CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Efficient and effective administration of schools should be entirely an internal thing or be left for just the school administration. For a school to be able to do well in every ramification, then useful inputs from ‘external’ sources have to be thoroughly considered and implemented. One of those useful external sources is the parents’ teachers association. Parents’ teachers association is an association comprising of parents/guardians of students or pupils and the administration of the school majorly teachers who meet annually or quarterly to discuss matters on the educational, moral and spirited well-being of the students or pupils of any learning organization, either at the nursery or primary level or at the secondary level. This association is basically made up of two arms, the executive and the general assembly. The general assembly meets at designed times either quarterly or yearly while the executives meet as often as the need arises. The executive arm of this association is made up of duly elected parents or guardians and the school management such as the head teachers, principals and school administrators (kalu 2009).

The PTA has overtime been an organization that has monitored progress being made by the school. For efficient administration of any organization schools inclusive, all hands must be on deck enroute to its actualization.

Overtime, a lot has been said about the operations and functions of the parents’ teachers association. This association has majorly defined roles for every school ranging from the nursery and primary school to the secondary schools. In some schools they are seen majorly as a fund raising group while in some other schools they are seen as one of the highest decision making body of the school. Whichever way one has to look at it, this association one would say may be a major stakeholder in the effective administration of the school.

Roles of the parents’ teachers association

• To represent the views of parents/guardians of the school
• To promote a positive view of parents via effective collaboration with the Parent Representatives on the Board of Management
• To inform parents of current changes in the school system, if the need arises.
• To network with other Parent Associations through involvement with National Parents Council.
• To establish a forum through which parents and teachers can exchange information and research in relation to education/welfare of children.
• To proffer solutions on better ways to administrate the school.
• To support parents, teachers and students to ensure that all children are treated in accordance with the ethos of the school.
• To support the teaching staff, and to work with them in delivering the school curriculum
• To help raise funds for the school and the Parents Association, in consultation with the Principal and Board of Management
• To keep parents informed about activities planned for the school
• To influence policy development at school level
• To influence policy development at national level once affiliated to the National Parents Council.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM  

The educational performance of Nigerian students and standard of education in Nigeria today is gradually falling thus leading to this question as to the role of the parents’ teachers association in the administration of schools in Nigeria in improving this malady in the educational sector. There is also a growing concern over the poor performance of students in the just released WASSCE examinations thus leading to this study in examining the role of this association in improving this decline. Does the parents’ teachers association help in improving the general administration of schools in Nigeria? Are their inputs as stakeholders required to improve the declining education sector? All these are the problems that led to this survey.

1.3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of parents’ teachers association in the administration of schools in Nigeria. Specific objectives of the study are:

1. To know if the association influences the performance of the teaching staff of the school.
2. To ascertain if the association influences the performance of their wards or children in school.
3. To find out if the association influences policy development in schools.
4. To find out if there is a relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers association and the development of education in Nigeria.

1.4.  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 In order to examine the influence of the parents’ teachers association in schools across Nigeria, the following questions were asked.

1. To what extent does the parents’ teachers association influence the overall performance of the teaching staff of schools?
2.  Does the parents’ teachers association influence the academic performance of their wards or children? If the answer is in the affirmative, to what extent has this association influenced the performance of the students.
3. Is there a relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers association in schools and the general educational development in Nigeria?
4. Does this association influence basic policy development in schools in Nigeria?
5. Are the inputs of the parents’ teachers association required to improve the decline in the education sector?

1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

For students to be able to perform optimally in school and for teachers to be able to give their best in schools, then certain inputs from sources have to be thoroughly considered and implemented.  A very viable source is the parents’ teachers association, for a better education sector, one must be able to know the extent of the role of this association in schools and by extension the education sector.  In other to resuscitate the declining education sector, teachers should be encouraged and guided, students progress should be monitored and above all, the administration of schools should well guided and advised on the right moves to make. Thus a major significance of this study is to know the level of input in the schools administration by the parents’ teachers association.

1.6. SCOPE AND OF THE STUDY

This study is restricted to parents, primary and secondary schools in Uyo local government of Awa-Ibom State. In the realization of the role of the parents’ teachers association in schools across the local government. The study will be focused on parents and teachers of various primary and secondary schools in uyo local government Akwa-Ibom state.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

• PTA: parents’ teachers association
• ADMINISTRATION: activities that are done in other to plan organize and run a business, school or other institution.

1.9. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Hypothesis 1

H0: Parents’ teachers association does not influence the overall performance of teachers in schools.

H1: Parents’ teachers association influences the overall performance of teachers in schools.

Hypothesis 2

H0: Parents’ teachers association does not influence the overall performance of their wards in schools.

H1: Parents’ teachers association does not influence the overall performance of their wards in schools.

Hypothesis 3

H0: there is no relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers association and the general educational development in Nigeria.

H1: there is a relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers association and the general educational development in Nigeria.