CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Society
depends on the school to produce well-adjusted individuals who can fit properly
into the environment. The school system requires quality human, material and
financial resources for moulding the individuals (Abdulkareem, 2009). Secondary
schools, as intermediary between primary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria
(Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004), are statutorily charged with the
responsibility of producing candidates for the universities and other tertiary
institutions. As elucidated by Opadokun (2004), the role of secondary education
in the overall educational process cannot be underscored. This probably
explains why stakeholders, especially parents and teachers are aptly concerned
about quality assurance in the school system. In fact, quality assurance in the
secondary school system aims at efficient mobilization and utilization of the
available resources to achieve school goals. Similarly, improving the quality
of education is probably the most salient task facing any educational
institution all over the world. In fact, as elucidated by Zobaida (2001),
quality of education has a significant impact on, and contribution to human
development. Hence, there is need for stakeholders to intervene in effective
management of education and educational institutions. This research work is a
report on a study on the relationships between the roles of Parents-Teachers'
Association and quality assurance in the school system, drawing respondents from
secondary school teachers and literate parents within FCAI Model Secondary
School Ishiagu Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
The act of passing on knowledge from one generation to the
other is the role of the parents. The parents are more effective in imparting discipline
and knowledge to students at the very grass root level. It is therefore a known
fact that all parents have the natural inclination to give their children the
good things of life they are capable of providing for them. And in the modern
age, the major task is on the provision of quality education and good standard
of living. In the light of this, parents have developed a very positive
interest in what goes on in school. It is this interest of parents in the
education of their children and wards in schools that gave birth to the
organization or formation called “Parents Teachers Association”. During the
latter years of the 19th century, the Parents Teacher Association
was first organized by a group of women in America. The first meeting called
“the national congress of mothers” was actually held in 1877. It was this
meeting that stimulated the founding of the national congress of parents and
teachers in association in 2000.
The congress of parents and teachers, which now goes by the name Parents
Teacher Association (PTA) and the functions, now inclu1des particularly in
curricular development policy making and setting standards in schools.
Abiola A.O. (2007) since Parents Teacher Association is concerned with the
student’s welfare and all round developments that is why parents are giving a
role in the administrative administration of secondary school. This means
that the Parents Teachers Association is interested in the co-operation of the
school system.
If the school is to achieve its goal, meets the needs of students and fulfill
the expectation of parents, there should be good linkage between the teachers
and parents. Parents are experienced people who are conversant with child
psychology and development. They therefore know the needs of their children at
difference stages of development. In view of this, the parents are in a better
position to give useful advice to teachers when necessary. Individual parents
could be invited to school for discussion on their children welfare. The
principal with the assistance of the staff point at the children weakness and
give suggestion for improvement. The parents’ teacher association is a forum
for teachers and parents to meet and discuss issues relating to the welfare of
the parents and teachers. Through the PTA meeting, parents could be educated or
enlightened on the discipline and causes of students’ delinquency. Through this
the parents will have an insight into the causes of the student’s problem and
know more effective ways of dealing with such problem. They will also know the
danger associated with ineffective discipline. The organization of PTA in most
schools raises a number of questions as to
a.
Whether the PTA provide fund for school?
b.
Without the PTA, can the school not raise fund?
c.
How much has the PTA help in the discipline of students in school?
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Many factors give rise to the formation of parent’s teacher association in FCAI
Model secondary school in Ishiagu Ebonyi State. It is likely that there are
lacks of schools facilities. It could be due to shortage of manpower, which may
involve PTA’s negotiation. It might be as a result of students’ interest.
Again, it may be as a result of inadequate provision of school materials for
students. All these problems attract the intervention of the PTA. It is
probably whether PTA actually acts to assist school in matters relating for day
to day running of schools. Thus, a formal study of this nature on the influence
of PTA in school administration is very important.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
.
To develop an E-PTA System for Parents Teachers Association (PTA).
·
To create a software that will keep student’s information in the database;
·
To develop a system that will allow parents to send their complain about their
children;
·
To evaluate the system’s effectiveness.
·
To evaluate the user’s satisfaction on the use of the system.
. To develop a system that will create a good linkage between the teachers
and parents
1.4 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of parent teacher
association in the schools administration especially in FCAI Model Secondary
school Ishiagu, Ebonyi State. The PTA’s involvement in secondary school
administration is a kind of rendering assistance to government who always
emphasis self-help development and this association help to promote discipline
among students by policies formation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is
to identify the influence of PTA in school administration.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION
The following research questions have been drawn up to guide the study.
a.
Does involvement of PTA in the administration of secondary schools
influence discipline in schools?
b.
Is indiscipline in secondary schools largely due to lack of cooperation between
parents and school authorities?
c.
Does PTA fund raising contribute towards the welfare of the students?
d.
Are schools with strong PTA less liable to riot than those without PTA?
e.
Does PTA provide moral support for the students in school?
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The influence of parents’ teacher association in the administration of
secondary school is of great importance. Quite very often, people attribute the
success of most secondary school administration to the existence of strong PTA
organization in schools.
This study is therefore significant in the sense that, it will throw more light
on what the students, teachers, principals and the general public perceived to
the influence of PTA in the administration machinery of secondary school. Again,
as a result of its contributions the principals might see their shortcoming and
involved in a more effective approach to school administration. The result of
the study may provide reliable information on the nature of principal’s
leadership in schools, to school board of education {state and local}. From
this, they may redefine the policy on which subsequent school administration
policies will be formulated. Therefore, this would enhance effective teaching
learning and administration in our secondary schools. Other researchers might
find the influence of the study useful particularly researchers in the field of
school administration and discipline.
1.7 DEFINITION
OF TERMS
In this study, the researcher will give brief definition and explanation of the
concept used.
School:
This is defined as a place for
teaching and learning in a formal structure. That is, everything about a school
must be there such as chalkboard, writing desk and chairs, qualified teachers
etc.
PTA: Parents Teachers Association as the
name implied is the unionism or coming together of both parents, guidance,
teachers inclusive of pupils, student attending primary and post primary
schools of learning.
Administration: This is a social process concerned
with identifying, maintaining, motivating, controlling and unifying formally
and informally organized human and material resources with in integrated system
designed specifically to achieve an objective. But in educational context,
educational administration is a service activity through which the fundamental
objectives of the educational process may be more fully and efficiently
realized.
Discipline: This is the means where by children
are trained in orderliness of good conduct on the habit of getting the best out
of themselves all of which are essential to the well being of the school. On
the other hand, indiscipline is the opposite of discipline and it simply put
back of control.