Human Resource Management Research

p-ISSN: 2169-9607    e-ISSN: 2169-9666

2017;  7(2): 75-82

doi:10.5923/j.hrmr.20170702.01

 

Implementation of Funding and Teacher Recruitment Policies as Correlates of Quality Primary Education in Rivers State, Nigeria

Anero Nnamdi

Department of Primary Education Studies, Faculty of Education, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Correspondence to: Anero Nnamdi, Department of Primary Education Studies, Faculty of Education, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

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Abstract

The study was carried out to ascertain the compliance level of primary school managers to funding and recruitment policies and also determine the extent implementation of funding and teacher recruitment policies impact on the quality of primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study whose population was 943 Head teachers adopted accidental sampling technique to sample 150 Head teachers. The main instrument was a researcher self-made questionnaire of 17-items titled “Funding/teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education (FTRPAQPE)”. The instrument was validated by professors of Early Childhood/Primary Education and Educational Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability level of the instrument was ascertained through the use of test retest method to establish its reliability co-efficient at 0.71. The study had 4 null hypotheses and was analyzed using population t-test and regression ANOVA. The study establishes that there is a strong relationship between funding/teacher recruitment policies and the quality of primary education. It also noted that the compliance level to funding policies is high while the extent of compliance with respect to teacher recruitment is low. Based on the findings, the study among other things recommends that the government needs to use the mass and social media to enlighten all funding agencies to be up and doing so as to avert the adverse effects of poor funding on the quality primary education and since quality teachers tells on the quality of the school, the education supervisory agencies need to come up with mechanisms to ensure that only those qualified by law are employed as teachers.

Keywords: Primary education, Implementation, Funding, Teacher recruitment Policies, Quality, Rivers State, Nigeria

Cite this paper: Anero Nnamdi, Implementation of Funding and Teacher Recruitment Policies as Correlates of Quality Primary Education in Rivers State, Nigeria, Human Resource Management Research, Vol. 7 No. 2, 2017, pp. 75-82. doi: 10.5923/j.hrmr.20170702.01.

1. Introduction

Provision of funds and personnel in a social system like the primary school are significant factors that determine the extent a school can credibly carry out its services. In an organization like the public school, the personnel provides the driving force that directs or manages the resources while the fund procures both the personnel and the enabling environment that prompts the system to attain its goals. The public primary school as a social system solely depends on policies of government as regards its actions and inactions in funding and recruitment of staff. Government policies are made but the most important is the implementation.
In Nigeria, several policies are formulated but implementation is naturally a different thing. A look at the National Policy on Education as provided by the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2008) indicates that the funding and teacher recruitment policies in primary schools are to be carried out based on the following terms.
1. Derive its funds from government, private sector, non-government organization, International Development Partners and Faith-based Organization.
2. The minimum qualification for entry into the teaching profession shall be the Nigeria certification in Education (NCE).
3. In terms of quality, it identified infrastructural decay, obsolete facilities poor teacher quality, mass failure in public examination, cultism, examination malpractice and maladministration.
4. Remarks that Nigeria is yet to comply with United Nations Educational Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) guidelines in terms of developing 26% of her annual budget to education.
In this study therefore, efforts shall be made to determine the compliance level of those who manage primary education to staff recruitment and funding policies. Beyond this, the study intends to also examine the degree of relationship between implementation of funding and staff recruitment policies in terms of performance of the school system.

2. Conceptual Framework

No doubt National Policy on Education provides the root or source through which all policies related to education are formulated and implemented. In this study therefore, the provisions of National Policy on Education as regards funding and teacher recruitment shall serve as the framework or indices upon which all inferences or extrapolations that have to do with policy implementation as regards primary education with particular reference to funding and staff recruitment shall be discussed. Interpreting the declarative statements of the National Policy on Education as regards funding, staff recruitment and school quality; one is poised to identify the indicators of proper funding, quality staff recruitment and quality primary education as follows:
1. Quality primary education: It may mean the following: teacher: pupil ratio, completion of daily school programmes, available/use of facilities, employment of teachers with NCE qualification as a benchmark, entry and completion rate of pupils, maintenance of discipline, and ability to pass relevant examinations (Agom, 1983, Fabunmi, 2004, Madumere-Obike and Udoh, 2008).
2. Implementing funding policies: The funding policies would require the provision of funds by PTA, companies, individuals, socio-cultural groups, faith-based organizations, individuals and governments (Ebong, 2004, Odelola & Anyoma, 2006). The ability of the primary school system to prompt the identified agents to co-operate in funding primary education is what this study regards as implementing funding policies as a correlate of quality primary education.
3. Implementing teacher recruitment policies: In this study, teacher recruitment policies refer to employing teachers with a minimum of NCE qualification as specified by the National Policy on Education. It therefore means not recruiting those who did not attend teacher training institutions and by extension giving opportunity for serving teachers to attend workshops and refresher programmes, sacking or placing those teaching without NCE certificate on an intensive training to cope with the rigorous of the teaching profession.

3. Problem of the Study

This study is designed to determine how the implementations of funding and recruitment policies relate with quality primary education. Specifically it shall among other things determine the following:
1. The compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria;
2. The implementation level of teacher recruitment policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State;
3. Determine relationship between funding policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria; and
4. Determining the relationship between implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.

4. Research Questions

To guide this study the following research question are posed.
1. What is the compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State?
2. What is the implementation level of teacher recruitment policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria?
3. What is the nature of relationship between the implementation of funding policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria?
4. What is the nature of relationships between the implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria?

5. Hypotheses

The following hypotheses are therefore formulated:
1. The compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is significantly low.
2. The implementation level of teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is significant low.
3. The relationship between the implementation of funding policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is not significant.
4. There is no significant relationship between the implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.

6. Research Methodology

Descriptive survey research design was adopted to determine the relationship between the implementation of funding/teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education. 943 primary school Head teachers found in 943 public primary schools in Rivers State (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2015) constitute the study population. The research through the help of Research Assistants interviewed 150 Head teachers representing 15.91% of the study population. The accidental sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents. To effectively apply the accidental method, the Research bargained with 15 Secretaries of Local Government Education Authorities to visit the office on the days the Headmasters have one an official assignment or the other. During such days, the Headmasters who will be met by either the Researcher or the Research Assistants were approached to respond to the research instrument. In each of the 15 Local Government Areas, 10 to 12 Headmasters were interviewed. In all, 157 Head teachers were interviewed and 9 were found to be wrongly filled. The Researcher therefore based the analysis on the 150 Head teachers who correctly responded to the instrument.
The instrument was a 17-item Researcher self made questionnaire called funding/teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education (FTRPAQPE). The instrument was validated by giving it to a professor of Early Childhood/primary education from university of Uyo and a professor of measurement and evaluation from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. Based on their inputs, some corrections were made and as a result, the instrument was considered valid and adopted for the study. To ascertain the reliability level of the instrument, a test retests method was used. A reliability coefficient of 0.71 was obtained. The 17-item instrument was responded to based on strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly disagree (SD) and respectively rated as 4, 3, 2 and 1 points for positively structured items and 1, 2, 3, and 4 points for negatively structured items. 7 items were developed to measure quality primary education; 5-items measured implementation of funding policies and another set of 5-items were concerned with implementation of teacher recruitment policies. In all, 17-items were used.
Research Question 1: To what extent is funding policies implemented with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.
H01: The compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is significantly low.
Table 1. Mean, standard deviation and one sample t-test indicating the level of compliance to funding policies with respect to primary education
Table 1 shows the grand mean and standard deviation on the level of funding policies with respect to primary education as 2.99 and 0.69 respectively. The highest mean level of funding policies with respect to primary education was the individuals and philanthropic organizations at (M=3.29, SD=0.87). This was followed by government with (M=3.20, SD=0.93). The next was companies with (M=2.89, SD=0.86). The least was that Parents Teachers Association at (M=2.79, SD=0.89). The compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education was not significantly low (t=53.30, p<0.05). The null hypothesis was rejected at .05 alpha level.
Research Question 2: What is the implementation level of teacher recruitment policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.
H02: The implementation level of teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is significantly low.
Table 2. Mean standard deviation and one sample t-test indicating the level of compliance to teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education
Table 2 shows the mean, standard deviation and one sample t-test on the level of teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education. It specifically indicates a grand mean and standard deviation of M=3.28, SD=0.62 respectively. The table shows that primary school teachers were not exposed to any form of workshop or refresher courses with M=3.49 and SD=0.78. This was followed by NTI, UBE and the ministry of education who recruit teachers ignoring the teacher recruitment policies as provided by the National Policy on Education with M=3.43 and SD=0.75. However the study admitted that those with the minimum NCE qualification were found teaching in the school with M=3.41 and SD=0.80. The least was that those who did not attend teacher training institutions were serving as teachers with M=2.99 and SD=0.94. The implementation level of teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education was significantly low (t=64.88, p<0.05). The null hypothesis was upheld at .05 alpha level.
Research Question 3: What is the nature of relationship between the implementation of funding policies and quality primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.
H03: The relationship between the implementation of funding policies and quality of primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is not significant.
Table 3. Summary of linear regression analysis on relationship between implementation of funding policies and quality of primary education
Part B of Table 3 shows that the relationship between the implementation of funding policies and quality of primary education as being strong and positive (Beta=.751). The R-square value of .564 in part A showed roughly a contribution of 56.4% of implementation of funding to the quality of primary education. The regression equation, y=.646+.741x showed that any increase in the implementation funding may lead to increase in the quality of education. The F-statistics showed that the relationship between the implementation of funding policies and quality of primary education was significant (F1, 148=191.164, p<.05). The null hypothesis was rejected at .05 alpha levels.
Research Question 3: What is the nature of relationship between the implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality of primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.
H04: There is no significant relationship between the implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality of primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Table 4. Summary of linear regression analysis on the relationship between the implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality of primary education
Part B of Table shows that the relationship between the implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality of primary education is strong and positive (Beta=.570). The R-square value of .325 in part A shows roughly a contribution of 32.5% of implementation of teachers` recruitment to the quality of primary education. The regression equation, y=.813+.625x shows that any increase in the implementation of teachers` recruitment policies may lead to increase in the quality of education. The F-statistics showed that there is a significant relationship between the implementation of teachers` recruitment policies and quality of primary education (F1, 148=71.337, p<.05). The null hypothesis was rejected at .05 alpha level.

7. Summary of Findings

The result of the findings shows that the compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education and implementation level of teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education were significantly low while there were significant relationships between the implementation of funding policies and quality of primary education and that of the implementation of teachers’ recruitment policies and quality of primary education.

8. Discussions

The discussions of this study shall be carried out under the following sub headings:
1. Compliance level of funding policies with respect to the funding of primary education
2. Compliance level of teacher recruitment policies with respect to primary education
3. Implementation of funding policies and quality primary education
4. Implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education
Compliance Level of Funding Policies with Respect to Primary Education
The study contends that the compliance level of funding policies with respect to primary education in Rivers State, Nigeria is not significantly low. This simply suggests that all agencies responsible for the funding of primary education are up and doing. Contrary to the believe that all funding apparatuses of primary education are up and doing, Schwartz (2014) argued that the financial support received by developing countries from international donor agencies under the auspices of the Global Partnership for Education has decreased in recent time. Supporting his position, he explained that the aid received by 59 beneficiary countries for basic education has dropped for three consecutive years resulting in a 16% reduction between 2009 and 2012; accounting for a short fall of $34 billion over the next four years for primary and secondary education. The implication of the account rendered by Schwartz is that all other funding agencies have to be over stretched if the goals of primary education must be attained. Going by the finding of Schwartz, the finding of this study cannot be upheld and differs from realities of daily experiences. Observations indicate that outside government and parents; groups like companies and organizations cannot be described as strong financiers of primary education in Nigeria.
Even when daily occurrences do not seem to support the finding of this study, Nakpodia (2011:161) notes that “a number of non-governmental groups participate in the funding of the Universal Basic Education in Nigeria. They include business enterprises, particularly the oil companies. Others include: the Parents-Teachers Association, Alumni and community development committees”. The testimony of Nakpodia may not completely be true because mere observation shows that financial attention received by schools varies from one location to another. Schools located within the areas where companies operate stand chances to get sponsored by the companies. Similarly, rural schools get financial proceeds from fishing and farming in addition to sponsorship they may gain from government. Naturally the local communities donate land and from time to time embark on projects that will help the school such as free labour, repair of damaged school building and other complimentary services to help the schools operate hitch freely. The rural schools therefore may be better funded than the urban schools due to the inputs made by host communities where they operate. In all, the funding agents of primary education may not have found the task of funding primary education an easy one.
Compliance Level of Teacher Recruitment Policies as Regards Primary Education
The compliance level to teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education is significantly low. The policies in this study can be summed to mean employing those with a minimum of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) certificate as stipulated in the National Policy on Education. In this study it can also be understood as sending serving teachers to refresher courses. It may not attract any debate that teaching job in Nigeria, most especially at the primary school level is an all comers affair. This axiom may have informed the finding of this study. In the light of this, Nakpodia (2011: 162) said that “caution should however be exercised as to the quality of teachers being selected to participate in the programme”. There are evidences to warrants any one to say that the caution is like a seed that fell on the rocky soil whose chances of survival are not certain. On daily bases, those who did not possess the minimum NCE certificate are recruited into the teaching service. In 2012, the Rivers State Government under the governorship of His Excellency Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi recruited 13,000 teachers into the primary and post primary schools in the state. It was observed that a good number of the teachers have no NCE qualification or attended any teacher training institution. The Amaechi’s action alone justifies this action.
However, there is the need to probe if those who recruit non teachers into the service have a good reason. In response Okocha (2016: 4) explains that:
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Center reports that as of 2005, 40% of school-age children in Africa did not attend primary school and there are still 46 million school-age African children who have never stepped into a classroom. A regional report produced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Bureau for Education in Africa (UNESCO-BREDA) education sector analyst team in 2005 indicates that less than 10% of African children are now allowed in the system. Four out of 10 children did not complete primary school in 2002/2003. The above reports have one thing in common: primary education is on the decline in Africa. In order to curb the rising menace of poor primary education in Africa, certain recommendations for reform were laid on the table by UNESCO namely: more comprehensive training of head teachers and administrators in economical administration, regular government inspection of schools, encourage parents to complain or fight against schools fees and proactively help parents to know their rights, empower and mobilize local watchdog organizations such as parent-teacher organizations and school-management committees.
Perhaps in order to overcome the ugly trend and place the state on an educational progressive pedestrian, the then governor-Amaechi, recruitment over 13,000 teachers in one slot. This record stands not only to be the first but it is yet to be surpassed by any governor in Nigeria. In course of this study, there was the need to visit primary schools and observe the categories of persons recruited by Amaechi’s administration. It is glaring that they range from the very qualified and those not qualified. Qualification in this context refers to the entry educational qualification of NCE This testimony lays credence to the position of this study that the compliance level to teacher recruitment policies as regards primary education is significantly low.
Implementation of Funding Policies and Quality Primary Eduycation
This study up holds that there is significant relationship between implementation of funding policies and quality primary education. This finding simply means that the more funds are spent in primary education the more the quality of the schools and the less funds that are spent the less quality of the schools. There are abundant literatures to prove the various ways injection of insufficient funds tells on the quality of the school system. In Rivers State Nigeria, the situation may not be different. On this note, Arye and Jenkner (2004:1) observe that
the problem in many developing countries is that governments lack either the financial resources or the political will to meet their citizens' educational needs. School attendance, especially for girls, is far from universal, and many children drop out of school before completing their primary education. Many children who do attend school receive an inadequate education because of poorly trained, underpaid teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of basic teaching tools such as textbooks, blackboards, and pens and paper.
Among other sources, a recall of the finding of Nigeria: Consultations for Improved Primary Education (1999:5) becomes relevant in this context. It has this to say:
the school environment was found to be far from conducive to learning, pupils safety, security and health. Classroom space was inadequate, meaning that many children are either instructed in the open air or share classrooms with up to four other classes as well as being insufficient in numbers, classrooms are generally in poor state of repair. There is little or no funding to meet maintenance or running costs or to obtain supplies of instructional materials and other education inputs. Teacher effectiveness and student learning were found to be further limited by the inadequate supply of materials. The Headmasters have no funds to respond to minor maintenance problems or to purchase supplies and incidentals.
Going by the account of the Nigeria consultations for Improved Primary Education, Arye and Jenkner no one can argue that funding has no direct effect on quality of primary education. The phenomenon of poor funding cum poor quality of education is as old as formal education in Nigeria. Naturally, one would hope that with several decades of political independence and buoyant economy of the Nigerian state, the education sub-sector ought to have experienced a boost in both funding and quality of school services. In thinking so, no one should forget that foundation of any venture matters. This statement is borne out of the fact that the antecedents of education reveals that colonial, military and civilian administrations in Nigeria failed in proposing and applying a functional funding principles and programmes in Nigeria. Consequently no one expects any outcome less than poor enrollment, high incompletion rate, poor physical facilities, poor teacher-pupils ratio, poor examination results and many more. This is to say that funding of primary education and its effect on quality delivery has not significantly changed since the inception of the system.
Implementation of Teacher Recruitment Policies and Quality Primary Education
The study establishes that there is a strong relationship between implementation of teacher recruitment policies and quality primary education. The meaning thereof is that the more the required caliber of teachers is recruited into the primary schools the more the schools will function well. This finding may not attract much argument because outside the children, the teachers are the highest number of human resources found in the school system. The number of teachers in this context is one side of the coin and the other is the educational qualification of the teachers. In Nigeria, it is not news that the minimum requirement for a teacher to be employed is an NCE certificate. Despite the emphasis placed on this policy, many teachers serving in both the public and private primary schools do not have NCE or did not use NCE certificate as the minimum entry point. This observation may have led the Nigerian Consultations for Improved Primary Education (1999: 4) to say that “many teachers did not have the minimum qualification for primary school teaching…. Teaching was further disrupted by frequent and wholesale staff transfer”.
The account as contained in the immediate last sentence of the last paragraph indicates that teacher recruitment process in primary school and other levels of education affects quality in many ways. One way it affects quality is the performance of pupils in examinations. This view prompted Rice (2003) to report that research has demonstrated a positive effect of certified teachers on high school mathematics achievement. In this wise, one can say that it can account for the manifestation of some poor qualities inherent in the Nigerian primary school system. For instance, the incompletion rate of pupils as an indicator of a poor performing school system and cannot be divorced from failure of pupils in examinations. Failure is one factor that leads to school dropout, absenteeism and lateness. In situation where people dropout or withdraw from school, the essence of the services rendered by the school is wasted. Even though it is not in dispute to say that teachers are the main source of quality school performance, there is the need to recall that Snook, O’neil, Birks, Church and Rawlins (2013) report that teachers are less effective in terms of student outcomes when they teach courses they were not trained to teach. If employing those who do not possess the requisite qualification to teach will guarantee poor pupils performance, it is justifiable to say that teacher recruitment policies have significant relationship with the quality primary education.

9. Conclusions

In Nigeria, many factors are responsible for the quality of education at all levels. Two key factors responsible are funds and teachers. Unfortunately no government has given these key areas the needed attention. Although the study established high compliance level of funding strategies but mere observation indicates that there is no co-relationship between the extent of funding and the impacts on the schools in real sense. Recruitment of teachers remains another source of down tuning the primary school system in Nigeria. The impact of funds and recruitment policies hold serious impact on the quality of primary education in Nigeria and elsewhere. Therefore, if there must be a positive shift these two major catalysts of school system performance or quality attainment must be considered a serious business by the operators and managers of the primary school system.

10. Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendation is made:
1. The government needs to use the mass and social media to enlighten all funding agencies to be up and doing so as to avert the adverse effects of poor funding on the quality primary education.
2. Since teacher recruitment procedures has a direct relationship with school performance, education supervisory agencies such as the Ministry of Education, the States Universal Basic Education Board and other relevant agencies need to come up with mechanisms to ensure that only those qualified by law are employed as teachers.

References

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