WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL FACILITIES ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS STUDENTS IN KANKE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

The importance of school facilities in the development of effective educational system, particularly at the secondary school level cannot be over emphasized. The utilization of the goals and objectives of education require the provision, maximum utilization and appropriate management of the school facilities. The design and size of school buildings have evolved over time. Many of the improvements reflect advancement in pedagogy and knowledge about environmental effects on learning. In the past, education was a much more informal activity than it is today and the physical setting for education was not considered important. Instruction usually occurred in open spaces or in structure designed for purpose other than teaching and learning. The early schools in Nigeria indicated that the national issues on education believed that the settings in which education occurred was of little consequence. This philosophy was visible in both school buildings and their locations, especially on the early schools. Very few architects (if any) were available to assist in the planning and construction of schools in the early days of education.

A school can be viewed as an organized environment where educational curricular are interpreted. It is a formal structured organization which serves as a transitional stage in life between family and the society. School is a place where the child is prepared to function as an adult, and through this transformation by way of teaching and learning process, whose purpose is to bring about in the learner desirable positive and effective change in the behavior through critical thinking in a more conducive environment which is structured to facilitate learning. The attainment of an effective and efficient teaching and learning is therefore dependent on teacher’s quality, the location of the school, the organization and arrangement of physical structures and other school facilities in the school. In the present day of technological advancement, there is need for the school principals to adopt modern method of plant and facility management which would improve the quality of teaching and learning. Adesina and Ogunsaju, (2011) stressed the importance of school facilities. He maintained that the qualities of education that children receive bear direct relevance to the availability or lack of physical facilities and overall atmosphere in which learning take place.

According to National Policy on Education, (2013), secondary school is the education children received after primary education and before the tertiary stage. School plant and facilities consist of all types of buildings for academic and non-academic activities which are equipment for academic and non-academic activities; areas for sports and games, landscape, farms and gardens, including trees, roads and paths. Other facilities needed by secondary schools include furniture and toilet facilities, lightings, acoustics, storage facilities and parking lots, security, transportations, cleaning materials, food services, and special facilities for special needs. Their appearance and maintenance influences most parents and convince them to make judgment about the qualities and effectiveness as to what goes on in the school. It is believed that, without such facilities, the empty buildings, no matter how attractive they are cannot be effectively used for educational purposes.

The Nigerian secondary school students’ academic performance is generally poor going by the existing records, (Adesina, 2011); He posited that, there was persistent mass failure of students in senior secondary school examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The observed poor academic performance of secondary students may not be unconnected with seemingly poor school plant planning in most Nigerian secondary schools. The high level of students’ academic performance may not be guaranteed where instructional space such as class rooms, libraries, technical workshops and laboratories are structurally defective. Enumerating the factors that could be responsible for intra and inter-school academic achievements, acute scarcity of instructional resources which according to him attributed constrain of educational systems from responding more fully to new demands.

School facilities constitute major determining factor toward ensuring quality education. It is one of the yardsticks for measuring the level of educational growth and development. It implies substantial cost of the school system for their establishment, if not properly managed and maintained, it will affect the academic performance of students. School facility is the process of ensures that buildings and other technical systems support the operations of an organization. Ajayi (2009) described school facilities as the practice of co-ordination of the physical workplace with the people and the work of the organization; it integrates the principles of school administration, architecture and the behavioural and engineering sciences.

Students’ academic performance can be measured in many ways but the commonly used method is the result of students in public examinations, which is used to pass judgment on the schools and teachers. Students’ academic performance is the final grade which students get after a systematic, comprehensive measurement and evaluation of the individual student in a school setting for the purpose of making decision or judgment on his/her cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. The researcher viewed academic performance as the educational outcome of students as measure by Senior School Certificate Examination.

It is a common experience to see schools where the environments are by far from being conducive for learning; where classroom spaces are inadequate, for most children are found to be compacted in classrooms, especially public institutions. In some cases, learning take place under trees. Some schools are generally in need of repair. Teachers’ effectiveness and students‟ learning may be limited by inadequate learning materials. Poor working conditions and insufficient facilities have inevitably eroded motivation and satisfaction which demoralized teachers, education today must prepare the child for an all-round development

            It is in the light of the above discussion that this study seeks to determine the impact of school facilities on the performance of students in senior secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.

• Statement of the Problem

Mass failure in public examinations has relatively alarming proportions in the last few years (Kenji, 2021). The outcome of our educational system has fallen below the minimal for our educational objectives and this means that there is a failure in our curriculum, facility provision, our teachers and teaching method or our evaluation system. There is need, therefore, to utilize and maintain the limited plant and facilities available in schools for quality teaching and learning effectiveness. School facilities that are deteriorated and inadequate may result in reduced learning time, alienated students, inability to provide specialized curriculum, low staff morale, lack of technology proficiency, safety hazards, high rates of teacher attrition, and a reduced ability to meet special needs.

Therefore, this scenario of poor performance among students has motivated the researcher to determine where there is a relationship between educational faculties and academic performance of students in senior secondary schools or otherwise.

• Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of this research is to find out the impact of school facilities on the academic performance of senior secondary school students in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. In the light of this, the specific objectives of the research include:

1. To determine the school facilities which are available in public secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area
2. To examine the impact of teaching facilities on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area
3. To examine the impact of learning facilities on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area
   • Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide this study.

1. What are the school facilities which are available in public secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area?
2. What are the impact of learning facilities on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area?
3. What are the impacts of teaching facilities on student academic performances in public secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area?

• Significance of the study

It is believed that the life wire of any educational system is the extent of availability of school facilities (in terms of quality and quantity) which occupies a crucial place in the realization of its goals. However, the result of the findings in this research work shall assist every stakeholder (policy makers, school administrators, teachers, government and the students) in playing a sensitive role aimed at improving the standard of education through the provision of a conducive learning environment.

First, policy makers will be well equipped with reliable and factual information which serves as an input for effective law making on issues relating to allocation of funds, timely released period and the legal framework guiding its activities.

Secondly, it will provide an extensive knowledge of school facilities to the school administrators to initiate, sustain and put to use. It will afford other researchers to look into grey areas not covered in the present study and seek ways of improving over it.

Furthermore, teachers as major stakeholders in the school system, who play an intermediate role, seek to work harmoniously with the school in encouraging the students to use the facilities. This could be to solve assignments, observe practical knowledge and in the acquisition of essential skills. It will also place a great burden on the government to provide adequate funding to the school system, equipped the inspectorate unit to carry out its functions effectively.

The students will also benefit from this study as the recommendations made for the teachers, government and policy makers, if properly implemented, will be of benefit to the students.

• Delimitation of the Study

This study covers the impact of school facilities on the academic performance of senior secondary school students. The study is limited to senior secondary schools in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. Some  schools in Kanke Local Government Area were studied. This will be made up of the combination of government and private schools. However, despite the fact that the study is limited to the selected local government area, its findings can be generalized to other parts of the state as well as the country at large.

• Operational Definition of Terms

Teaching: Is the act, practice or profession of a teacher which shapes one’s thought and action through giving instructions and or performing practices.

Learning: Learning is the act of acquiring new or modifying and reinforcing existing knowledge, behaviours, skills and values or it is a skill or knowledge acquired by instruction or study.

Impact: This is the likely effect of school facilities on the students’ academic performance.

Students’ Academic Performance: This is the outcome or achievements of students after being subjected to the use of teaching, learning, health, sport and recreational facilities.