CHAPTER ONE
1.0.
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY.
Parents –Teachers Association can be seen as a
voluntary and welfare body of parents/guardians of children or want of a
particular school and teachers within the same school and teachers, geared with
the objectives of realizing the aims and objectives of the educational system.
The
Federal Government of Nigeria regards education as an instrument par excellence
for effecting national development, hence; her philosophy of education is
therefore based on the integration of the individual into a sound and effective
citizens and equal educational opportunities for all citizens of the nations.
From the civilian era to the second republic to the present regime, education
has occupied a core position in government area of emphasis and administration.
However, the Federal and the State Government alone cannot provide adequately
for the education of the people, hence other voluntary bodies and participants
were sought.
Since
the schools exist with the community, it cannot be isolated from it both in the
area of its administration financing and curriculum enrichment. The community
has to work hand in hand with its school for the total emancipation and
education of the child. The avenues that would provide the medium for this includes
the Parent’s-Teachers Association (PARENTS -TEACHERS ASSOCIATION).
The
informal emergence of Parent’s-Teachers Association in Nigeria could be perhaps
be date back to the beginning of Western education from the 1840s, when the
Christian mission bodies pioneered the provision of education services. Phrag Ezeccha
(1985) deducted that the origin of Parent’s-Teachers Association worldwide was
linked with the organization called “National Congress of Mothers” founded in
America in 1977 and which incorporated parents and teachers in 1924, it
involved itself in fashioning out curriculum and vital policy decision for
schools in USA. Although, it is not precisely clear to us whether the British
colonial government took a cue from the American experience.
The
existence of Parents-Teachers Association appeared to have been formalized when
one R.A. MCL Pavidson was appointed a director of education in 1944, the
memorandum inter-alia “advanced the policy of involving the local communities
in the control of education” (Taiwo, 1980. Pg.87)
Naturally,
the phenomenon of Parent’s-Teachers Association must have started earlier in
the primary schools than in the post-primary institutions. Be that as it may
suffice it s say that “a school Parents
Teachers Association emergence as soon
as the school comes into existence”. This implies that informally, the various Parent’s-Teachers
Association in primary school education in Esan South Local Government area are
as old as the respective school themselves.
During the Oil boom in
Nigeria (i.e. 1960s-1970s), there was a lot of money to use for financing
education and government could provide virtually everything. Now, there is a
great economic depression and schools have to find ways of financing various
activities. With the realization, however; that government alone cannot run the
schools single handedly, it has become imperative to find other means of
helping the schools. Since Parents Teachers Association has been known to have of immense help in
countries as the United States, why not in Nigeria?
The
organization has been reputed as a form of bringing close interaction between
the home and the school also as a means of governing community interest in the
schools. Parent’s-Teachers Association, it is assured, could do more than it is
reputed to be doing now if proper study is made about its “modus operandi” i.e.
its aims or purposes, structure and programmes of activities.
This
work is therefore aimed at researching into the role and activities of such
organization such as the Parent’s-Teachers Association in developing secondary
education in Esan South Local Government Area.
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
Generally,
there are problems confronting the entire school system in Esan South Local
Government today. These, among others may have emanated from the inadequacy and
insufficiency of certain infrastructural facilities provided by the government.
Notwithstanding, the urgent necessity and consequent evolution of the Parent’s-Teachers
Association in Esan South Local Government Area educational system. These
problems do constitute a black in the profession of education as a whole.
However,
observation received through preliminary investigations revealed that the Parent’s-Teachers
Association as a school organization is not really understood by many school’s
parents and teachers alike. The way the concept of Parents -Teachers
Association is being understood as an administration of schools would go a long
way in influencing its organization and performance. It is therefore necessary to
determine on regular basis, the
roles and activities of the Parents-Teachers Association, base on this
discovery, the major problem of this study is to find out in the extent to
which the Parent’s-Teachers Association, helped in the administration of primary
schools in Esan South local government
area of Edo state.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY
This
research intends to:
A. Find out the roles played by the Parents-Teachers
Association in the home and the school together
B. Find out the roles played by the Parents-Teachers
Association in financing education,
C. Find out the various channels opened
to the Parents-Teachers Association in curriculum enrichment and
D. Find out the assistance given by the Parent’s-Teachers
Association in the maintenance of discipline in the schools.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This
study addresses the following
research questions.
1
Is
there any significant role played by the Parents-Teachers Association in
brining the home and the school together?
2
Is
there any significant role played by the Parents-Teachers Association in
educational financing?
3
Is
there any significant channel opened to the Parents-Teachers Association in the
maintenance of discipline in the school?
1.5 SIGNIFICANT OF
THE STUDY
This study covers five selected primary
schools in Esan South local government area of Edo state. The schools are as
follows:
1
Ojumo
Community High school, Ihunbo
2
Iko
Gateway Grammar School, Idiroko
3
Ogbe
Community Grammar School, Mede
4
Imotu
Community Academy, Ifonyintedo.
5
Agude Community High
School Oniro.
1.6 LIMITATION OF
THE STUDY
The
investigation would be carried out using questionnaire. In view o four national
philosophy of education, this type of study would have been most useful if it
would be conducted throughout the federation but because of limited resources
and time constraint, the study would be restricted to selected number of
schools in Esan South Local Government Area of Edo State.
The
subject for the study are parents of students, teachers and principals of the
respondents there in.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS:
1
PARENT: This
involves the father, mother or anybody playing the roles of either father or
mother.
2
TEACHER: This refers to the person that
impact knowledge to the less experience peoples.
3
ASSOCIATION: A group of people organized for a
crucial purpose.
4
PARENTS -TEACHERS ASSOCIATION: Parent Teacher Association.
5
STUDENT: A person studying at College or University.
6
FAMILY: It
consists of father, mother and their children.
7
SCHOOL: This is refers to an educational
institution.
8
PRINCIPAL: The most important person in
organization or group of people e.g. the head of a school.
9
L.G.A: Local Government Area.