QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT IN PRIVATE NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

The core function of Quality Assurance Standard is to ensure compliance of private and public schools to the standard requirements of educational system in Nigeria, the research project investigated compliance in Quality Assurance Standards and how they are enforced in private nursery and primary schools in Sokoto metropolis. The research project has addressed four research questions. The population of the research consisted of all the teachers and head teachers in private nursery and primary schools in Sokoto metropolis. The total number of these schools is 169, the sample is made up of 100 teachers and 20 head teachers, selected from the total number of private nursery and primary schools in Sokoto metropolis. Questionnaires were used in data collection. The instruments were administered by the researchers to the respondent who were guided on how to complete the questionnaire items. The Data were analysed using simple percentages and the results were displayed using frequency tables. The research found that most private schools in Sokoto metropolis comply with the standards regulating the establishment and management of private schools as contained in the quality assurance standards and enforcement guidelines. From the findings of the study, it is recommended that there is the need to address issues of insufficient materials and rare visitation by Quality Assurance Standard Staff. The study also recommended that more school inspectors and evaluators should be employed by the Inspectoral Service Division of the State Ministry of Education.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is a mechanism which influences the nation’s ability to produce the much needed positive outcomes in all aspects of life. Social change, national integration and development in every country, depend solely on the structure and dynamisms of the country’s educational system. As the nation’s future is built around the four corners of a classroom it is pertinent to ensure quality in material and infrastructural facilities of the school (FME, 2013). It is the responsibility of the educational system to produce the changes and the needs of the society.

Education quality assurance ensures that school processes and practices are carried out according to set standards that bring about improvement in teaching and learning. In practical terms, quality assurance sets the rule, regulation, policies and requirements of infrastructural material, facilities and procedures which are to be adhered to by all schools. It also involves the processes of monitoring, assessing and evaluating according to agreed standards, and communicating judgment obtained to all concerned, in order to ensure quality with integrity, public accountability and consistent improvement in education processes and activities(FME 2010).

The overall goal of quality assurance standards and their enforcement is to sanitize the educational system of the nation from proliferation of substandard institutions particularly at basic education sector of Nigeria. As a result of vast population and limited resources, government alone cannot cater for the educational needs of its citizens without venturing into public private partnership.

Private institutions are undoubtedly providing huge contribution towards improving access and quality in the educational sector. In addition private nursery and primary schools in Nigeria have restructured, advanced, developed, and sustained the educational structure across the nation. Also, privately owned schools across the nation have come up to age in sustainability of educational deliverance with its standards, in compliance with the national standards, such as providing conducive reading and learning environment with laboratories and welfare package of it teachers. The contributions of private owned and established schools cannot be over emphasized.

Although private schools deliver qualitative education, they charge huge and exorbitant fees. However, the standards and quality of these private nursery and primary schools should be checked and monitored by government, or those agencies which control and regulate activities of educational institutions in the nation. The persistent proliferation of private nursery and primary school should be checked to prevent substandard private schools. Every policy which is not regulated is prone to abuse. In recent years, the need to control, monitor and enforce the rules and regulation guiding the public private partnership in ensuring sufficiency in education has been stressed. In addition, agitation has been made for the relevance of addressing issues of quality assurance standards in nursery and primary schools.