst for national developed. This is the way developed nations invest extensively in education so as to maintain the status quo. It is therefore becomes imperative for the developed and the undeveloped countries to invest massively in education (Ajayi, 2000). Moreover, in Nigeria before the advent of western education the pattern of education was often referred to as traditional or indigenous education which aimed at preparing the child for social responsibilities, job orientation, political, moral, victures and promotion for peace and order in the society. With the introduction of western education, parents expect their children to perform very high academically. Some parents prefers to send their wards to public and day schools because the cost is less while others prefer private and boarding schools which are competitive with high cost but good academic performance (Nwosu, 2003). The student’s academic performance has been a crucial issue in its negative perspective. It is an incontrovertible fact that the public school environment while an individual enrolled exerts a great deal of influence on his/her personality. It is the general opinion of people that private schools are better in terms of the availability of human and physical facilities and consequently good student’s performance than public schools. This situation has made many parents to enroll their children in private secondary schools (Ezewu, 2003). The poor academic performance of students is caused by a number of factors which cannot be divorced from the type of schools, teachers, students, parents and the government. The school has its role in imparting knowledge; inculcate moral values and skill acquisitions. It is necessary therefore that what is taught in schools, who it is taught and who should teach it and with what sources should meet the needs of the learners.

Similarly, it is no exaggeration to say that critics do not see the need to improve upon students academic performance in day secondary school professional bodies like the educationists, psychologists, sociologists, counselor and the social scientist that have direct link with this group of individual and their behaviours are optimistic there is a close link between school environment and students’ academic performance in senior school certificate examination (Bassey, 2004). In this regard therefore, there tends to be differences in the academic performance of students in private, boarding, public and day secondary school certificate examination.

• Statement of the Problem

The researchers have begun to investigate the factors responsible for the poor performance of students. Among the factors identified are: school type, lack of facilities, large class size, unconducive learning environment and poor reading culture of the students (Ezewa, 2003). To solve this problem, teachers, government, parents and some educational organizations and agencies have made concerted effort to improve on the academic performance of students in senior school certificate examination. This had been in the areas of provision of basic educational facilities, renovation and structure in schools, organization of seminars and workshops for teachers as well as teaching and learning materials to schools.

It is as a result of the above reasons that this study is conducted to compare school type and academic performance of students in senior school certificate Examination.