Vol. 1(2) SEP 2011 - SAVAP International

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Academic Research International ISSN: 2223-9553 Volume 1, Issue 2, September 2011 DEREGULATION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN PORT HARCOURT: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Florence Imaobong Archibong Department of Educational Management University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State NIGERIA Floxyarchibong@yahoo.com ABSTRACT This paper addressed deregulation of secondary education in Port Harcourt: issues and challenges. The population of this study comprised of administrators and teachers numbering 450. A research sample of 250 was used. Document analysis, a self designed questionnaire, “Deregulation of Secondary Education: Issues and Challenges Questionnaire (DSEICQ)” were used to elicit information. Four research questions were formulated for the study. Data from document, verbal interview conducted and percentage counts were used to find solution to the research questions. The major findings of the study include the status of public and private secondary schools, some problems encountered in course of managing the schools and strategies for improvement. Based on these findings it was recommended that Government and Proprietors should provide finance and instructional materials, employ Guidance Counselors and conduct regular seminar/workshop and follow it up with qualitative supervision/inspection. They should employ only professional teachers, provide proper remuneration, strict adherence to WAEC marking scheme, maintain a good communication system, close down unapproved schools and complementarily public-private partnership (PPP) was recommended to contribute their views/resources so as to reduce the burden on the government. Keywords: deregulation, secondary education, issues and challenges INTRODUCTION Education is the biggest instrument for academic progress, social mobilization, political survival and effective national development of any country. It constitutes the single largest enterprise in the country like Nigeria (Lomak, (n.d) in Akpa, 2002:54). Secondary education is the education children receive after primary education and before the tertiary stage. This level of education is for children of the age range of 12 to 18 years, excluding the teacher training, technical and vocational institutions. The duration of the academic program is 6 years which is split into 3 years each, known as the Junior Secondary School (J.S.S} and Senior Secondary School (S.S.S). The J.S.S emphasized both academic and vocational (technical) curriculum while the S.S.S is oriented towards academic curriculum. Since the curriculum of the secondary school (J.S.S and S.S.S) caters for varied needs, ability and interests, it is usually regarded as comprehensive. The broad goals are to prepare the individual for useful living within the society and higher education under the context of the 6-3-3-4 system of education.(Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004:18-20). Education has witnessed active participation by non- governmental agencies, communities and individuals as well as government intervention. However, government welcomes the participation of voluntary agencies, communities and private individuals in the establishment and management of secondary schools. State government shall prescribe conditions to be met by the communities and Copyright © 2011 SAVAP International www.savap.org.pk www.journals.savap.org.pk 344
Academic Research International ISSN: 2223-9553 Volume 1, Issue 2, September 2011 others wising to establish secondary schools as well as regular supervision and inspection of these schools.(Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004:4,22). Formal education was the modern innovation brought to Nigeria with the coming of the Christian missionary. During the monopoly of the church mission, it was religions based, intensely denominational and shallow in content. The schools in this era were maintained with grant from home churches, donations from group and individual outside the country, contributions by local Christian churches and parents. The colonial government was reluctant to get involved until 1882 when education ordinance provided for the financing of schools established by missions and private individuals. Even though the Christian mission were credited for their pioneering efforts in spreading western education, some shortcomings were highlighted like the establishment of mushroom and enviable schools and colleges, seeing education as an instrument for evangelism and gross misuse of fund among others. The relevance of Ashby commission of 1959 and the above shortcomings prompted government to take over schools to facilitate the process of rehabilitation, reconstruction and re-integration, after the civil war in 1970. But as the number of schools increased with more enrolment at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, government discovered that the responsibility of funding and managing schools in Nigeria cannot be handled by them alone. This led to the policy statement in the National Policy on Education (1998) section 11 paragraphs 109 which states: ‘‘Government’s ultimate goal is to make education free at all levels. The financing of joint responsibility of the federal, state and local governments, and the private sector. In this connection, government welcomes and encourages the participation of local communities, individuals and other organizations’’. From the above brief historical overview of education in Nigeria, one can realize that privatization of education has been a practice that is traceable to the traditional system of education and formal education was introduced by the Christian missionaries through private enterprise. (Adeogun and Aigboje; Alani (n.d) in Akpa, Udoh and Fagbamiye 2005:226-227, 43). Deregulation in the economic sense means freedom from government control. It is the removal of government interference in the running of a system. This means that government rules and regulations governing the operations of the system are relaxed or held constant in order for the system to decide its own optimum level through the forces of supply and demand. Deregulation allows enterprises and services to be restricted as little as possible as well as the withdrawal of government controls in the allocation of resources and the production of goods and services. (Akinwumi, Isuku and Agwaranze (2005) in Ajayi and Ekundayo 2008:214). According to Ekpo and Anuna(n.d) in Akpa, Udoh and Fagbamiye (2005:1) the concept of deregulation is synonymous with laissez-faire and private enterprises. Deregulation in economics and industries means non-intervention by government in individual or industrial monetary affairs. The doctrine is hinged on self-interest, competition and natural consumers’ preferences as important factors for enhancing prosperity and freedom as opposed to government’s absolute control of economic activities in a state. Deregulation as a new applicable concept in education means government diverting its interest in it and encouraging private sector participation in the management of the education system for the achievement of the pre-determined objectives and goals of education. Privatization is an important tenet in the deregulation process. It is the economic activity in the private sector as opposed to the public sector (federal, state and local government). Encarta (2004) as cited by Ekpo and Anuna (n.d) sees deregulation as a private enterprise by private individuals who hope to realize a profit from their activities and who bear any risk associated with those activities. Proponents of private enterprise believe that it promotes individual ingenuity and efficiency, particularly when such enterprises are free from government regulation. It is obvious that private sector involvement is necessary in order for our schools to be effective and efficient. Copyright © 2011 SAVAP International www.savap.org.pk www.journals.savap.org.pk 345
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