CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Secondary Education is a six-year form of education which children receive after primaryschool before proceeding to the tertiary level of education. According to the National Policy ofEducation (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004), secondary education is the form of educationattended by children after primary education and before tertiary education with the aim ofpreparing individual for useful living within the society and for tertiary education. Secondaryeducations exist within the ambits of the law and are supervised by the Ministry of Educationand its State agencies. For instance Section 18(3)b of the Constitution of the Federal Republicof Nigeria 2011 as amended provides for the existence of free secondary education while theNigerian Educational Edicts and laws promulgated in 1955 and 1965 covered the rights ofSecondary Education. The education laws promulgated by the states in the Federation laid downrules and regulations in respect of administration and management of Secondary Education.The principal is the administrative head of secondary schools who ensures the effectiveimplementation of policies and progammes for the achievement of the school goals. For theattainment of the objectives of secondary schools, the curriculum has been developed to suit suchdesires which are to be implemented by the Principal with the coorporation of competentteachers.

The authority of the secondary school principal, according to Ogbonnaya (2009), isviewed in the position occupied as well as the functions performed. The Principal implementsthe educational programmes of the school, ensured the provision of facilities and equipment,keeps records both statutory and non-statutory in addition to creating a conducive teaching andlearning atmosphere in schools. These are summed up by Ogbonnaya cited in Mgbodile (2004)12into five areas, namely: Development and implementation of educational programmes,Development of teaching staff, Student relation function, Community relation function andfinancial function. Similarly, Ocho and Okeke (1997) classified these functions into five namely:management of instructional programme, staff personnel administration, student personneladministration, financial and physical resource management. Stoner (2002) noted thatsupervision of the teaching and learning process, decision making, conflict resolution,communication, record keeping, fund management, plant management, public relations andcompliance to legal stipulations are critical aspects of school management. In this study, thefollowing aspects namely: Instructional supervision, communication, decision making, provisionof incentives for teachers and students, human resource development, public relations, fundsmanagement, plant management, adherence to statutory provisions, and conflictmanagement/resolution are considered.

Instructional supervision has to do with what the principal does to promote or directteaching and learning in the school. This according to Mgbodile (2004) involves the task ofensuring that organized teaching and learning is effective in the school system. This is done bythe principal to see that meaningful learning takes place in all classes and that teachers areteaching what they are supposed to teach and are undertaking the teaching in a manner that thestudents understand and enjoy their lessons. The essence of instructional supervision is to assistteachers with ideas and suggestions that will improve their instructional delivery, as well asidentify their needs and problems. Haruna (2008) noted that instructional supervision is the firstand the most important responsibility of a school principal. No wonder Carter (2008) explainedthat the cardinal index of the performance evaluation of the school administrator rests on theleadership ability in instructional supervision.