PROBLEMS OF OVERPOPULATION IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, EKIADOLOR-BENIN: A CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This project work is directed to find out what brought about overpopulation in college of education, Ekiadolor, especially computer/accounting department which is situated at Ekiadolor village Benin City. It is the only college of its kind in the state presently. The college was established in 1979 as an advantage teachers college for the training of N.C.E teachers and was located temporally at Iyaro, Benin city. The college was formally opened on 15th may 1980 and renamed college of education Benin City.

An enabling law known as “the college of education, Benin City law 1981” was enacted with effect from 2nd October 1979. The law was revised in 1984. The college moved to its permanent site (132 hectares) at Ekiadolor about 25 kilometers from Benin, April 1986. It operates the semester system and courses offered are in line with the guidelines of the national commissioner for colleges of education (NCE). The college has a governing council appointed by government to oversee its affairs. The first provost of the college was rev, Fr. Theophilus Ewaen Uwaifo. He was the provost from 1879 to 1989. Dr J.O. Afe took over from him in 1990 and left in 1997. Prof Raymond Osemwegie Elaho took over in 1998 sole administrator and later become acting provost in 1998. He was appointed the abstractive provost of the college in 1999 and re-appointed for a second term in 2005. The provost is responsible for the running of the college; other principal officers, deans of schools and the dean of students assist him. The schools are headed by deans while the programmes are headed by head of department. Apart from direct admission into pre-NCE programmes and part-time NCE (primary weekend programmes).

Today the school has improved considerable and the population has rises to about seven thousand or more under the administration of the provost Prof R.O Elaho. The college has really excelled in producing students of high intellectual ability to be compared to other colleges and even which they gain admission into the university. They perform excellently well.

inspite of the good condition of the college, it is sad to know that the students academic performance is not encouraging and many reasons have been advanced to have been responsible for this one is overpopulation it is already an established fact that overpopulation distorts effective learning and good school management.

Population of college of education Ekiadolor of some selected department, Benin City between 1999 and 2002 academic year.

Department

1999/2000

2000/2001

2001/2002

Computer/accounting

323

510

520

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Seeing the growth rate of computer/accounting departments to be compare to it facilities one is tempted to as what brought about the over populated situation in computer/accounting department to be compared to other department within the college. Based on this growth rate, it with in three (3years) the population has risen to such that can be compared with the level of its growth in the past years, one would be too surprise in the finding the problems of poor academic performance, lack of accommodation, indiscipline, poor classroom management e.t.c. That is so pronounced in the college today.

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

The investigation is therefore aimed at finding the cause and effect of overpopulation in computer/accounting departments, college of education Ekiadolor.

a. What can be the cause of overpopulation computer/accounting department

b. Students easily pass government in west African Secondary Certificate level in order to gain admission to the college

c. The course offer in computer/accounting department look simple in the early part of the academic session.

d.  Students wanting to offer easy course in order to get high grade.

e.  Due to the method use in teaching the students by the lecturers are simple.

f.  Due to the popular name of the departments.

g.  What are the effect of overpopulation.

h.  There is breakdown of communication in the class.

i.  There is over utilization of facilities.

j.  Communicable disease is transferable.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The significant of this research work is that when the effect of over population is been examines with in the college, recommendation will be made to the appropriate authorities such recommendation will assist in improving the managing the problem of overpopulation in the college.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION

For the purpose of this study the following research questions have been designed.

v Can communicable disease be transferable in overpopulated area?

v Does effective learning takes place in a large class?

v Does over population strengthen good communication in the classroom?

v Does it lead to shortage of facilities?

v Can it lead to over utilization of the available facilities and man power?

v Can poor academic performance be an effect of overpopulation?

v Does unstandardized admission process be seen as the cause of overpopulation?

1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY

this research topic chosen to examine the concept of overpopulation a case study of computer/accounting department and the problem resulting to overpopulation. This study will concentrate on the concept of over population and its causes the effects of overpopulation on the Nigeria economy.

Although there are many component resulting to overpopulation. The analysis of this research work will be limited to the causes of overpopulation.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Population: – Is simply defined as the total number of people both male and female living in a given area region or state per period.

Overpopulation: – This can be defined as that population that has overgrown its optimum size. This can also mean that the population is too large in relation to their resources of land and capital shortage of resources will make the people standard of living to fall.

Birth rate: – This is define as the number of children born per thousands people in a country in a year. An increase in birth rate is an increase in population size/growth of a country.

Immigration: – This is the movement of people from other countries into a given country e.g. People from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, e.t.c. Move into Nigeria.

Optimum population:- The concept of optimum population is that there is such population which when combined with existing land and capital, produces the highest level of income per head (i.e.) Standard of living for the people.