CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education is often thought to be the true engine of a country’s progress. This is because educated people contribute to the advancement of scientific, social – economic, and political structures that benefit individuals, families, and society as a whole. In light of these ideals, education in the twenty-first century must equip children to operate effectively as adults (Danladi, 2010). However, Nigerian schools are the least prepared to adjust to the daily bombardment of new knowledge and practices, owing to a variety of difficulties ranging from academic staff strikes to inadequate school plant design to a lack of funding for infrastructural improvement. This is demonstrated by the assertion that instructors are handicapped by insufficient training and resources, making it difficult for teachers to prepare pupils for the new development. The school buildings themselves, which house instructors and students, obstruct rather than facilitate effective teaching procedures (Aloga, 2014).
School plant planning, which includes instructional areas, administrative spaces, circulation spaces, restrooms, and accessories, is critical to the teaching-learning process. The degree to which these spaces can support teaching and learning is determined by their position within the school site, their construction, and their accessories. It is considered that a well-planned school plant would optimize educational outcomes by facilitating students’ social, political, and economic emancipation, as well as effective teaching and learning processes and academic success (Adesina, 2011).
Oluchukwu (2000) argued that school plant planning is a necessary component of educational planning, citing the relevance of school plant planning to students’ academic achievement. He continued by stating that without well-suited schools, well designed facilities, and properly employed and maintained equipment, much teaching and learning may be impossible.
Today’s school facilities in the majority of Nigerian schools are designed to enhance rote learning and further impair pupils’ capacity for autonomous and creative thought. In Nigeria, a typical school facility is often composed of a series of basic classroom constructions – frequently composed of rectangular-shaped walls in which seats, tables, and pupils compete for space. According to Ezeocha (quoted in Aloga, 2014), insufficient physical facilities can result in undesired personal behaviors, and big group interaction activities such as sports/games and theatre cannot be done efficiently without sufficient physical space and equipment.
While Oyesola (2007) emphasized the relevance of school plant planning to students’ learning outcomes, he claimed that the primary purpose of school plant planning is to meet educational goals established by educational planners. He underlined that better planned school plants will support better school programs and community requirements by providing a space for students and teachers’ psychological and physical safety, as well as increasing the quality and quantity of education.
Similarly, Ajayi (2007) asserted that high-quality student learning outcomes may not be guaranteed if school site planning, instructional space planning, administrative space planning, space of convenience planning, and circulation space planning are inadequate, and the plant components themselves are structurally deficient, inadequately ventilated, and insufficiently spacious for use.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
According to the Akpakpan (2012), many of Nigeria’s secondary schools confront a slew of issues, including inadequate school plant planning, deteriorating facilities, out-of-date design, and capacity utilization constraints. These combined shortcomings degrade the quality of teaching and learning and also present health and safety concerns for faculty and students. Poor school plant design and care jeopardize school management, curriculum delivery, and student academic success.
Additionally, the researcher found during his monitoring visits to many schools that the majority of the school complexes were overgrown, had old buildings with leaking roofs, broken chairs and desks, rough flooring, and windows without louvers. Some of the schools had filthy structures and no lightning, while others had blown-off roofs, indicating a lack of or insufficient planning. Pedro (2012) noted that in most institutions, the roadways leading to the sports field were overgrown with weeds. Appropriate administration and repair of the existing school infrastructure appears to be lacking. The location of schools does not appear to have been a priority for those in charge of them. For example, schools are frequently positioned near business and other noise-generating activities such as autos, neighborhood human debates, and discotheques, all of which disturb pupils’ focus (Akpakpan, 2012).
On the other side, buildings are a source of concern. The majority of school facilities are not painted on a regular basis. They are dilapidated and frequently in shambles, rendering schools dull and unattractive; this equates to the establishment of an extremely hostile study infrastructure that is inhospitable to Nigeria’s children, who must compete for leadership positions with their counterparts in the developed world. During rains, it is typical to see class rooms leak; school infrastructures are inundated with run-off, creating an unpleasant environment for the students (Adeboye, 2019). Once again, all of them appear to be the outcome of insufficient or bad preparation. These are the issues that this research thoroughly examined in the Abakaliki, school infrastructure.
