Theoretical Framework

You are going to learn about the relationship between secondary schools with Ministries of Education and Teaching Service Commission in this unit. The pattern of relationship with the community will also be discussed.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, you should be able to do the following:

Explain the relationship that exists between secondary schools and the:

i. Ministry of Education.

ii. Teaching Service Commission.

iii. Community.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Secondary School Relationship with Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Education is a major government department that handles issues relating to education at both national and state levels. The Federal Ministry of Education regulates both Federal and State secondary schools. However, the State Ministries of Education are specifically concerned with state-owned public secondary as well as private secondary schools.

The Ministry of Education has five departments which have different functions in maintaining standard in secondary schools. The Federal Ministry of Education is headed by the Minister of Education (Political appointee) while the State Ministries of Education are headed by Commissioners for Education (Political appointee). The Director-General is the administrative head of the Ministry.

The Inspectorate unit of the Ministry visits both private and public schools for inspection. The types of supervision carried out by the unit include full inspection, routine checking, follow-up inspection, and recognition inspection/certification.

The unit has mandate to upgrade schools and call up any secondary school that does not meet up with expected standard. The Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) unit is the custodian of school statistics. The number of schools by local government, enrolment by gender, number of teaching and non-teaching staff are among school statistics expected to be kept by this unit. Schools are expected to relate effectively with this unit so as to update the staff strength and enrolment as well as information on facilities in schools. These data enable government to take appropriate decisions. However, it is quite unfortunate that planning, research and statistics units of some state Ministries of Education do not possess current data on schools.

3.2 Secondary school relationship with TESCOM.

The Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) is another government department that handles secondary school matters, especially teaching staff. Schools are expected to relate properly with the TESCOM. The commission has mandate to appoint, post, transfer, promote, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over teaching and non-teaching staff. For the purpose of administrative convenience, the TESCOM in every state groups the Local Government Areas into zones. Each zone is handled by a Zonal Education Administrator who reports to the Permanent Secretary.

Teaching Service Commission maintains three (3) committees, each headed by full- time members. The committees are:

b. Disciplinary Committee.

c. Appointment Committee

Teaching Service Commission sees to quality assurance of public secondary schools through healthy relationship with schools.

Self-Assessment Exercise

Mention three functions performed by the Teaching Service Commission in the effective running of secondary schools in Nigeria.

3.3 Secondary school relationship with Community.

Schools and their local communities are interrelated. As put by Jaiyeoba and Atanda (2004), a school is viewed as an institution set up to bring about desirable changes in the lives of learners as well as the community as a whole.

School gains from the community and vice-versa. Thus, the school system cannot be isolated from the community if its existence is to be justified.

Edem (1987) recognized the capacity of a school to interact and cooperate with other agencies in the community as an important factor in determining the success of the school. Jaiyeoba (2004) viewed school community relationship as part of the operational areas of school administration. It is a situation in which the local community of a school participates in school programmes and activities.

A good avenue for the school-community relationship is the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA). The PTA is an organization which brings parents and teachers together in the interest of the students.

There are reasons why there must be healthy relationship between secondary schools and their host communities. Some of the problems of secondary schools of which community could be of help include inadequate facilities, classrooms, and laboratory teaching staff as well as problem of indiscipline among students. Table 2.3.1 shows the typical areas of participation by the various community groups.

Table 2.3.1: Facilities Provided by Community.

COMMUNITY GROUP MAJOR FACILITIES

1 Parents-Teachers Association (PTA)

School buildings, Blocks of classrooms, Administrative Blocks, equipping laboratories and workshop.

2 Old Students Association Blocks of Classrooms, school hall, sporting facilities.

3 Clubs and Societies Bore holes, drinking wells, toilets.

4 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Enlightenment programmes, Documentary, Books.

5 Philanthropists Equipping Libraries with Books.

6 Commercial Houses, Banks, Bookstores, etc.

Money, Books, Stationery.

Source: Jaiyeoba and Atanda (2004)

4.0 CONCLUSION

The survival of secondary schools depends on their healthy relationship with specific bodies saddled with certain responsibilities. These bodies or agents include Ministries of Education, TESCOM and the Community.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this unit, we have discussed three major entities that relate with Nigerian secondary schools. Their relationship is germane to the success in secondary education. These bodies are both State and Federal Ministries of Education, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and the Community.

6.0 Tutor-marked Assessment

List the stakeholders in the community and their likely contributions to the development of secondary schools in a tabular form.

Jaiyeoba, A.O (1994). Impact of School Administration Operational Areas in the Implementation of the Two-tier system of Secondary Education in Oyo State. An unpublished Ph.D Thesis in the Department of Educational Management, University of Ibadan.

Jaiyeoba, A.O and Atanda, A.I (2004). Community Participation in the Provision of Facilities in Secondary Schools in Nigeria. In E.O. Bamisaye, J.B Babalola, M.

Fabunmi, and A.O. Ayeni (Eds). Management of Primary and Secondary Education in Nigeria. Ibadan: Nigerian Association of Educational Administration and Planning Publication

Musaazi, J.C.S (1982). The Theory and Practice of Educational Administration.

London: Macmillan publishers LTD

Nduka, G.C (2001). Financial Planning for State Secondary Schools: Strategies for Qualitative Secondary Education in Nigeria.

ANSWER SAE

(a) Appointment of teachers.

(b) Payment of salaries and allowances.

(c) Discipline and promotion of staff of secondary schools.

TMA

COMMUNITY GROUP MAJOR FACILITIES

(PTA) Administrative Blocks, Equipping laboratories and workshop.

2 Old Students Association Blocks of Classrooms, school hall, sporting facilities.

3 Clubs and Societies Bore holes, drinking wells, toilets.

4 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Enlightenment programmes, Documentary, Books.

5 Philanthropists Equipping Libraries with Books.

6 Commercial Houses, Banks, Bookstores, etc.

Money, Books, Stationery.

UNIT 5: EXAMINATION ISSUES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL AND