ABSTRACT: This research investigates Free and Compulsory Education Policy and Students’ Enrollment in Secondary Schools. Research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study consisted of 17,219 students and 480 teachers from 10 public secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area. The instrument for this study was the enrollment figures of all the public secondary schools students in Abak Local Government Area. The data collected were statistically analyzed using simple ratio and percentage.
The findings of the study revealed that free and compulsory education policy causes inequality in student teacher ratio in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area. And that the introduction and implementation of free and Compulsory Education Policy increases the number of students enrolled in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made; government has to pay attention to such areas like; the provision of enough and qualified teachers, provision of adequate and appropriate facilities and funds.
Free and Compulsory Education Policy and Students’ Enrollment in Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education is a factory where human beings are refined and sent into the labour market. An individual is not born blank as John Locke expressed. Rather, he is born raw. ‘This implies that the child is born with certain potentialities that are hidden and they need education to expose these hidden potentials.
Education determines the standard of growth that people will achieve. This anchors the federal government. Statement that “education has been adopted as an instrument par excellence for effective national development”.(F.R.N 1981:5). This triggers the government of Akwa Ibom State to introduce a system of education that is funded through taxation or charitable organizations rather than tuition fees.
On April, 3 2013, it was confirmed that with the declaration of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom there was an upsurge of enrollment in post- primary institutions in the state as drop- outs and the poor of the poorest can now afford education with no cost. Before the introduction of the free and compulsory education policy the enrollment figure for students was 252,699 and after the introduction the number increase to 861, 475 in September, 2008 (Etim, 2013).
To give teeth and legal backing to the free and compulsory education policy, a bill was signed into law the “Akwa Ibom State child Right and protection law 2008. Which ensured that every parent or guardian should send his/her ward to schools. According to the law, anyone who flouts the provision of the act risks about three (3) months in jail or fifty (50) thousand naira fine or both on conviction (Etim, 2013)
A unique component of the free and compulsory education policy is the subvention regime paid to school leads to cater for logistics heading to abolition of all forms of levies in school. On hundred naira is the payment regime at the primary schools level per pupils while three hundred naira was for the secondary level. There is no discrimination in the policy as both indigene and non-indigenes are treated equally. (Etim 2013).
Another hallmark of the policy is the payment of National Examination Council (NECO) and Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) registration fee for Akwa Ibom State candidates in public schools. Also, textbooks and exercise books, desks, science equipment and other accessories are provided on continuous basis.
This research work examined critically, the concept of free and compulsory education policy as it influences the influx in the population of students in schools in Abak Local Government Area.
1.2 Statement of the problem
The reception of the concept “free and compulsory education policy” is enthusiastic, this has resulted to over 300% increment in school enrollment which was not so before the introduction of this policy.
The issue of child trafficking, house help, Okada riders, newspaper vendors, recharge cards hawking, etc who were school drop-outs or who were not able to afford education now have interest of going to school making the number of student in a class to be high therefore, causes the disruption of education curriculum. Also, there is shortage teachers in schools due to the high prevailing number of students in school making us to have the student-teacher level of 50:1, 100:1 and so on.
This trigger the researcher’s interest to check what that makes this to be so, leading to this research work on the topic: “Free and Compulsory Education Policy and students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area”. Having in mind that the normal students-teacher ratio in a secondary school should be 30:1.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is aimed at finding out the impact of free and compulsory education policy on students’ enrollment in secondary school system. The research specifically tends to;
(i) To examine the influence of free and compulsory education policy on students-teacher ratio in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area.
(ii) To investigate the influence of free and compulsory education policy on students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area.
1.4 Significance of the Study
It is hope that the final result of this research work will help in finding possible ways, how free and compulsory education can influence students’ enrollment in secondary schools. It is important for the researcher to put into consideration, the significance of free and compulsory education and students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area.
However, this research will be significance in the following ways:
(a) The study would reveal the real meaning of free and compulsory education.
(b) It would also reveal the effect of free and compulsory education policy on students’ enrollment in Abak Local Government Area.
(c) The research would also serve as a reliable source of reference material for future researchers in similar or related topics.
Free and Compulsory Education Policy and Students’ Enrollment in Secondary Schools
1.5 Research questions
To guide the study, some research questions were formulated and they include:
- Does free and compulsory education policy increases students-teacher ratio in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area?
- Does free and compulsory education policy increases students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area?
1.6 Basic Assumptions of the study
Taking into consideration that this influx in population of students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area is due to the free and compulsory education policy, the study therefore made the following assumptions:
(i) There is high influence of free and compulsory education policy on students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abak Local Government Area.
(ii) That the sample for the study was the true representation of the entire population.
(iii) That the responses of the students to the questionnaire items reflected their true opinions.
1.7 Delimitation of the study
The study was delimited to how free and compulsory education policy in Abak Local Government influence students’ enrollment and students-teacher ratio per class.
1.8 Operational definition of terms
The following are the definitions of terms used in this study:
Compulsory: That which must be done because of a law or rule.
Enrollment: A number of persons accepted in a school as students at the same time.
Status quo: Is the state of affairs that exists at a particular time.
Student-teacher ratio: Is the number of students who attend a school divided by the number of teachers in the school.
Students’ enrollment: Is the number of students who register or enroll at the same time in a school.
