Learning Environment and the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Akwa-Ibom State
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Education is the bedrock of the development of any nation. This is the reason that a government invests heavily in the education of her citizens. Secondary education, a sub-set of the education level, is very necessary in human capital formation. It is the supply base from which tertiary institutions draw their major clientele (students) for admission into their different programmes. It, therefore, presupposes that the provision of qualitative education is the sine qua non for the attainment of the goals of secondary education.
Nevertheless, the main objectives of the secondary education in Nigeria as contained in the National Policy of Education are as follows:
1. To develop the personal capacity of individuals
2. To prepare pupils for the world of work and
3. To prepare students for the next stage of education.
The response has been that the concept of life-long loaming and the idea that there is not just one transition from education work; instead the two systems are seen as parallel entities and individuals can expect to interact with both through the course of their work life.
Coombs (1969) remarked that secondary school supplies the person who with one or more years training institution or on the job becomes the labour force of a nation. However, our educational systems (secondary schools inclusive) have failed in the areas of character molding, morals, behaviour and academic output. Various stories abound of students and young people’s vices of vandalization, robbery, pick pocketing, tuggery etc. Furthermore, there is mass disregard and disrespect for elders for those in position of authority and for work that the products of our school system exhibit. All these negative vices points to the fact that the area of moral and socialization the school system has failed.
As reported by Obemeata (1995) numerous studies have shown that there has been a sharp decline in the academic performance of various levels of
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Education is the bedrock of the development of any nation. This is the reason that a government invests heavily in the education of her citizens. Secondary education, a sub-set of the education level, is very necessary in human capital formation. It is the supply base from which tertiary institutions draw their major clientele (students) for admission into their different programmes. It, therefore, presupposes that the provision of qualitative education is the sine qua non for the attainment of the goals of secondary education.
Nevertheless, the main objectives of the secondary education in Nigeria as contained in the National Policy of Education are as follows:
1. To develop the personal capacity of individuals
2. To prepare pupils for the world of work and
3. To prepare students for the next stage of education.
The response has been that the concept of life-long loaming and the idea that there is not just one transition from education work; instead the two systems are seen as parallel entities and individuals can expect to interact with both through the course of their work life.
Coombs (1969) remarked that secondary school supplies the person who with one or more years training institution or on the job becomes the labour force of a nation. However, our educational systems (secondary schools inclusive) have failed in the areas of character molding, morals, behaviour and academic output. Various stories abound of students and young people’s vices of vandalization, robbery, pick pocketing, tuggery etc. Furthermore, there is mass disregard and disrespect for elders for those in position of authority and for work that the products of our school system exhibit. All these negative vices points to the fact that the area of moral and socialization the school system has failed.
As reported by Obemeata (1995) numerous studies have shown that there has been a sharp decline in the academic performance of various levels of
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