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OBETTA NELSON KINGS NNIA PG/MED/10/52726

Appraisal of the Performance of Administrative Functions of the

Post Primary Schools Management Board of Enugu State, Nigeria

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Ameh Joseph Jnr

Digitally Signed by: Content manager’s Name

DN : CN = Webmaster’s name

O= University of Nigeria, Nsukka

OU = Innovation Centre

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CERTIFICATION

OBETTA NELSON KINGS NNIA, a post-graduate student in the

Department of Educational Foundations with Registration Number

PG/MED/10/52726, has satisfactorily completed the research work for the

award of Masters in Education (MED) in Educational Administration and

Planning.

The work on this thesis is novel and has not been submitted in part or

whole for any degree of this or any other university.

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ABSTRACT The study was on Appraisal of the Performance of Administrative Functions

of the Post Primary Schools Management Board of Enugu State, Nigeria.

The main thrust of the study was to appraise the implementation strategies

of the Board in the performance of administrative functions which include,

financial management, staff personnel administration, supervision of

instruction, maintenance of physical facilities and supply of instructional

materials. The population comprised the administrative staff of the Post

Primary Schools Management Board on one hand, and Principals of School

on the other. A total population of seven hundred and twenty-two (722) of

both the administrative staff and principals of school was used for the study.

From the population, a sample of three hundred and sixty-five (365) was

composed using balloting with replacement approach. Five research

questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.

Cronbachs Alpha statistics was used to determine the reliability of the

instrument at an overall internal consistency value of 0.97. Mean scores and

standard deviations were used to answer the research questions, while the t-

test statistics was used to test the two null hypotheses at 0.05, level of

significance. The findings of the study revealed that the Post Primary

Schools management Board of Enugu State is not very effective in the

performance of its administrative functions of financial management,

personnel administration, supervision of instruction, maintenance of

physical facilities and supply of instructional materials. It was based on the

findings that it was recommended that all the stakeholders of secondary

education (government, principals, community leaders and policy makers)

should come together as a team and articulate ideas on how best to grapple

with the problems associated with these administrative functions to enhance

meaningful learning outcomes in our schools.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The study could not have been a success without the contribution of

others in different capacities. My deepest gratitude goes to the Almighty

God for directing my part throughout the duration of this programme. My

special regard goes to my able supervisor, Dr. S.C Ugwoke who read the

work in-between the lines and offered me the best academic advising I have

ever had. I am also highly indebted to my readers, Dr. (Mrs} A.I.

Oboegbulem and Dr. P.N. Onwuasoanya, whose intellectual critique and

advising made the work a success. I also wish to appreciate my wife Amaka

who saw reasons with me to shed some domestic chores in the pursuit of

this programme.

I also wish to recognize my data entry operators – Mrs. Jane Imoh,

Regina Udeanor and Obioma Ngwoke, who in spite of their tight schedules

were able to give the typesetting of the work good attention. I also

appreciate all my colleagues who had course to share with my inadequacies

during this study Thank you and may God bless all of you.

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APPROVAL

This project work has been approved for the Department of Educational

Foundations, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

____________________________

_________________________

DR. S. C. UGWOKE DR (MRS) A.I.OBOEGBULEM SUPERVISOR

INTERNAL EXAMINER

____________________________

_________________________

PROF G.C. UNACHUKWU DR. D.U

NGWOKE EXTERNAL EXAMINER HEAD OF

DEPARMENT

_____________________________

PROF IKE IFELUMNI

DEAN FACULTY OF EDUCATION

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DEDICATION

To my children – CHUKWUEMEZUE, NNAJIOFOR AND

CHIMDIOGO

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Education plays a very vital role in the development of a

nation. This is because it is a springboard for the development of

other sectors of the economy. The success of the education sector

rests on the efficacy of its administration. In other words, schools

can only achieve objectives as stated in the National Policy on

Education if its administration is taken seriously. This is because its

outcome determines the success of the education sector.

Administration has been defined variedly by different authors.

Peretomode (1990) views administration as concerned with the

performance of executive duties, the carrying out of policies or

decisions to fulfill a purpose, and the controlling of the day-to-day

running of an organization. Mgbodile (2004) defined administration

as the process in which a group of people at the top echelon of an

organization plan, organize, communicate, coordinate, control and

direct the activities of those who work in the organization with a view

to achieving the objectives of such organization. According to Jones

and George (2003) administration is the planning, organizing,

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directing and controlling of human and other resources for the

achievement of organizational goals, both effectively and efficiently.

The above definitions centre on the fact that administration is

concerned with the coordination of a set of activities for the

attainment of articulated objectives. Administration of schools

therefore is a process of attaining educational goals through effective

and efficient allocation of scarce resources. According to the Federal

Republic of Nigeria (2004) as enshrined in the National Policy on

Education, administration of schools includes the management of

financial resources, personnel administration, supervision of

instruction, maintenance of adequate physical facilities and the

provision of instructional materials, among others.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) noted that post-primary

education is the education children receive after primary education,

and before tertiary stage. This form of education is geared towards

preparing the individual for both useful living within the society and

also for higher education. In order to achieve these objectives,

Enugu state government constituted the Post Primary Schools

Management Board for proper administration of secondary schools.

The present Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board is

an offshoot of the defunct Anambra State Schools Board, which

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came into being with the creation of Anambra state in 1976. It was

the body charged with the responsibility of the management and

administration of both primary and secondary schools, as contained

in the defunct Anambra State Edict No. 8 of 1986. However, in the

year 1988, in order to further address the problems of education, the

federal government promulgated a decree establishing the National

Primary Education Commission (NPEC). With this development, the

federal government directed that all states of the federation should

established separate boards or commissions responsible for the

management of Primary and Secondary Schools, respectively. It was

at the instance of this that the former Anambra state government

dissolved the state school board in 1988, and promulgated Edict No

10 of 1989 that established the Anambra State Schools Board. This

board metamorphosed into Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board (PPSMB) as a result of the creation of Enugu

state in 1991. Since the creation of Enugu State, the Post Primary

Schools Management Board has been in charge of the administration

of secondary schools in the state, as contained in the Edict No. 42 of

1991. The same edict confers on the state governor the authority to

constitute the board as the need arises.

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The Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board on

creation was saddled with the following administrative functions as

contained in Section 8 of Edict No. 42 of 1991.

- Management of all post primary schools within the state;

- Mapping out different strategies for staff development;

- Appraisal and promotion of all calibre of staff in post primary

institutions;

- Preparation and payment of personal emoluments to all staff of

Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board;

- Disciplining of staff;

- Establishment of conditions of service for Enugu State Post

Primary Schools Board staff, subject to the approval of the

Commissioner of Education;

- Posting and transferring of non-tutorial staff of Enugu State

Post Primary Schools Management Board.

- Posting and transferring of principals, and vice-principals

subject to the approval of the Commissioner for Education.

The Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board in

order to perform the above administrative functions creditably has

four structured departments. These are Finance and Supplies, School

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Services department, Planning department, and Research and

Statistics department. The channel of communication between and

among these departments can be clearly seen in the organizational

structure of Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board

(see appendix i). Through these departments, the Enugu State Post

Primary Schools Management Board has been striving to meet up

with its administrative functions.

However, with such structure above, it is expected that the

Post Primary Schools Management Board should carry out its

functions creditably, but contrary to people’s expectations, it seems

to have failed. The situation is such that there are reported cases of

inadequacies in the implementation of the administrative functions.

There had been reported cases that Post Primary Schools

Management Board does not monitor the status of existing physical

facilities in schools (Ezegbe, 2003). Lack of physical facilities and

maintenance of available ones in our schools are good indicators that

Post Primary Schools Management Board is not serious in the

management of physical facilities. Eze (1999) noted that there has

been serious dearth of physical facilities in our schools and the

existing ones are so dilapidated that they are yearning for attention.

In his own remark, Nnadi (2004) noted that school boards do not

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organize capacity building workshops and seminars to keep teachers

abreast with recent developments. This has made most teachers to

continue to adopt old methods of teaching. In the same vein,

Ogbonnaya (2000) pointed out that there had been delays in the

payment of teachers’ emoluments. Ogbonnaya further noted that

this delay had compelled most teachers to engage in what they refer

to as private practice as a survival strategy.

There are also lapses in the financial management of schools

by the Post Primary Schools Management Board. It has been

affirmed that the integrity of Post Primary Schools Management

Board in carrying out its financial obligations is questionable (Ezegbe,

2003). Nwankwo (2000) noted that school finance officers have

failed to conduct regular audit of school accounts, and as such have

continued to deprive schools the opportunity to attract external

funding, especially from community philanthropists.

In furtherance to the pursuit of effective administration, the

Enugu State Edict of 1998 created the existing six education zones

namely, Agbani, Awgu, Enugu, Nsukka, Obollo-Afor and Udi

education zones. This was to ensure grassroots and effective

administration and control of the 275 secondary schools in the state.

The same edict conferred on the Chief Supervising Principal, who is

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the administrative head of each respective zone, the duty of

overseeing the administrative functions of posting, transfer,

supervision and placement of students in the bid to ensure that there

are no administrative lapses. The four existing departments at the

headquarters also exist at the zonal level, with the same channel of

communication that flows from top to bottom.

The above are pointers that there are implementation problems

of the administrative functions of the Post Primary Schools

Management Board of Enugu State. As a result, there is the

necessity of appraising the current performance of the administrative

functions of the Post Primary Schools Management Board in terms of

financial management, personnel administration, supervision of

instruction, maintenance of adequate physical facilities and the

provision of adequate instructional materials.

Statement of the Problem

The Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board,

which was constituted for proper administration of secondary

schools, was charged with various administrative functions such as

management of financial resources, personnel administration,

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supervision of instructional, maintenance of physical facilities and

supply of instructional materials.

For the above administrative functions to be achieved there

were also strategies mapped out to ensure goal attainment. Such

strategies include proper recruitment and selection, use of financial

manuals in the management of school finance, organizing capacity

building workshops and seminars for teachers, proper supervision of

instruction and maintenance of physical facilities.

The above strategies as captured by the Federal Republic of

Nigeria in the National Policy on Education are far from being

realized. This is quite unfortunate as it has impeded on the

realization of the objectives of secondary education. For instance,

the mode of recruitment is far from being standardized. For now, it is

only based on ‘show your certificate’. This is of course the least of

recruitment and selection process as certificates could be got either

by hook or crook. Also it has been reported that most of the

administrative heads of these schools (i.e. the principals) lack basic

accounting knowledge that could help them in the management of

school finance. This has made funds allotted to schools to be

misappropriated.

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Moreover, there has been evidence of frigidity on the part of

teachers. No in-service training such as seminars, conferences and

workshops for updating their knowledge. Absence of this showed

how depleted in knowledge teachers of secondary schools are. There

are also problems of supervision. There are very few trained

supervisors. In the face of untrained supervisors is the existence of

logistic problems that mar the performance of school supervisors.

There are no pre- and post-supervisory meetings for supervisors.

From the fore-going therefore, it is obvious to state that the

administrative functions of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board is far from being realized. The problem of this

study centres on finding out the extent to which administrative

functions are being implemented.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to appraise the performance

of administrative functions of Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board. Specifically the study seeks to:

1) Determine the extent the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board performs its functions in the area of

financial management;

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2) Ascertain the extent to which the Enugu State Post Primary

Schools Management Board is effective in area of personnel

administration;

3) Determine the extent of the effectiveness of the Enugu State

Post Primary Schools Management Board in the area of

supervision of instruction;

4) Ascertain the degree of effectiveness of the Board in the

management of physical facilities;

5) Identify the extent the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board performs its functions in the area of

instructional material;

Significance of the Study

This study is quite relevant from both theoretical and practical

point of view. From the theoretical perspective, the study is allied to

the bureaucratic theory of Max Weber (1864) which states that for

an organization to achieve its goals, it must maintain a pyramidal

organizational structure in which all power for making decisions flows

from super-ordinates to subordinates. The choice of this theory is

based on the fact that organizational structure has been the

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framework that determines the success or failure of any

organization.

From the practical point of view the findings if applied will be

useful to principals, bursars and other finance officers on how best to

make use of financial management manuals for judicious handling of

schools funds. The findings will also enable members of Post Primary

Schools Management Board understand the need for workshops and

seminars for school principals, bursars and account officers. This will

instill discipline and prudence in the management of school funds.

Similarly, it will be of immense benefit to both principal and teachers

such that it will instill discipline in them. This will enable them to be

committed to their job, instead of engaging in truancy and private

practice.

The findings of the study will enable school administrators

understand how they will apply the implementation strategies in

areas of personnel administration, which include the processes of

recruitment, selection, promotion and dismissal of staff. It will also

enable them to understand the importance of staff welfare. The

result of the study if adhered to will be of immense benefit to both

policy makers and implementers in mapping out good strategies for

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effective supervision, procurement and distribution of instructional

materials.

Furthermore, the study will also guide board members on

mapping out good strategies for effective supervision. It will reveal

to them the need to have trained supervisors, as well as the

provision of logistic support to enable the supervisors carry out their

duties. In the same vein, the finding will also enable the board

ensure that schools’ physical facilities are adequate. The board will

also realize the need for maintenance of existing structures, instead

of allowing them to deteriorate beyond repair.

Lastly, the findings will be beneficial to the students and the

larger society. This is because if these implementation strategies are

carried out, excellent and disciplined students will be turned out who

will be the future leaders of this nation.

Scope of the Study

The study is on the appraisal of the performance of

administrative functions of the Post Primary Schools Management

Board of Enugu State. It has its setting at the Post Primary Schools

Management Board headquarters at Enugu, as well as the six

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education zones, which include Agbani, Awgu, Enugu, Nsukka,

Obollo-Afor and Udi.

The following administrative functions formed the content

scope of the study: financial management, personnel administration,

supervision of instruction, management of physical facilities and

supply of instructional materials.

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the

study:

1. To what extent does the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board performs its functions in the area of

finance?

2. To what extent is the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board effective in the area of personnel

administration?

3. To what extent is the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board effective on supervision of instruction?

4. To what extent does the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board performs its functions in the management

of physical facilities?

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5. To what extent is the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board effective in the supply of instructional

materials?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the

study and will be tested at 0.05, level of significance:

HO1: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of

administrative staff of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board and principals of schools on the

performance of the PPSMB in the area of financial

management;

HO2: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of

administrative staff of Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board and principals of schools on the

performance of the PPSMB in the area of personnel

administration.

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CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The review of relevant literature for the study was done under the

following sub-heads: conceptual framework, theoretical framework,

review of empirical studies, summary of literature review, and

historical development of Post Primary Schools Management Board.

1. Conceptual Framework

Concept of administration

Concept of educational administration

Concept of administrative functions:

Historical development of Post Primary Schools Management Board;

2. Theoretical Framework

Bureaucratic theory of Max Weber

Administrative theory of Henry Fayol

3. Review of Empirical Studies

4. Summary of Related Literature

The Concept of Administration

Administration is the science or art of achieving goals through

people. Literally, it can be interpreted to mean “looking over” – i.e.

making sure people do what they are supposed to do. Koonz and

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Weihrich (1990) defined administration as a process of designing and

making an environment in which individuals, working together in

groups, efficiently accomplish selected aims. Eresimadu (2001)

postulated that the science of administration is the system of

knowledge whereby man may understand relations, predict results

and influence outcomes in situations where men are organised at

work, together for a common purpose. In his own contribution,

Ezeocha (1990) noted that administration is the process of directing

and controlling life in a social organization. Writing on this,

Peretomode in Mgbodile (2004) observed that administration

concerns itself with the performance of executive duties, the carrying

out of policies and decisions to fulfill the purpose and controlling of

the day-to-day running of an organization. This means that the

central purpose of administration in any organization is that of

coordinating the efforts of people towards the achievement of

organizational goals.

In the views of Edem (2003), administration is the planning and

organization of activities and resources aimed at fulfilling the goals of

a particular organization. Edem further stated that such activities

involve: describing tasks to be performed to accomplish given

objectives; assigning these tasks to carefully selected and trained

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personnel; making the personnel perform efficiently by using the

tools provided for them; and coordinating some formal structures

which permit a hierarchical allocation of responsibilities with a

communication flow.

The above definition by Edem is in agreement with the

assertion of Ukeje (2001) that administration is concerned with

applying rules, procedures, policies already determined in a way that

allows the accomplishment of defined common objectives within an

organizational setting. Ukeje further emphasized that it is an

institutional position held by an incumbent, given the responsibility

for offering leadership to a work group in order to achieve pre-

determined objectives.

From the above, it can be deduced that administration is

crucial in every human endeavour. This is because it involves the

efficient and effective utilization of resources (human, material and

finance) in the right proportion for the attainment of common goals.

The essence of administration is in the implementation of plans,

policies and programmes that have been determined in an institution

or organization.

Administration can succinctly be defined as the ability to

control and organize factor resources in an organization for the

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achievement of organizational goals. This means that the

administrator is a coordinator who combines all the resources

available in the right proportion at the right time to achieve the pre-

determined goals of the enterprise. In essence, it follows that if

administration is impaired, objectives are difficult to achieve.

Therefore, administration helps organizations to achieve articulated

objectives. With administration, human beings, activities and things

are directed and controlled for the achievement of organizational

goals.

In summary, administration is the planning, organizing,

coordinating and controlling the activities of people within an

organization for the attainment of set goals. In his own view, Urwick

(2004) noted that administration involves planning activities which

aim at the fulfillment of goals of a particular organization. He further

stressed that to administer means to control, handle or make things

happen in various circumstances. The central purpose of

administration in any organization is that of coordinating a group of

people towards the attainment of common goals.

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The Concept of Educational Administration

Educational administration as defined by Nwankwo (2002) is

the arrangement of human and material resources and programmes

available for education and carefully using them systematically in the

accomplishment of educational objectives. He further noted that

educational administration implies the arrangement of the human,

material, financial, time and other resources and programmes made

available for education and their effective utilization to achieve that

which an educational system is set to achieve. Peretomode (2002)

emphasized that educational administration involves the application

of the various principles, taxonomies and theories of management or

organization of education. According to him, the basic purpose of

educational administration is to enhance teaching and learning. In

other words, educational administration is not an end in itself but a

means to an end.

While differentiating educational managers from educational

administrators, Peretomode pointed out that educational managers

are those who plan and formulate educational policies and

programmes, while educational administrators are those who carry

out or implement these educational policies and programmes as soon

as and after they are formulated. Arising from these definitions is

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that an educational administrator, whether he operates from the

federal, state, or local level or from the ministry of education, state

school board or at the school level is essentially and functionally a

planner, organizer, coordinator, director, controller, reviewer or

evaluator of plans, policies and programmes (Adepoju, 2006). The

major function of an educational administrator is concerned with

analyzing and interpreting the general plans and policies for

education and making specific plans for implementing these plans

and policies in his school, in accordance with the specific situation

existing in his school (Nwankwo, 1999). The following deductions,

according to Ogbonnaya (2009:27) can be derived from the

definitions of educational administration:

- Educational administration involves the activities of planning

and organizing resources for the attainment of objectives of a

school;

- Educational administration involves staffing, providing the

personnel (teaching and non-teaching) who will assist or

contribute to the achievement of the objectives of education;

- Educational administration is concerned with procuring and

managing the human and material resources necessary for the

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support and maintenance of the organization and its

performance.

The import of the above definitions is that for goals to be

achieved there must be someone who is an administrator that

coordinates other resources for the achievement of common goals. It

can therefore be summed up that educational administration implies

effective and efficient application and execution of educational plans,

policies and programmes through appropriate and judicious use of

available human, material, financial and other resources allocated to

education. It can also be established from the definitions above that

educational administration is the process through which all human

efforts and materials are appropriately mobilized and harnessed

towards the realization of the goals of schools.

Administration and management are sometimes used

interchangeably but it must be noted that administration is wider in

scope than management. According to Ezeocha (1996),

administration and management are inseparable. Both terms are

used interchangeably in this study. The basic difference is that while

educational managers plan and formulate educational policies and

programmes, educational administrators carryout or implement these

educational policies and programmes as soon as they are

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formulated. Ogbonnaya (2009) summarized management as a

directed social process which involves planning, organizing, staffing,

leadership, directing, controlling and coordinating the efforts of

people towards the achievement of common goals.

Administrative problems are perceived when people come

together for the achievement of common goals. In order to handle

these problems, an administrator needs to develop a workable

structure, called the organizational structure. According to

Thompson (1997), organizational structure is the internal

differentiation and pattern of relationships between and among the

various positions and roles in an enterprise. Formal structures in an

organization according to Jones and George (2003) is the process of

structuring working relationships that permit organizational members

to interact and cooperate to achieve organizational objectives

The organizational structure of Enugu State Post Primary

Schools Management Board (see appendix i) x-rays the positions,

functions and responsibilities of the departments and units in the

Board. The organizational structure clearly reveals that the line of

authority flows from top to bottom. It is through this organizational

framework that the Board works as a system. It is through the

framework of responsibilities, authority and duties that all resources

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of an enterprise are brought together and coordinated for the

achievement of organizational objectives (Eyse, 1999). Ezeocha

(1990) postulated that secondary school principals encounter

problems arising from the organizational and functional structure of

the nation’s educational agencies. Most of the problems principals of

secondary school have, do not always lie on in-effective leadership,

rather it could be traced to lack of coordination and organizational

inadequacies that plague Nigeria’s educational system. Continuing,

Ezeocha noted that the problem of over-centralisation of function in

our educational agencies is that in most cases principals and

teachers have to approach the headquarters for most of their needs.

Ezeocha lamented that this practice undermines initiative and

creativity of the principals.

On the other hand, decentralization does not connote transfer

of power to subordinate units in an organization; instead it

recognizes changes in the organization’s administrative structure.

Decentralization should go with concurrent authority such as to

enable individual school principals the power to take certain

decisions in the face of exigencies. Okeke (2008) posited that at

present, a school principal in most parts of the country cannot fill any

admission vacancies in his school without prior reference to the

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board. For instance, the school may be handicapped in some subject

areas, but the principal is not allowed to make any urgent

employment to stabilize the situation, until appropriate arrangements

are made through the board. Over centralization could destroy local

initiatives that could be useful in solving administrative problems.

The dynamic nature of the educational system entails the necessity

of decentralizing administration to some degree in order to achieve

the overall goals of our educational system. However, Haag (1997)

argued that decentralization often raises the problem of the division

of authority within the education system. The degree of

decentralization should depend on the degree to which authority is

delegated. However, no organization should allow itself a degree of

decentralization that will threaten the cohesion of the whole

organization.

The Concept of Administrative Functions:

The management of post primary schools is carried out under the

following administrative functions which include: funding or financial

management, staff-personnel, supervision, maintenance of physical

facilities and supply of instructional materials. These are discussed

hereunder:

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Funding

The place of education in human endeavor cannot be

underestimated. This is because education is the pivot on which all

other sectors of the economy revolve. Perhaps, this accounts for the

reason why education is accepted world over as a very important

venture. Fund is a factor which contributes to the success of

educational programmes. Therefore, the provision of infrastructure

and payment of workers’ salaries are dependent on the availability of

fund.

Financial resources in schools according to Ezeuchu (2006)

consist of money or funds necessary for the payment of staff

salaries, procurement and maintenance of materials and equipment.

It is an important resource that contributes significantly to the

success of the education sector. Financial management therefore, is

concerned with the acquisition, financing and management of assets

with overall goals in mind (Jones and John, 1993). Ndu, Ocho and

Okeke (1997) in their own view pointed out that management of

school financial resources refers to that phase of school

administration that is primarily concerned with procuring,

expending, accounting, organizing and maintaining financial

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resources in an effective manner in the achievement of educational

goals.

Funding of education is the usual ways employed to provide for

the expenditures involved in staffing, equipping and maintenance of

educational institutions (Ezeocha 2003). On his own part, Ogbonnaya

(2000) emphasized the need for judicious spending of school funds

in order to achieve educational objectives when he noted that the

central purpose of financial management, whether in government,

business or individual level is the making use of funds so mobilized in

the most effective and efficient manner. This he continued is

predicated on the fact that resources are scarce and that all efforts

should be made by educational administrators and planners to

ensure optimal utilization of funds. Buttressing the importance of

funding in education, Nwosu (2005) postulated that it is self-evident

that most of the problems connected with the maintenance of

qualitative education hinge principally on adequate financing of

education. He stressed that if financing is poor, teachers will not be

well trained and motivated, materials for instruction and

infrastructure as well as supervision and instruction will be poor.

Poor funding of schools has been a persistent feature of our

educational system. Schools have always been subjected to the crisis

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of poor funding and judicious expenditure of available funds. It is a

well-known fact that without adequate fund, the Enugu state PPSMB

cannot execute its duties both effectively and efficiently. Writing on

adequacy of fund, Bray (2002) pointed out that adequate funding

and timely release of approved financial allocation to educational

institutions constitute a formidable determinant of educational

quality. Ogbonnaya (2005) noted that educational programmes in

Nigeria have been a difficult task as a result of problem of statistical

data, political instability, lack of stable policies, diversion of funds,

and limited sources of fund. Therefore, if the PPSMB must strive to

see to the attainment of the objectives of secondary education in

Enugu state, it must be adequately funded by both the state

government and other education agencies, and above all device a

means of managing the funds judiciously.

Education is a social service which is very expensive.

Therefore, for a successful implementation of education programmes

there must be adequate financial provision. The cost of funding

education as noted by Ezeocha (1990) has been rising steadily to the

extent that the government is finding it absolutely difficult to fund it

alone. There are evidences of increased enrolments and its

associated costs against apparent decline in national income.

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According to him, it is also an indication that increased demand for

qualitative education does not justify saddling the government with

all issues connected with the finance. It is now obvious to state that

there is the need to discover other sources of fund to augment the

government source. This is in consonance with the provisions of the

Federal Ministry of Education (2004) that government welcomes and

encourages the participation of local communities, individuals and

other organizations in funding education. Thus, through the joint

efforts of parents, local communities, government and other

organizations, a substantial amount of money will be realized for

proper funding.

In Enugu state, funding of secondary education is under the

state ministry of education. However, the state ministry operates

through the Post Primary Schools Management Board which has

direct contact with various schools. Incidentally, funds released to

PPSMB for the management of secondary schools is a far cry for the

accomplishment of educational objectives. It is of note that the

inability of schools to maintain its services is as a result of insufficient

fund. Financial resources should be considered a prerequisite for the

planning of any education programme in Nigeria (Nwosu 2008).

35

Staff Personnel

This refers to the human resources of an organization which

include both skilled and non-skilled manpower. The word personnel

according to BBC English Dictionary (1992) means people that work

in organizations. It can also be defined as the process of controlling

and organizing the people working in an organization for the

accomplishment of goals. Oboegbulem (2004) defined staff

personnel administration as manpower or human resources

management in an organization. She stated that it refers to

manpower activities of any organization which includes recruitment

of staff, staff maintenance, training and development, compensation,

personnel policies and evaluation of staff for educational purposes.

Ezeocha (1990) stated that staff personnel administration today

stresses not only on personnel relationships but also on personnel

attitude. Eresimadu and Nduka (2001) argued that personnel

administration involves the planning, organizing, directing and

controlling of the performance of those operative functions of

procurement, development, compensation, integration and

maintenance of staff in an organization. It is evident from the above

that personnel administration, whether it is applied to a school

situation or business enterprise recognizes two broad aspects of

36

functions – managerial and operative. The formulation of broad

policy guidelines is the function of top management, while the

operatives have no authority over others, i.e. they perform specific

tasks under the managerial supervision. In concise terms, staff

personnel administration can be described as the laying down of

procedures for the employment of personnel and the provision of

adequate remuneration for them.

According to Oboegbulem (2004) staff personnel administration

forms an important responsibility of the school administration in

achieving the goals of the school in particular and education in

general. Staff in secondary schools include not only the teachers,

but also the non-teaching staff, such as clerks, labourers, drivers,

cooks and laboratory attendants. Teaching and non-teaching staff

are the most important weapons in the hands of the administrator in

achieving educational objectives. This, according to her is because

they can make or mar any school and its programmes. The author

sees personnel administration as a responsibility of those who

manage people, as well as being a description of the work of those

who are employed as specialists. Personnel administration is that

aspect of management which is concerned with people at work and

their relationship with an enterprise.

37

Staff personnel administration rests on the understanding that

the end result of the education process will be determined by the

effectiveness of the school staff. Brown, Robbins and Coulter (2006)

are of the opinion that greater effectiveness in the school operations

will be achieved if the school board, the teachers and the community

cooperate with the school administrator in the improvement of

personnel programmes. This can be achieved if a conducive

atmosphere is created for staff satisfaction while on the job. It is

important to note that staff personnel administration is a vital part of

any organisation. Homans (2005) noted that if organizations are to

carry out their functions well, human agents are very crucial to the

tasks. He further stated that all activities involved in acquiring,

recruiting or retaining creative and productive staff in this regard, are

critical responsibilities of administration and are frequently referred

to as personnel functions.

Effective staff personnel administration is very important

because it makes plans for the development of its employees. They

have the obligation to seek and provide opportunities for their

workers to grow professionally. Personnel administration determines

the end result of the education process through maximum

effectiveness of school personnel’s provisions. This can be secured

38

through deliberate and co-operative efforts by the public, the board

and staff in general.

The importance of staff personnel administration may be

recognized by noting that personnel make the system. The school

board is made up of people who should be properly guided and

directed for goal accomplishment. This is why Jones and George

(2003) pointed out that formal structure, rules, regulations,

programmes of study may be developed, but they take on

significance only as people employ them. The way of life in schools is

of paramount importance. The achievement of a desirable way of

living is the challenge of those interested in personnel administration.

The achievement of school purpose is dependent upon the extent to

which all personnel develop and re-examine certain goals and find

genuine satisfaction in participation in work towards achieving the

purpose. This means that care must be taken in the recruitment and

selection process.

Recruitment is concerned with the selection of required number

of people to be screened for a job, measuring their quality and

attempting to predict future behaviour (Oboegbulem, 2004).

Selection, on the other hand is seen by the same author as assessing

the candidates by various means, making a choice and finally making

39

an offer of employment. Recruitment and selection are very

important functions of staff personnel administration. Their role in

personnel administration is so vital that if carried out ineffectively

and or haphazardly, the consequences on the organization will be

disastrous.

Staff recruitment and selection in schools are usually the

responsibility of the school board. The recruitment exercise is

designed in such a way that qualified teachers are recruited, that are

likely to contribute to the attainment of the educational goals. As a

matter of fact, it is a crusade to attract a crop of prospective

qualified candidates to fill the existing vacancies. This can be put

succinctly as sourcing for quality applicants with concern for today

and future needs of the education enterprises. Selection is a

procedure for choosing the best candidates from the prospective

candidates formed from those who have applied for the job.

Therefore, staff personnel administration in schools as applicable in

the school boards includes recruitment, orientations of staff,

placement of teachers on the job, providing staff needs, maintaining

and improving services of staff, retention of staff and development

programmes (Homans, 2005).

40

In the Post Primary Schools Management Board of Enugu

state, the main functions of the personnel unit include: appointment

of tutorial and non-tutorial staff; promotion and disciplining of staff;

staff training and welfare; establishment matters; maintenance of

personnel records; serves as secretariat for personnel management

committee; liaising with relevant outside bodies; and overseeing the

management of transport facilities (Ezeuchu,2006).

Supervision

The Federal Ministry of Education (2004) emphasized the

importance of education in the development of a nation. As a result,

people are becoming very conscious of the practices in our school

system.

Supervision has been variously defined by different authors.

Ezeocha (1990) defined supervision as all efforts of designated

school officials aimed at providing leadership to teachers and other

education workers in the improvement of instruction. Buttressing

further, he continued by stating that supervision is that phase of

administration which deals primarily with the achievement of the

appropriate selected instructional expectations of educational

services (Ezeocha, 1990). The above definitions suggest that

41

supervision is a process of guiding, directing and stimulating growth

with the overall aim of improving teaching and learning. In other

words, it is concerned with ways of making teachers’ work very

effective and also making students learn well so that the school

system can achieve its fundamental goals.

The Federal Ministry of Education (2004) in the National Policy

on Education developed ideas, challenges and responsibilities which

call for new teaching techniques. Therefore, if the quality of

instructions is to be improved, the teachers who are charged with

the responsibility of implementing the curricular programmes need to

be helped, guided and supervised. Adesina (1990) maintained that

supervision does not imply ‘policing’ which is the type found in

today’s school system. He was of the view that actual supervision

involves giving guidance to members of the school system so that

they can be self directing, or so that they can function effectively

with minimum supervision. It provides an avenue for stimulating

growth in the learning process and situation, and helping teachers to

help themselves.

One essential quality of the supervisor is good human

relationship. To work very effectively with large number of people,

the supervisor needs to relate with others very well. Other such

42

personal qualities are friendliness, humility, intuition through

thoughtfulness, a sense of humour and above all, be a good listener.

These personal qualities according to the author will indeed enable

the supervisor to lead, motivate, perceive and communicate better.

As a result, the supervisor must endeavour to improve her personal,

educational and professional growth in the interest of his job.

In Enugu State, supervision of secondary schools is done by

both the state ministry of education and the Post Primary Schools

Management Board. While the Ministry of Education supervises

schools through the inspectorate, the Post Primary Schools

Management Board does its own through the zonal offices. In the

Post Primary Schools Management Board, School Services

department is responsible for supervision (see appendix i). The

department organises and carries out supervision in all schools within

their respective zones. They visit schools at interims and make their

recommendations to the commissioner for education, especially in

areas such as repairs of old building, provision of furniture, and

establishment of new schools where such becomes a necessity.

Sometimes, the supervisors observe teachers while in class teaching

and summon them for their observations. It is the supervisor that

determines whether the teacher is following the curriculum or not.

43

They also check other things as sitting arrangement and use of

instructional materials.

According to the schedule of duty of the School Services

department (2012), the supervision unit of the Post Primary Schools

Management Board, carries out their supervision in three phases.

The first is monitoring which is done within the first two weeks of re-

opening of schools. This is to determine the response of both

teachers and students towards punctuality to school. The second

phase is the spot-check supervision. This is designed to check the

school records such as the attendance book, the class register, the

school diary and the students’ notebooks. In spot check, supervisors

also watch teachers as they teach in their various classes. The third

and last phase is the full management supervision. This is a full

scale supervision aimed at looking at every aspect of the school such

as the curriculum, physical facilities, instructional materials and even

their financial records.

The supervisory duties above are seldom done because of a

number of constraints, both political and social. In most cases,

members of Post Primary Schools Management Board are mere

politicians and not education managers. As such, they do not have

the commitment to the job. Thus, if members of the board know

44

little or nothing about supervision, how can they plan and effectively

implement supervisory programmes in schools? Members of the

Board have so much powers that every bill passes through them. In

such cases, supervisors at the zonal level find it difficult to initiate

and execute any supervisory activity without recourse to the

headquarters.

The second challenge is absence of staff development. The

school principal who ought to be the chief supervisor at the school

level receives no supervisory training. Ede (1999) noted that the

board finds it very difficult to organize workshops, seminars, or in-

service training for supervisors to enable them update their

knowledge on modern supervision. Lack of staff development is a

serious problem in Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management

Board. Egele (2008) noted that secondary schools lack instructional

materials which ought to be identified during supervision and

properly handled by the appropriate authority. Another problem

facing supervision is lack of adequate time by supervisors. Aiyepeku

(1997) is of the opinion that lack of adequate time by supervisors to

work with teachers can act as a constraint to supervision of

instruction. For instance, when a supervisor arrives in a school late,

45

he hurriedly ‘supervises’ the teachers with less concentration, maybe,

he has other schools to cover.

Lamenting on this, Alfonso and Goldsberry (1997) noted that

supervisors simply do not have adequate time in performing their

duties, especially in cases where they are also administrators. He

further stated that supervision requires good number of both human

and material resources. In Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board, there is lack of vehicles to go to schools for

supervisory exercises. Even when there are vehicles, there will be

no money to fuel them. This, they term logistic problems which are

critical constraints to the performance of their duties. Nwankwo

(2001) lamented that enough fund for the implementation of

supervisory programmes is lacking in Enugu State Post Primary

Schools Management Board. This, according to him is evident in

about 80% of secondary schools in Enugu State.

Physical Facilities

A major issue or determinant on how effective an academic

programme is, is the evaluation of its physical facilities available for

teaching and learning. Physical facilities refer to school buildings,

school location, equipment and other materials provided in the

46

school for the purpose of teaching and learning (Ndu, Okpara and

Okeke, 1997). Buttressing further, they stated that it includes all

fixed and mobile structures in the school such as the classroom,

furniture, chalkboard, chalk, laboratory, audio and visual aids. In the

words of Adesina (1990) he pointed out that the quality of education

that our children receive bears direct relevance on the availability or

lack of physical facilities, and the overall atmosphere in which

learning takes place. This follows that any agency responsible for the

administration of education programmes should note that physical

facilities in schools should match with the population of the students,

if the overall aim of education will be achieved.

Nwankwo (2002) noted that availability of physical facilities in

secondary schools is a serious matter in Nigeria. This area, according

to him has been constantly neglected by education planners in such

a manner that most of the time, education development plans only

emphasize availability of teachers, with a limited sum of money at

such specified period. Lamenting on this matter, Adesina (1990)

observed that the post independent Nigeria saw most of the primary

and secondary school buildings no better than they were during the

colonial period. The above is good enough to prove that physical

facilities have continued to be ignored in Nigerian education plans.

47

Physical facilities as the quantitative aspect of the school

system cannot be divulged from the qualitative aspect, if educational

goals must be achieved. Olutola (2001) noted that there is a good

relationship between the school physical facilities and the academic

performance of students in the school. It is an axiom that a well

equipped school enhances students’ performance than a school that

does not have such facilities. Olutola also noted that the school

physical plants play vital roles in the relationship between the school

and the community. This is because most parents and students make

their decisions of schools from the availability of physical facilities in

the first instance. There is always the belief that when a school has

these facilities, that there is the tendency of availability of well

trained teachers. Suffice it to say that in a school where there are

adequate physical facilities in both quantity and quality, there is also

the presence of well trained staff and well structured programmes.

This entails that the place of physical facilities cannot be ignored in

our education plans.

The administrators of schools with inadequate physical facilities

such as classrooms, laboratories, library, accommodation, workshops

and intro-tech equipment, find it difficult to cope with the reality or

demands of modern education. No matter the level of competence of

48

available staff, without adequate facilities, delivery of academic

programmes is always haphazard. Arguing on the above, Adesina

(1990) noted that the physical facilities of any organization largely

set the stage for good working environment which will invariably lead

to efficiency. The environment sets the stage for effective learning

outcomes. It is on this note that Orji (2005) posited that the ability

of any teacher to create a favourable learning climate for students is

definitely correlated with the physical environment. In this regard, if

there is no conducive environment coupled with lack of materials to

enable teachers work, the achievement of educational objectives is

marred. That is to say that the importance of school physical facilities

in the educational system cannot be over emphasized, as most

programmes of instruction cannot be carried out without its

adequacy.

Writing on the importance of physical plants, Adesina (2003) is

of the opinion that for effective teaching and learning to exist, school

physical plants and educational goals should be viewed as being

closely interwoven and inter-dependent. An in-efficiently maintained

and managed school physical facility will have negative effect on the

instructional programmes in the school. For instance, in the teaching

of science, practical work is complemented by the theoretical

49

concepts. It is based on this that Karr in Igwelo (2001) pointed out

that trying to learn science without laboratory is like attempting to

swim without water. The school library is also an indispensable

school facility that contributes to students’ academic progress. The

importance of the school library is emphasized by the Federal

Ministry of Education (2004). It states inter alia that libraries are one

of the most impotant educational services. Every State Ministry of

Education needs to provide funds for the establishment of libraries in

all educational institutions, and to train librarians for their services.

The question is, do our schools have these physical facilities in

adequate number? It is obvious to state that the answer is No.

In Enugu State, secondary schools are administered by the

Post Primary Schools Management Board. Most schools, according to

Orji (2005) do not have libraries and laboratories. The absence of

these can be traced to poor funding of education. The state

government will always make budget for financing education

programmes for both recurrent and capital expenditures. The money

voted for these projects are never used judiciously. School buildings

and other facilities are in a state of disrepair because of lack of fund.

Emphasizing on fund availability, Eze (1998) pointed out that the

board and management of school boards should be provided with

50

enough fund and given the leverage to use this fund in providing

these facilities in good number, if educational objectives can be

achieved.

The 6-3-3-4 education programme is a case in point. This

programme has shown a lot of demands for quality education by the

public. This demand has made the modernization of space and

equipment a yardstick for this system of education to succeed. It

becomes imperative that adequate fund should be made available by

the government to the school board to enable it establish well and

also acquire adequate facilities to meet up with these demands. If

through this measure adequate facilities are provided for schools, it

will have a direct influence on the smooth running of the schools

under the board. This is because the board will be disposed to

provide these facilities to facilitate teaching and learning in schools.

It is usually the responsibility of the board to make contacts with

schools to identify their problems in relation to non-existence of

physical facilities. In doing so, they will know what to supply, for

which school and at what time. It is also the duty of the board to

renovate dilapidated buildings from time to time. In the same vein,

the board should be able to employ masons, carpenters and other

artisans who will be maintaining the buildings from time to time.

51

Instructional Materials

In a classroom situation, interaction is between the teacher

and the students. Effective communication between the teacher and

the students need to be established so that there will be a good

delivery of the subject matter. It is a known fact that the best way to

help learners understand effectively is to make their learning

experiences concrete, by bringing them face to face with their

environment. This can be achieved by using concrete things to

match with real life situations. Sometimes, where these concrete

things are not available, the teacher needs to improvise some so as

to enhance teaching and learning. These are materials, devices and

techniques that help the teacher to make realistic approach to his

job. Technically, these are called instructional materials or teaching

aids.

Instructional materials as defined by Abiri (1997) are those

things used in addition to the teacher’s voice to bring about effective

teaching and learning. They include books, programmed learning

texts as well as audio-visual aids. Also writing on the importance of

instructional materials, Abiri noted that instructional materials of

various types are of tremendous importance in the teaching process

at any level. Continuing, he emphasized that instructional materials

52

arouse interest and provide motivation on the learner. He further

stressed that instructional materials help to make learning

meaningful by relating theoretical concepts to real life situation. This

enhances teaching and learning.

The above reveals that for any school teacher to be sufficiently

effective in imparting knowledge to learners, he must be able to

provide, as well as utilize teaching aids. This is in agreement with

Brown, Freeman and Gilbert (2005) who stated that the teacher is

the most important factor in the use of teaching aids, since he not

only has to define objectives and select content, but must select

appropriate learning experiences, physical facilities, materials and

equipment, as well as evaluate results for improvement. Therefore,

the teacher must possess certain skills, as well as knowledge and

understanding in the provision of instructional materials.

Similarly, instructional materials make education more

productive through increasing the rate of learning by providing

worthwhile experiences for learning that teachers cannot furnish.

When a teacher is able to provide these materials, he can make

better use of his instruction time with students. Their role as

contribution to effective learning has been emphasized by Iwang

(1999) when he remarked that no matter how good the curriculum

53

and teacher are, the objective of education cannot be attained

without adequate instructional materials to help teachers impart the

skills. Iwang further observed that if we utilize one quarter of the

time we devote to mere theory in making students participate

actively in the teaching and learning processes, in the way of project,

play way, field trips and directed self-activity, our education will be

more concrete, meaningful, functional and rewarding. Continuing, he

noted that we have to shift our education gear from pure theory,

note learning and subject centered orientation to more practical and

child-centred outlook.

Egele (2008) noted that in Enugu state, the Post Primary

Schools Management Board which is the administrator of secondary

schools has the responsibility of procuring and supplying the needed

instructional materials to all schools. But inadvertently, it appears

that most secondary schools do not have teaching aids. The ones

that are available are obsolete and out of use. Continuing, Egele

noted that materials found in the laboratories are all out dated and

cannot be used for what they are meant for. This was further

buttressed by Chukwu (2005) when he pointed out that textbooks,

audio-visual aids and all necessary teaching aids were lacking in

most of our schools in the country. The only instructional materials

54

that can be found are mere textbooks which are paid by the students

and supplied by the PPSMB.

The effective use of instructional materials if they are available

will depend on the availability of fund provided by the Post Primary

Schools Management Board to schools. As a matter of fact, fund is

required to buy the materials, as well as organize workshops and

seminars for teachers on the use of instructional materials. It was

based on the above that Muo (2006) noted that no teacher, no

matter how committed or interested in his student will like to spend

his meagre salary buying instructional materials to teach his

students. The management of the PPSMB should endeavor to raise

sufficient fund from the state government to enable it provide these

materials if the objectives of education are to be achieved.

Provision of instructional materials cannot solve any problem if

the right personnel are not there for effective delivery. The use of

instructional materials should be done by well trained teachers in the

area. This is because they are the only people who understand the

feelings of their students. Emphasizing on trained personnel, Oluche

(1999) stated that only this category of teachers can understand the

children’s inner feelings and aspirations in a way that will help them

carry out projects creatively and constructively. Teachers are also

55

expected to understand the programme, as well as be able to

interpret the curriculum. It is quite unfortunate to note that some

secondary school teachers in Enugu state are not well trained in the

use of instructional materials.

Historical Development of Post Primary Schools Management Board in Enugu state Prior to 1970, the administration of post primary schools was

under the government, missionaries and private proprietors. One of

the major landmarks of the post war restructuring exercise was the

government take-over of schools from both the missionaries and

private proprietors. This was made possible through the government

enactment of Education Edit No. 1 of 1970. In 1974, the Education

Edict No. 25 was enacted. This edict took effect from April 1, 1975

and was called Public Education Edict. The edict formally established

the East Central State School Board, which was charged with the

responsibility of overseeing the general administration of all

secondary schools in the then East Central State, though functioned

under the State Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education

served as the supervising ministry, while the Board was simply an

arm of the ministry that looked after secondary education (Education

edict No. 12, 1970).

56

With the nature of the set up, a lot of administrative

bottlenecks were encountered before major decisions were taken in

the course of running the schools. This gave rise to a lot of

complaints from heads of schools and the management of the school

board. Consequently, in 1976, Edict No. 10 was established. This

gave rise to the defunct Anambra State School Services Commission.

Anambra State was one of the states created from the old East

Central State. However, the Anambra State School Services

Commission was more powerful than the then School Board. This

was as a result of being autonomous and therefore was answerable

to the Ministry of Education. It was this edict that made running of

schools better organized and faster under this new arrangement.

The commission could recruit, promote, transfer, negotiate salary,

discipline and post students to schools, without seeking clearance

from any other ministry or agency.

In 1991, the status of the commission was reversed to that of

board. It was Edict No. 10 of 1991 that gave birth to the Post

Primary Schools Management Board. Under this arrangement, the

State Ministry became the supervising ministry and get clearance

from the ministry before major decisions are taken. With the

enactment of Edict No. 12 of 1996, the Post Primary Schools

57

Management Board became a body corporate with perpetual

secession and a common seal, and with power to sue and be sued in

its corporate name. The edict conferred on the Post Primary Schools

Board with the management of all post primary schools in the state.

In the structure of the Board, the headquarters office of the

board is headed by the chairman of the board. It consists of

different departments for the effective performance of the duties of

the Post Primary Schools Management Board. However, according to

the government white paper, (1996) the commissioner has the

powers to modify the departments of the board according to

government directives. The organizational structure of the board

(see appendix i) clearly describes the functions and responsibilities of

various departments or units that make up the organization. The

organizational structure also shows that the line of authority flows

from top to bottom. Under the Directors are other units headed by

people on different grade levels.

The Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board has

six (6) education zones namely, Agbani, Awgu, Enugu, Nsukka,

Obollo-Afor and Udi. These education zones are headed by Chief

Supervising Principals (CSP). Under the zonal arrangement, the

same number of departments and units exist as in headquarters for

58

running of schools at the zonal levels. The chief supervising

principals are answerable to the headquarters. According to the

government white paper, the chief supervising principals report

directly to either the Chairman or the Director-General. It is through

this framework that the Board functions as a unit.

Theoretical Framework

The study on the appraisal of the performance of

administrative functions of Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board is related to some modern management

theories, such as the works of Max Weber’s Bureaucratic theory and

Henry Fayol’s Administrative theory.

Bureaucratic Theory of Max Weber (1864-1920)

The Bureaucratic theory was developed by Max Weber, a

German academic with much interest in developing formalized

system of organization and administration with a view to enhancing

effectiveness and efficiency in operations. He emphasized that

hierarchy; authority and bureaucracy were necessary ingredients for

success of all social systems.

59

Bureaucracy is a major characteristic of civil service which the Post

Primary Schools Management Board is an integral part of. The Post

Primary Schools Management Board which is the focus of the study

has all the attributes of bureaucracy as propounded by Weber. These

includes:

- Division of work or specialization: According to Weber, the

principle of bureaucracy demands competence. Therefore,

assignments should be allotted to individuals based on their

technical knowledge and capacity. This he said would bring

about efficiency and high productivity in an organization.

- Hierarchy of authority: In Weber’s view, it is the job of the

higher officer to supervise and control the junior officer. He

emphasized that in an ideal organization, each lower officer is

under the control and supervision of a higher one.

- Rules and Regulations: This principle according to Weber is a

continuous organization of official functions according to rules.

Bureaucracy believes in creating rules and regulations, which

cover the rights, duties and operations of all members.

- Impersonal Orientation: Impersonality in official matters

means that the administrator or manager should be impersonal

in his official dealings. He should therefore neither reflect his

60

personal interest, nor protect the interest of anybody in his

dealings with official matters.

- Official Record Keeping: Weber advocated that all record

keepings of an organization should be done officially, and

properly documented.

Administrative Management Theory of Henry Fayol

(1841-1925)

Henry Fayol’s administrative theory mainly focuses on the

personal duties of management in organisations. In other words, his

work is more directed at the management layer. Fayol believed that

management has five principal roles: to forecast and plan, to

organize, to command, to coordinate, and to control. Forecasting

and planning is the set of anticipating the future and acting

accordingly. Organization is the development of the institution’s

resources, both human and material. Commanding is keeping the

institution’s actions and processes running. Co-ordination is the

alignment and harmonization of the group’s efforts. Finally, control

means that the above activities were performed in accordance with

appropriate rules and procedures.

61

Henry Fayol, a notable guru in management identified fourteen

principles of management that he believed are essentially

fundamental in the drive towards enhancing efficiency in the process

of managing organisations. These fourteen principles of

administration go along with management’s five primary roles.

These principles include: specialization/division of labour, authority

and responsibility, discipline, unity of command, unity of direction,

subordination of individual interest to general interest, remuneration

of staff, centralization, chain of command, order, equity, stability of

tenure, initiative, and esprit de corps. Fayol clearly believed that

personal efforts and team dynamics were part of an ideal

organization.

Fayol’s 14 principles and five principal roles (plan, organise,

command, co-ordinate, and control) of management are still actively

practiced today in various organisations, including the Enugu state

Post Primary Schools Management Board.

Review of Empirical Studies

This study reviewed six relevant empirical studies in the

administration of primary and secondary education as follows:

. Three studies on administrative functions, and

62

. Three studies on management/administration of schools.

Obioma (2010) carried out a descriptive study on Appraisal of

Administrative Functions of Secondary School Principals and

Supervisors on School Management in Abia state. The purpose of the

study was to find out the extent secondary school principals and

supervisors carry out their administrative functions in the

management of fund, maintenance of physical facilities and

equipment, and school supervision.

In the study, the researcher developed five research questions

and two hypotheses that guided the study. The population comprised

185 principals and 70 supervisors of secondary schools. Structured

questionnaire was used for the collection of data, while t-test was

used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05, level of significance. The

findings of the study were as follows:

- That principals monitor their bursars very effectively to ensure

that school funds are judiciously spent;

- That school administrators maintain school buildings and

equipment as the need arises;

- That poor planning of academic programmes hinder effective

implementation of administrative functions.

63

Obioma’s study was only on two administrative functions of

funding and maintenance of physical facilities, while the present

study is on five administrative functions, which Obioma’s work is a

fragment of.

Mba (2010) carried out another descriptive research on

improving the Administrative Functions of Secondary School

Principals in Enugu Education Zone of Enugu State. The

researcher developed five research questions and two hypotheses

to guide the study. The population was 45 principals of secondary

schools in the education zone. The instrument used for the

collection of data was the questionnaire, while t-test statistics was

used in testing the null hypotheses at 0.05, level of significance.

The findings of the study were as follows:

- That principals develop education programmes for the zone;

- That principals engage in supervision of instruction for effective

learning;

- That principals applied some measures in the management of

fund; and

- That principals maintain school plant and equipment.

The above study concentrated on administrative functions of

the principals of schools only, while the present study seeks to

64

appraise the administrative functions of both the principals, as

well as staff of PPSMB.

Ezegbe (2003) carried out a descriptive survey study on the

Strategies for Improving the Administrative Functions of State

Primary Education Board (SPEB). The researcher formulated five

research questions that guided the study and also postulated one

hypothesis which was tested at 0.05, level of significance. The

sample size used by the researcher was 1327 Head teachers and

1442 administrative heads of both State Primary Education Board

and the Local Government Education Authorities. Structured

questionnaire was used in the collection of data, while t-test statistics

was used in testing the hypothesis at 0.05, level of significance. The

findings of the study were as follows:

- there should be defined strategies for financial management

such as following government’s guidelines on the management

of cash flow;

- that the recruitment and promotion of teaching staff should be

based on good performance in examination and interview, and

regular conduct of in-service training, such as seminars and

workshops;

65

- that SPEB should organized seminars, workshops and

conferences regularly for supervisors and also the provision of

supervisory materials for maximum efficiency; and

- there should be equitable distribution of physical facilities, and

communities should be encouraged to assist SPEB in the

provision of physical facilities and equipment.

The administrative functions as studied by Ezegbe are the

same with the present study, even though there was no mention

of instructional materials. The difference is that his study focused

on primary schools, whereas the present study focuses on

secondary schools.

Another relevant study to the present one is the descriptive

survey study by Tabotndip (2000) on The Influence of State Primary

Education Board on Primary School Management in Imo State. The

researcher had five research questions and two hypotheses which

were tested at 0.05, level of significance. The population for the

study comprised both headmasters of schools and education

secretaries. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection,

while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses. The results of the

finding were as follows:

66

- SPEB did not adopt any aggressive measure of revenue

generation to ensure regular funds to schools and for the

development of infrastructure;

- There was total lack of supervision in schools, even though

SPEB has a unit that is in charge of supervision; and

- There were completely lack of influence in the provision and

maintenance of physical facilities and equipment.

The above study by Tabotndip was done in relation to

State Primary Education Board (SPEB) in the administration of

primary schools, while the present study centres on Post

Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB) in the

administration of secondary schools.

In another descriptive study carried out by Oluwo (1994) on

Perceived Strategies for Improving the Administration of Primary

Schools in Imo State, he developed five research questions and two

hypotheses. The population of the study consisted of headmasters

and teachers of schools, as well as supervisors of schools at the

Local Government Education Authority. The purpose of the study

was to identify strategies for improving staff-personnel services;

funding of primary education; improving physical facilities; and

67

improving the supervision of instruction. Structured questionnaire

was used in the collection of data while t-test statistics was used to

test the hypotheses at 0.05, level of significance. The findings of the

study include:

- That classroom teachers were poorly paid and this leads to job

turnover;

- That schools were rarely supervised because of poor

remuneration, lack of commitment and dearth of supervisory

materials; and

- The state of physical facilities was poor, as state government

failed to assist the local government in the provision of these

facilities.

Oluwo’s study did not include fund administration and supply of

instructional materials as strategies for improving the administration

of primary schools. The present study included these two variables

which made it more comprehensive and applied same in the

administration of secondary schools.

Eze (1999) conducted another descriptive study on The

Management of Primary Schools in Nsukka Education Zone. In the

study, five research questions and two hypotheses were formulated

68

to guide the study. The population used for the study included 447

headmasters and 512 education officers, drawn from the two

education zones of Nsukka and Obollo-Afor. The sample for the

study was a total of 530 respondents, randomly selected. Structured

questionnaire was used to collect data and t-test was used to test

the hypotheses at 0.05, level of significance.

The findings of the study were as follows:

- Staff personnel administration was not taken seriously in terms

of staff development;

- Supervision was poor, hence the Local Government Education

Authority could not provide funds and other logistic supports;

and

- Maintenance of existing physical facilities was difficult due to

lack of fund.

The above study by Eze appraised administrative functions in the

management of primary schools, while the present study seeks to

appraise the performance of administrative functions in the

management of secondary schools.

Some of the above studies centered on the appraisal of

administrative functions of the principals and headmasters and or

69

State Primary Education Board (SPEB) in the administration of

secondary and primary schools respectively. None of the studies was

on appraising the performance of administrative functions of the Post

Primary Schools Management Board in the administration of

secondary schools. This was the gap which this study seeks to fill.

Summary of Literature Review

The related literature reviewed reveals that there is the need for

proper integration of the various administrative functions (financial

management, personnel administration, supervision of instruction,

maintenance of physical facilities and supply of instructional

materials) and the four administrative processes of planning,

organizing, directing and controlling, for the purpose of achieving

organizational goals.

The literature of the study was done in the following

sequence; conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and review

of empirical studies. The conceptual framework revealed that

administration is getting things done in order to achieve stated

objectives. Administration also tends to look at how best resources

(both human and materials) can be combined to enable an

organization operate both effectively and efficiently. This principally

70

is done through the processes of planning, organizing, directing and

controlling of factor resources.

The review also highlighted the need to design a workable

structure to enable an organization achieve its set goals. The

organizational structure of the Post Primary Schools Management

Board clearly reveals that the line of authority flows from top to

bottom (see appendix i).

Furthermore, the review was also on administrative

functions. These administrative functions include: funding, staff

personnel, supervision, maintenance of physical facilities, and

provision of instructional materials. In addition, the study reviewed

the historical development of Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board which started as the East Central State School

Board in 1974. In 1976, with the creation of Anambra State it

became Anambra State School Services Commission, and also with

the creation of Enugu State in 1991, it metamorphosed into Enugu

State Post Primary Schools Management Board.

The literature also reviewed the theoretical framework and

allied the study to two relevant theories – the Bureaucratic theory of

Max Weber and Administrative Theory of Henry Fayol. This is

because both theories centre on structure of organisations, as well

71

as principles and processes of organisations respectively. There was

also a review on previous empirical studies carried out on the study.

Six research works were reviewed. Three of them centred on the

administration of both primary and secondary schools, while the

other three centred on administrative functions in schools, as well as

SPEB. None of the studies was on appraising the performance of

administrative functions of the Post Primary Schools Management

Board in the administration of secondary schools. This was the gap

which this study seeks to fill.

72

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHOD In this chapter, the researcher discussed the procedure of the

research under the following sub-headings; design of the study, area

of the study, population, sample and sampling technique, instrument

for data collection, validation and reliability of instrument, method of

data collection and method of data analysis.

Design of the Study

The design of the study is the descriptive survey. This is

because the study aims at collecting data in the field and analyzing

them in terms of features and characteristics which will lead to the

establishment of facts about the data. Ali (1990) pointed out that

descriptive design studies are mainly concerned with describing

events as they are, without any manipulation being observed.

Descriptive survey design is chosen for this study because it allows

for the study of a given population using a sample for the purpose of

drawing generalizations to the population parameter.

73

Area of the study

The study was carried out in Post Primary Schools Management

Board of Enugu state, as well as the 275 secondary schools in the

state. The Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board has

its headquarter at Enugu, with six (6) zonal offices at Agbani, Awgu,

Enugu, Nsukka, Obollo-Afor and Udi. The total number of secondary

schools in Enugu state is 275 as follows: Agbani Education Zone - 43,

Awgu Education Zone - 52 , Enugu Education Zone - 25, Nsukka

Education Zone - 59 , Obollo-Afor Education Zone – 45 and Udi

Education Zone - 51, (see appendix iii). Both the headquarters and

the six education zones were chosen on one hand and 275

secondary schools on the other hand, as area of study. The

researcher chose this area because he wanted to determine the

extent of the performance of administrative functions by staff and

board of Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board, in

relation to huge investment in education. The researcher also chose

this area because of his familiarity with the environment.

Population of the Study

The target population of the study comprised all the

administrative staff of Post Primary Schools Management Board

74

(headquarters and zones) and the principals of secondary schools, all

in Enugu state. According to the statistics and Research Unit of

PPSMB, 2011/2012 academic year, there is a total of four hundred

and forty-seven (447) administrative staff of PPSMB as follows:

Headquarters – 144; Agbani education zone – 52; Awgu education

zone – 48, Enugu education zone – 46; Nsukka education zone – 57;

Obollo-Afor education zone - 52; and Udi education zone – 48 (see

appendix iv). There are also 275 school principals in the state. This

brings the total population of the study to 722.

The researcher’s choice of using both the administrative staff

and school principals was based on the fact that this category of

staff is the key player of the administrative functions. In this capacity

therefore, they are in a better position to make reliable responses

about the extent of the performance of administrative functions.

Sample and Sampling Technique

The sample size for the study was three hundred and sixty-five

(365) comprising the administrative staff of Enugu state Post Primary

Schools Management Board and principals of secondary schools in

the state. The sample was composed using proportionate random

sampling technique. The entire population of the study was 722

(which is a few hundred) and therefore 40% or more will constitute

75

a sample, representative of the population. About 50% of the

population was randomly selected. The researcher composed the

sample using balloting with replacement approach. Out of a total

population of 722 administrative staff, 365 were randomly selected

as follows: Headquarters –60; Agbani – 57; Awgu – 51; Enugu – 48;

Nsukka – 55; Obollo-Afor – 46; and Udi – 48. This gave a total of

five hundred (365) sample size (see appendix iv).

Instrument for Data Collection

The researcher designed a structured questionnaire titled –

Appraisal of the Performance of Administrative Functions of Enugu

State Post Primary Schools Management Board (APAFPPSMB) which

was used in the collection of data. The questionnaire comprised two

sections – A and B. Section A was to elicit responses on demographic

data of the respondents. Section B has 30 items in five (5) clusters

on funding, staff-personnel, supervision, physical facilities and

instructional materials. Each cluster has six statements which were

designed on a four-point likert scale and rated as follows:

Strongly agree - 4 points Agree - 3 points Disagree - 2 points Strongly disagree - 1 point

76

Validation of Instrument

The questionnaire was subjected to face validation. This was

achieved by submitting the purpose of the study, the research

questions, hypotheses and the draft of the questionnaire statements

to three experts in the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria,

Nsukka. Two of the experts were from the Department of

Educational Foundations, while one was from the Department of

Science Education.

The experts were requested to critique the questionnaire

statements in terms of arrangement, language and content. Their

inputs were reflected in the questionnaire that was used for the

collection of data for the study.

Reliability of the Instrument

The reliability of the questionnaire was tested by using twenty

principals of Post Primary Schools in Awka Education Zone. This was

to enable the researcher determine whether there would be difficulty

in understanding and responding to the statements in the

questionnaire. Cronbach Alpha statistics was used to determine the

internal consistency of the questionnaire items from the trial testing

of APAFPPSMB. The use of Cronbach Alpha was based on the fact

77

that the questionnaire has no ‘Yes and No’ options. Secondly, the

questionnaire for the trial testing was administered only once.

The analysis revealed internal consistencies of 0.83, 0.84, 0.87,

0.85, and 0.90 respectively for the five clusters. The analysis also

revealed an overall internal consistency value of 0.97. Following from

the above reliability results on the trial testing, the instrument was

deemed reliable for use in the present study.

Method of Data Collection

The researcher used direct delivery method with the help of

trained research assistants. The assistants were drawn from the

respective education zones. They were tutored and properly briefed

on how to guide the respondents in the completion of the

questionnaire. The above method made it possible for all the

questionnaires distributed to be retrieved accordingly.

Method of Data Analysis

In the analysis of data obtained through the questionnaire, the

researcher used mean scores and standard deviations to answer the

research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using t-

test at 0.05 level of significance. A mean score of 2.50 was adopted

78

as the rating criterion. This shows that any mean score below 2.50

was rejected, while a mean score of 2.50 and above was accepted.

79

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS, PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

This chapter presents the results and analysis of the findings of the

study in relation to the five research questions and two null

hypotheses that guided the study. This was done simultaneously as

follows:

Extent of involvement of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board in Financial Management

Table 1: Mean Ratings of Administrative Staff and Principals of Schools in the area of Financial Management.

S/N ITEMS X1 SD1 D1 X2 SD2 D2

1. Financial manuals are provided to concerned staff.

1.75 0.83 D 1.70 0.68 D

2. Staff Salaries and allowances are paid promptly.

3.19 0.84 A 2.80 1.23 A

3. Government subventions are remitted on time.

2.01 0.81 D 2.42 1.11 D

4. Projects are closely supervised to ensure that funds deployed are effectively used.

1.84 0.73 D 1.77 0.72 D

5. External Auditors are involved in auditing of accounts.

1.82 0.79 D 1.72 0.68 D

6. School Principals prepare and submit their budget every academic session.

1.99 0.77 D 1.84 0.77 D

Cluster summary 2.11 0.45 D 2.05 0.40 D

The above table shows that 1.75, 3.19, 2.01, 1.84, 1.82 and 1.99;

and 1.70, 2.80, 2.42, 1.77, 1.72 and 1.84 were generated as mean

80

scores from both the administrative staff and the school principals

respectively. All the scores fell below the criterion mean value of

2.50, indicating disagreement that the Enugu state PPSMB performs

its functions well in the area of financial management. However, the

mean response on item 2 alone indicated 3.19 and 2.80 from the

administrative staff and principals respectively. This shows that

salaries of staff are paid promptly.

In the same vein, the standard deviations derived were 0.83,

0.84, 0.81, 0.73, 0.79 and 0.77 for the admin staff, while 0.68, 1.23,

1.11, 0.72, 0.68 and 0.77 were derived from the school principals.

This is also in agreement with the mean scores generated.

Implementation strategy of the Post Primary Schools Management Board in the area of personnel administration

Table 2: Mean Ratings of Administrative Staff and Principals of Schools in Staff Personnel Administration.

S/N ITEMS X SD1 D1 X2 SD2 D2

7 Recruitment and selection are conducted through due process.

3.07 0.87 A 2.83 1.15 A

8 Promotion of staff is based on years of experience instead of output.

3.34 0.77 A 3.48 0.76 A

9 There is room for staff development in terms of in-service training.

2.06 0.96 D 2.08 1.16 D

10 Promotion examinations and interviews should form basic indices for promotion.

3.09 0.86 A 2.77 1.95 A

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The analysis of the above table shows that four items rated

3.07, 3.34, 2.66 and 3.09; and 2.83, 3.50, 2.58 and 2.77 from both

the administrative staff and principals respectively. All the ratings

were above the criterion mean value of 2.50 which indicates an

acceptance that staff of Post Primary Schools Management Board are

effective in the area personnel administration.

On the other hand, the other two items were rated 1.80 and

2.05; and 2.31 and 1.65 from the administrative staff and school

principals respectively. This is below the criterion value of 2.50

which indicates that fewer percentage were of the view that staff do

not perform well in personnel administration.

11 Teachers are transferred indiscriminately.

2.05 0.97 D 2.31 1.26 D

12 Orientation programmes are usually organised for newly recruited staff.

1.80 0.72 D 1.65 .86 D

Cluster summary 2.57 0.30 A 2.61 0.26 A

82

The extent of Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management’s involvement in supervision of instruction

Table 3: Mean Ratings of Administrative Staff and Principals of schools on Supervision of Instruction.

S/N

ITEMS X SD1 D1 X2 SD2 D2

13 Professionally trained supervisors are recruited for supervisory duties.

1.71 0.74 D 1.50 0.77 D

14 Supervisory materials and other logistics are available for effective supervision.

1.75 0.85 D 1.65 0.87 D

15 The Board organises seminars, conferences and workshops regularly for supervisors.

1.84 0.85 D 1.68 0.87 D

16 Supervisors are partners in progress, not fault-finders.

2.70 0.90 A 2.77 1.12 A

17 Supervisors’ reports are not objective because they are influenced.

2.90 0.98 A 3.04 1.13 A

18 Staff lobby for the post of supervisor for personal gains.

2.90 1.02 A 3.14 1.08 A

Cluster summary 2.30 0.38 D 2.22 0.41 D

The analysis of the above table reveals that 1.71, 1.75, 1.84,

2.70, 2.90 and 2.90; and 1.50, 1.65, 1.68, 2.77, 3.04 and 3.14 were

the mean values for the administrative staff and school principals

respectively. This by implication means that the mean values of the

first three items fell below the criterion value of 2.50 which means

that the implementation strategies of the Post Primary Schools

Management Board on supervision of instruction is not effective.

83

The other three items which were rated 2.70, 2.90 and 2.90; and

2.77, 3.04 and 3.14 for the administrative staff and principals

respectively, indicated that the implementation strategies on

supervision of instruction are effective. However, the cluster mean

of 2.30 fell below the criterion value, indicating that implementation

strategies of Post Primary Schools Management Board on supervision

of instruction is not effective.

Extent of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board’s effectiveness in the management of physical facilities

Table 4: Mean Ratings of Administrative Staff and Principals of Schools in the Management of Physical Facilities.

S/N

ITEMS

X1

SD1

D1

X2

SD2

D2

19. Physical facilities are adequate. 1.82 0.98 D 2.14 1.27 D 20. The Board releases funds for the

maintenance of facilities and equipment.

1.65 0.80 D 1.54 0.88 D

21. The Board encourages communities and well spirited individuals on provision of physical facilities.

2.11 1.03 D 2.16 1.12 D

22. Most of the existing facilities and equipment are dilapidated.

1.63 0.95 D 1.84 1.13 D

23. Office accommodation is quite adequate.

1.80 0.80 D 1.60 0.83 D

24. Most equipment cannot be handled because of lack of personnel.

1.53 0.77 D 1.53 0.90 D

Cluster summary 1.82 0.50 D 1.80 0.45 D

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Table 4 above is the analysis of the research question that sought to

determine the extent implementation strategies of PPSMB is effective

in the management of physical facilities. In all the items, the mean

values fell below the criterion value of 2.50 for both administrative

officers and school principals respectively. This indicates that PPSMB

is not effective in the management of physical facilities.

In the same vein, the standard deviations for the items include:

0.98, 0.80, 1.03, 0.95, 0.80 and 0.77 for the administrative staff,

while 1.27, 0.88, 1.12, 1.13, 0.83 and 0.90 were generated from the

school principals. The above standard deviations corroborated the

mean scores that the PPSMB is not effective in the management of

physical facilities.

The extent the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board is effective in the supply of instructional materials

Table 5: Mean Ratings of Administrative Staff and Principals of Schools in the Supply of Instructional Materials. S/N ITEMS X1 SD1 D1 X2 SD2 D3

25. Instructional materials are adequately provided.

1.63 0.93 D 1.40 0.87 SD

26. Most of the instructional materials are obsolete.

1.61 0.90 D 1.50 0.95 D

27. Some staff convert instructional materials to personal property.

1.62 0.85 D 1.70 1.00 D

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28. Both staff and students are not conversant with some instructional materials supplied.

1.88 0.86 D 1.73 1.01 D

29. School records such as Diaries, Attendance Registers and Syllabuses are scarcely available for distribution to schools.

1.73 0.80 D 1.54 0.84 D

30. There are good storage facilities for these instructional materials.

1.82 0.87 D 1.74 0.92 D

Cluster summary 1.72 0.65 D 1.60 0.72 D

The summary of data in table 5 indicates that items 25, 26, 27,

28, 29, and 30 were rated ‘Disagree’ by the respondents with a mean

score of 1.63, 1.61, 1.62, 1.88, 1.73 and 1.82 for the administrative

staff. In the same vein, the mean score for the principals were 1.40,

1.50, 1.70, 1.73, 1.54 and 1.74. Both mean values were below the

mean criterion level of 2.50. Based on the fact that any mean value

less that 2.50 is not accepted, it follows that the PPSMB is not

effective in the supply of instructional materials.

On the other hand, the standard deviation of 0.93, 1.61, 1.62,

1.88, 1.73 and 1.82 for the administrative staff and 0.87, 0.95, 1.00,

1.01, 0.84 and 0.92 for the principals also attest that the Enugu

State Post Primary Schools Management Board is not effective in the

supply of instructional materials.

86

Hypotheses

Two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance,

using the t-test statistics.

Hypothesis One:

Table 6: t–test Analysis between the Mean Ratings of Administrative

Staff and Principals of Schools, in the area of Financial Management.

Group n X SD df t-cal t-crit Level of sig.

D

Admin staff

Principal

221

143

3.55

3.58

0.88

0.90

363

0.86

1.96

0.05

Not

Accepted

Decision Rule

The result presented in table 6 is that of financial management

which was analysed using t-test statistics. It showed that the mean

for the administrative staff was 3.55, while that of the principals was

3.58. It also revealed that at 363 degree of freedom and at 0.05

level of significance, the t-calculated was 0.86. This is greater than

the 0.05 level of significance, indicating that the null hypothesis was

not accepted. Therefore, there was a significant difference in the

mean ratings of administrative staff and principals of schools in

financial management.

87

Hypothesis Two:

Table 7: t-test Analysis between the Mean ratings of the Administrative Staff and Principals of Schools in the area of Personnel Administration.

Group n X SD df t-cal t-crit Level of sig.

D

Admin staff

Principal

221

143

3.28

3.32

0.88

0.90

363

0.74

1.96

0.05

Not

Accepted

Decision Rule

The data presented in table 7 above is in the area of personnel

administration. The result shows that the t-calculated of 0.74 is

greater than 0.05 level of significance at 363 degree of freedom. This

implies that the null hypothesis is not accepted. Therefore, there is

also a significant difference in the mean ratings of administrative

staff and principals of schools in personnel administration.

Summary of Major Findings

The findings of the study are as summarized below.

First, it was discovered that the major administrative functions

of Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB)

88

were on financial management, personnel administration, supervision

of instruction, management of physical facilities and supply of

instructional materials.

The administrative staff and principals of school agreed that

the Post Primary Schools Management Board does not perform its

functions effectively in the area of financial management. This was

because such things as financial manuals are never provided to the

relevant officers, neither are budgets prepared and submitted by

principals every academic session. The Board also does not involve

external auditors in the auditing of accounts. The only positive

response by the respondents was that salaries were paid promptly.

Secondly, both groups of respondents also agreed that the

Post Primary Schools Management Board is not effective in the

administration of personnel. Much as personnel are regarded as the

backbone of any organization, the Post Primary Schools Management

Board does not make any effort for staff development in the form of

in-service training, conferences, workshops and seminars. It was

also discovered that when new heads are hired, that no orientation

programmes are organized for them. No rewards are given for extra

efforts; instead promotions were based on length of service.

89

Furthermore, it was discovered that the Post Primary Schools

Management Board does not take supervision of instruction

seriously. There were no professional supervisors and even the

available ones do not have working materials. Much as the available

ones are not professionals, there has been no attempt at training

them in form of workshops and seminars.

In the area of physical facilities, the respondents agreed that

much as existing physical facilities are inadequate, they are all in

dilapidated state. There has not been an attempt by the Board to

maintain the existing physical facilities. The Board also does not

encourage well spirited individuals towards the provision of these

physical facilities.

In addition, it was found out that there were no adequate

instructional materials for instructional purposes. The available ones

are obsolete and cannot be used for any meaningful learning

outcome.

However, the study revealed that the two null hypotheses were

not accepted. The t-calculated stood at 0.74 and 0.86 for hypotheses

one and two respectively, which are above the 0.05 level of

significance. This implies that there are significant differences in the

90

mean ratings of administrative staff and principals of school in both

financial management and personnel administration.

91

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the discussion of findings of this study, the

implications, recommendations and suggestions for further studies.

The discussion was organized on the main issues of the study which

include financial management, staff personnel administration,

supervision of instruction, maintenance of physical facilities and

supply of instructional materials.

Extent of involvement of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board in Financial Management

The results obtained from the above as presented in table 1

indicated that the School Board pays staff salaries and allowances

promptly. Responses gotten from the other questionnaire items

revealed that most of the respondents disagreed that financial

manuals were provided to concerned staff. In the same vein, the

respondents also disagreed that government subventions were

remitted on time, projects were closely supervised to ensure that

funds employed are effectively used, that external auditors are

involved in the auditing of accounts, and that school principals

92

prepare and submit their budget every academic session. The cluster

mean summary for both the administrative staff and principals of

school were less than the criterion value of 2.50. This means a

disagreement that the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board performs its functions well in the area of

financial management. The above analysis is in agreement with Bray

(2002) that adequate funding and timely release of approved

financial allocation to educational institutions constitute a major

determinant to educational quality. Therefore, prudent financial

management is a key factor to the success of any venture.

Implementation strategy of the Post Primary Schools Management Board in the area of personnel administration

The data on the above can be seen in table 2. In the table, it

can be understood that the respondents agreed that recruitment is

done through due process. They also agreed that recruitment is

based on years of experience, instead of output. In the rest of the

questionnaire items, the mean values were less than the criterion

value of 2.50 which means a disagreement that the Enugu State Post

Primary Schools Management Board takes staff personnel matters

seriously. This is at variance with the assertion of Broom, Robbins

93

and Coulter (2006) that greater effectiveness in school operations is

achieved if the School Board, teachers, and the community

cooperate with the school administrator in the improvement of

personnel programmes. This is because if organizations are to carry

out their functions well, human agents are very crucial to the task

(Homans, 2005).

The extent of Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board’s involvement in supervision of instruction

Table 3 x-rayed the mean ratings of both the administrative

staff and principals of school on supervision of instruction. Some of

the respondents are of the opinion that supervisors are partner in

progress, not fault finders. They also disagreed that supervisor’s

reports are objective and that staff lobby for the post of supervisor

because of personal gains. With a cluster mean that is below the

criterion value, it shows a disagreement that the Board is effective in

supervision of instruction. The above is in agreement with the work

of Ede (1999) that the Board finds it difficult to organize seminars,

conferences and workshops for supervisors to enable them update

their knowledge on modern supervision.

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Implementation strategies of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board in the management of physical facilities

The analysis of table 4 shows the mean ratings of both the

administrative staff and school principals. The cluster means of the

respondents were below the criterion mean of 2.50 which suggest

that both groups of respondents disagreed that PPSMB is effective in

the management of physical facilities. This is a pointer to the

assertion of Adesina (1990) that the quality of education that our

children receive bear direct relevance on the availability or lack of

physical facilities, and the overall atmosphere in which learning takes

place. This follows that any agency responsible for the administration

of education programmes should note that physical facilities in

schools should match with the population of students, if the overall

aim of education is to be achieved.

The extent the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board is effective in the supply of instructional materials

The results of the analysis indicated that the cluster means for

both the administrative staff and principals were less than the

criterion value of 2.50. By implication therefore, greater percentage

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of the respondents agreed that the Enugu State PPSMB is not

effective in the supply of instructional materials. The above reveals

that for any school teacher to be sufficiently effective in imparting

knowledge to learners, he must be able to provide, as well as utilize

teaching aids. This is in agreement with the views of Broom,

Freeman and Gilbert (2005) that the teacher is the most important

factor in the use of teaching aids, since he not only has to define

objectives and select content, but must select appropriate learning

experiences, physical facilities, materials and equipment, as well as

evaluate results for improvements.

Hypotheses

The t-test statistic was adopted to determine whether there

was a significant difference between the mean scores of

administrative staff of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board and principals of school in financial

management.

In table 6, the analysis of hypothesis one revealed that the

result of the t-test statistics showed that the t-calculated was 0.74,

which was above the 0.05 level of significance at 363 degree of

freedom. This signifies that there was a significant difference

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between the mean ratings of administrative staff of Post Primary

Schools Management Board and principals of school on financial

management. Therefore, the null hypothesis was not accepted.

Also, in table 7, the t-test statistics was also used to determine

whether there was a significant difference between the mean scores

of the administrative staff of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board and principals of school in the area of personnel

administration.

The result of the t-test revealed that the t-calculated was 0.86.

This was also above the 0.05 level of significance at 363 degree of

freedom. This means that the null hypothesis was not accepted. The

results of the two null hypotheses showed that there existed

significant differences in the mean scores of the administrative staff

of PPSMB and the principals of school in both financial management

and personnel administration respectively.

From the above findings and discussion of results emanating

from both the research questions and the hypotheses, it can be

deduced that the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management

Board is not very effective in the performance of its administrative

functions.

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Educational Implications

Based on the findings of the study and discussions highlighted,

the following educational implications are paramount.

First, it was found out that the Enugu State Post Primary

Schools Management Board does not perform its functions effectively

in the area of financial management. For instance, projects were

neither supervised to ensure that funds employed are effectively

used, nor does the government release subvention to schools in

good time. This implies that implementation of policies and

programmes are far from being achieved, since money is not at hand

for proper implementation.

Secondly, personnel are always the backbone of any

organization which ordinarily should not be toyed with. Yet, one of

the findings of the study was that the Enugu State PPSMB does not

take the issue of staff personnel seriously. This is evidenced by lack

of any meaningful plan for staff development in form of conferences,

seminars and workshops. There were also no orientation

programmes for newly recruited staff. The consequence of this is

that staff become antiquated and therefore no longer conversant

with new developments. This in the long run affects the students

98

such that they cannot compete favourably with their mates in the

larger society.

Moreover, it was also found out that supervision of instruction

is not very effective. This has negative implications since those who

perform the function of supervision are not professionally trained

supervisors. Worse still is that those on ground are seldom given any

training. This affects the students seriously since most teachers

engage in private practice because of lack of sufficient and

meaningful monitoring.

Furthermore, it was revealed from the findings that physical

facilities were not well managed. Physical facilities as the quantitative

aspect of the school system cannot be divulged from the qualitative

aspect if educational objectives must be attained. This is because

most parents and students make their assessment of schools from

the availability of physical facilities in the first instance. This study

revealed that physical facilities are not in good quantity. Even those

available are totally dilapidated and are in a sorry state. This was

emphasized by Eze (1998) that the Board and management of

School Boards should be provided with enough fund and given the

leverage to use this fund in providing physical facilities in good

number if educational objectives can be achieved.

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Lastly, the study discovered that there is complete dearth of

instructional materials in the school system. It is a known fact that

the best way to help learners understand very effectively is to make

their learning experiences concrete by bringing them face to face

with their environment. Sometimes, when these concrete objects are

not available, the teacher needs to improvise instructional materials

so as to enhance teaching and learning. In such a situation where

these materials are not available, it becomes difficult for the students

to grasp the subject matter. This leads to backwardness in

intellectual development.

Conclusion

From the results obtained on Appraisal of the Performance of

Administrative Functions by the Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board, the following conclusions were drawn by the

researcher.

1. The Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board is

not effective in financial management. This is because finance

officers are not provided with financial manuals to guide them

in their duty. Annual budgets submitted by principals are never

taken into consideration. Moreover, the state government does

100

not release subvention on time, and when they are released,

they are very inadequate to run the schools.

2. Staff personnel administration is also very poor. Staff welfare is

not taken into consideration and as such makes teachers to

engage in private practices. In addition, staff development is at

its lowest ebb. This is because no importance is attached to

organizing conferences, seminars and workshops to update the

knowledge of staff. Moreover, orientation programmes for

newly recruited staff is seldom organized.

3. Supervision of instruction is done haphazardly. People who are

supervisors are not professionally trained. As a result they do

not know what to look out for during supervision. Apart from

the fact that these categories of staff are not professionals, no

attention is given to training so as to enable them update their

knowledge of modern supervision.

4. The state of physical facilities is so poor that most of them are

dilapidated. Some schools do not have libraries, laboratories

and workshops. This creates gaps on the students’ learning

outcomes because their knowledge of the subject matter is

always very narrow. In places where some of these physical

101

facilities such as classrooms and dormitories exist, they are in a

sorry state yearning for attention.

5. The supply of instructional materials to schools is not taken as

a responsibility by administrators of school. Instructional

materials as facilitators to learning are scarcely available for

use by teachers. Ordinarily, teachers are supposed to improvise

where these are not available but hardly do so because of job

dissatisfaction.

To a large extent, both the administrative staff of the Enugu

State Post Primary Schools Management Board and principals of

school shared the same view with regards to appraisal of the

performance of administrative functions of the Enugu State Post

Primary Schools Management Board. The study revealed that the

Board is not effective in financial management, personnel

administration, supervision of instruction, maintenance of physical

facilities and supply of instructional materials. There is therefore

the need for all stakeholders to come together and articulate

strategies on how best to grapple with these challenges. This will

enhance better learning outcomes in our children and generations

to come.

102

Summary

The study was on appraisal of the performance of

administrative functions of Post Primary Schools Management Board

of Enugu State, Nigeria.

Five research questions and two null hypotheses were

formulated to guide the study. The design of the study was the

descriptive survey. The population of the study was 997 consisting of

administrative staff of PPSMB and principals of school. A sample of

365 was composed through balloting with replacement approach. A

structured questionnaire (APAFPPSMB) was designed and used as

instrument for data collection. The instrument was face validated by

three experts from the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria,

Nsukka. The instrument also was further subjected to a reliability

test using Cronbach Alpha statistics. The analysis of the data

revealed internal consistencies of 0.83, 0.84, 0.87, 0.85, and 0.90

respectively for the five clusters.

The data collected using the instrument (APAFPPSMB) were

collated and analysed using mean scores and standard deviation.

Based on the analysis of the findings, it was revealed that the Post

Primary Schools Management Board of Enugu State is not effective in

financial management, personnel administration, supervision of

103

instruction, maintenance of physical facilities and supply of

instructional materials. The two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05

level of significance using the t-test statistics. The test revealed that

in both cases, the t-calculated were above 0.05 level of significance,

indicating significant differences in the mean scores between the

administrative staff and principals of school.

Based on the above, it is recommended that all the stake

holders of secondary education (government, principals, community

leaders and policy makers) should come together as a team and

articulate ideas on how best to grapple with these administrative

functions of financial management, personnel administration,

supervision of instruction, maintenance of physical facilities and

supply of instructional materials if educational objectives must be

achieved. The educational implications and suggestions for further

research were drawn based on the findings and discussions of the

study.

Recommendations

The following recommendations were made based on the

findings and discussions of the study.

104

1. Stake holders of secondary school education should map out

strategies on how to improve the financial base of schools.

2. The government should embark on human resource

development through conferences, workshops and

seminars.

3. Supervision of instruction should be carried out by

professional supervisors.

4. The state government should device a means of

rehabilitating dilapidated structures, while efforts should be

made to provide more to enhance better learning outcomes.

5. The state government should be able to establish in each

education zone, the Curriculum Development and

Instructional Materials Centre (CUDIMAC) through which

instructional materials could be religiously procured and

distributed to schools.

Limitations

Although the study was successfully carried out, it was not left

without some constraints. Some of these factors include:

1 The six education zones used for the study are staggered

in different locations in the state.

105

2 The sample for the study was limited to the

administrative staff of Enugu State Post Primary Schools

Management Board and principals of school.

3 It is likely that the same results may not be obtained if

the research is conducted in a different state in the same

geo-political zone.

Suggestions for Further Research

The under listed areas have been suggested for further studies

based on the findings and discussions of the study.

1. The study should be conducted in the whole of south east,

Nigeria to be able to determine the congruency of the

appraisal.

2. A comparative appraisal of the adequacy of physical facilities

between public schools and private schools in Enugu State or

south-east.

3. A comparative study on the appraisal of performance of

administrative functions by administrators of private secondary

schools in Enugu state.

4. Appraisal of the performance of administrative functions by

administrators of unity schools in Nigeria.

106

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