IMPACT OF POLITICS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The role of politics in secondary school management in Nigeria is always influenced by government intervention. This is due to the fact that school administration and politics are inextricably linked. Education's goals, control, production, process factors, financing, and accrediting systems are all inextricably linked to politics. Educators and social scientists such as Ogbonnaya (2009), Okeke (2007), and Uchendu (2007) have adequately described the notion of politics (1995). They all believe that politics is present in Nigerian banks, markets, and military facilities, as well as the commercial and industrial sectors of our economy and educational institutions. Politics has been characterized in a variety of ways by these professionals. According to Ogbonnaya (2009), it is a topic concerned with recruiting, securing, and preserving a community's, state's, or nation's well-being. Okeke (2007) sees it as a tool for using political methods to solve social, economic, political, and educational challenges. Politics, on the other hand, is defined by Uchendu (1995:2) as the science and act of protecting and enhancing the temporal welfare of a society organized as a state. As a result, the business of politics entails both the formulation of basic ideas and their application to specific circumstances. Politics is concerned with the community's overall temporal well-being. According to these definitions, politics is concerned with recruiting, securing, and maintaining a community's well-being. Politics, according to the definitions, is a tool for solving a country's social, economic, scientific, technical, and educational challenges. All of the foregoing implies that politics is an inescapable part of life in any culture. Politics is all-encompassing; it deals with power, which includes factors such as decision-making, resource allocation, dispute resolution, social service provision, and educational provision and administration. As a result, no civilization can imagine having a functioning government without politics (Agbajeola, 2009). It is the intervention of stakeholders in the management of secondary schools in Nigeria's southeast zone, including the government, community, members of the school board, school board of governors, and the parent teachers association. Politics and secondary school administration are inextricably linked. The majority of secondary schools in the south-east states were founded as a result of residents' growing political consciousness. As a result, Okeke (2007) said firmly that politics plays a significant role in secondary school decision-making, control, and governance. Furthermore, Okeke stated that politics in education may be viewed as a control, decision-making, implementation, administration, governance, and a technique for allocating resources to different ethnic groups in order to achieve their goals. The importance of politics is emphasized since an educational system has political aims that must be met in order for the system's existence and the political order of society to be justified (Ijaduola, 2004). In other words, excellent education is initiated by the political system. Politics has been shown to have some impact on educational management and policy. Politics may have an impact on finance, personnel management, basic infrastructure provision, and school-community relations (Ogbonnaya, 2006). When government interference is beneficial to management and the development of education, it is considered positive; however, when government interference is detrimental to the rules and regulations of school management, it is considered negative because the state of secondary education will not be achieved, and thus teaching and learning will be ineffective. In the context of this research, politics refers to a scenario in which political considerations take precedence over due process, and the operation of a school is impacted by the whims of people in power rather than by set norms (Odumade, 2007). In other words, it is a scenario in which due process is thwarted by pressure from strong groups of people. As a result of this excessive influence, school administration deviates from conventional or formal administrative principles and rules, and secondary school management is impacted by government intervention. Management has a wide range of definitions and is described in a variety of ways. Management, according to Peretomode (1999), is a collection of activities associated with the planning, organizing, regulating, directing, and staffing processes. All of this contributes to the organization's aims and objectives being met. Management is also a method of directing, leading, and regulating a group of people's actions toward the achievement of their common goals and objectives. 2009 (Ezeocha). As a result, management in this sense refers to an organization's use of both material and non-material resources to fulfill specified objectives. Schools are structured places in this study, with rules and regulations regulating the actions of what is going on in order to attain the intended educational goals. Of course, bureaucracy is inescapable in government policy and practice. However, the key problem in the necessity for structure and hierarchy is that in politics, leadership qualities take precedence over competence. No politician, according to Blasé (2002), can possibly have the skills and experience required in all of the various areas that a leader must address (notably in roles such as governor and president). However, throughout the accountability age in education during the last three decades, governors and presidents' direct participation in education has grown considerably, with education often serving as a prominent plank in their campaigns. According to Maxcy (2003), a trickle-down effect from presidents and governors to state superintendents of education and school board chairs and members has resulted in people with no or limited experience or expertise as educators or scholars gaining leadership positions responsible for forming and implementing education policy. In other words, the faces and voices now spearheading Nigeria's education reform movement are appointments and self-proclaimed reformers who, while well-intentioned, lack considerable educational competence or experience.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Politics may have a significant role in secondary school administration decisions in a variety of scenarios. Political challenges, social interests, and environmental impacts on secondary school administration have all risen to the fore since the government took over ownership and management of secondary schools. Secondary education is intertwined with society; as a result, several segments of society attempt to intervene with secondary school administration in order to suit their positions in society (Odumade, 2007). People in the South East of Nigeria commonly believe that politics impacts the distribution of finances, personnel management, availability of basic infrastructure/equipment, and school community relations. Political influences have both beneficial and bad effects on school teaching and learning. In today's culture, it appears that secondary school administration is fertile ground for politicking, with politicians influencing secondary school administration while principals, teachers, school board members, and board of governors of each school blindly obeying them (Blasé, 2002). Principals and instructors are unable to stand firm in their requests for higher pay, allowances, promotions, vehicle loans, and a more congenial teaching atmosphere because of this subservient mindset. They go on strike, which usually yields nothing meaningful. Teachers, school boards, secondary school management boards, personnel, and principals all agree that politics has an impact on secondary school management in areas such as teacher transfers, principal promotions, money allocation, facility distribution, school upgrades, and examination administration (Ezeocha, 2009). So yet, there is no empirical support for these claims. Some secondary schools in Nigeria's south-east are recognized to be performing well, with appropriate equipment and facilities, while others, regrettably, suffer from severe disadvantage. Is it possible to prove that there is considerable political intervention in the operation of secondary schools? Despite the fact that there have been a number of studies focused on politics and its effects on educational policy and national growth, none has focused on the perceived influence of politics and political parties on educational management as a benchmark for progress (Peretomode, 1999). As a result, the major goal of this paper is to examine the perceived effects of politics on secondary school administration in Nigeria.

1.3   OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The research's major goal is to look at the impact of politics on secondary school management in Nigeria. More specifically, the study aims to:

i. Determine the percentage of school administrators who are active in politics.

ii. Look at the impact of politics on the management of public secondary schools in Nigeria.

iii. To determine whether there is a link between management personnel politics and student academic achievement.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions will guide the researcher in order to achieve the stated specified objectives.

i. What is the percentage of school administrators who are active in politics?

ii. What are the impacts of politics on the management of public secondary schools in Nigeria?

iii. Is  there  a link between management personnel politics and student academic achievement?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The influence of politics on secondary school management in Nigeria is the subject of this research. Politics, as we all know, is omnipresent, and almost every institution has at least one politician. Politics can be played by school administration or even by instructors.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research focuses on a few local government areas in Nigeria. Researchers will benefit much from this study work in their results.

1.7   DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Due to time constraints and a lack of funds to conduct the study, the research was confined to a few selected local government areas.