CHILD FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND PUPILS’ SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHILD FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND PUPILS’ SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

ABSTRACT: The study examined the influence of child friendly environment on pupils’ social development in public primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. Three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted for the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select one hundred respondents. A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The data collected from the respondents were subjected to statistical analysis using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results revealed that, availability of safe and secure environment, play facilities and pupils’ social involvement in school activities contribute significantly to their social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. Based on the outcome of the statistical analysis, the null hypotheses were rejected at 98 degree of freedom and .05 level of significance. A number of recommendations were made, some of which are; government and school management should ensure that the school environment is safe and secure for pupils, play facilities should be made available in order to boost the development of social skills among pupils.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Education all over the world is acknowledged to be the most powerful and indispensable instrument for not only economic and political advancement but also for social development (Nwagwu, 2008). Hence, the Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted education as an instrument for nurturing productive citizenry and fostering National Development (Ukpong, 2013). The author maintained that for education to thrive there are key factors that need to be considered. These factors include school type, family background, classroom size, school facilities and teachers characteristic. As a matter of fact, from the above mentioned factors, the environment in which the school is situated can equally affects the social development and academic performance of learners.

CHILD FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND PUPILS’ SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

However, the environment in which the school is located constitutes much to the survival of the child as no educational institution can thrive well in an unconducive environment or an environment where there is youth restiveness and anti-social vices. School is an environment which constitutes all that surrounds the learners in the course of learning. The environment embraces such provision as good roads, electricity, well equipped laboratory, library and well ventilated classroom with manageable class size. It has been noted that as future leaders of this great nation Nigeria, children should be given the type of education that is capable of transforming their dreams into reality through the use of environment that is child friendly.

The current wave of violent crime and blatant disregard for moral values by most youth in our society is evidence of formal decay and inadequacies in teaching principles in the school environment. A child friendly environment however, can stimulate the learners in that certain things that are taught in abstract could be seen in a lively environment. In view of this, some pupils that are facing difficulties due to lack of facilities in their school environments then to have shallow understanding of some concepts and low academic performance.  Miskel (2002) has observed that the environment which the school is located consist of the internal characteristics that distinguish one school from another and influence the behavior of the pupils. The researcher further explain Childs’ friendly school environment to constitute pupils, teachers, administrators and even the pupils within the school as they work to balance the organizational and individual aspect of the school system. Thus when the school environment is Child friendly, children will develop socially and most of the evils disrupting our society would be halted. The present research will examine some of the aforementioned areas of child friendly environment as they affect the social development of pupils in primary schools.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The issue of anti-social behavior among various people in our society has attracted serious criticisms by citizens of our society (Ukpong, 2003). Such delinquent behavior is known to begin from home, school and then generate to the wider society. The root causes of these vices according to some researchers could be traced to greed or discontentment. Stealing, robbery, fighting, kidnapping, prostitution, laziness among others are some of the deviant behaviors that exert significant influence on our social development. There is no doubt that apart from the aforementioned factors, child friendly environment could also affect the social development of pupils positively in schools.

It is as a result of the above reasons that the researcher is motivated to conduct a study on child friendly environment and social development of pupils in public primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.

CHILD FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND PUPILS’ SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA 

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study has been to examine the influence of child friendly environment on pupils’ social development in Uyo Local Government Area.

Specifically the study intends to:

1. Ascertain the relationship between availability of safe and secure environment and pupils’ social development in Uyo Local Government Area.
2. Assess the relationship between the availability of play facilities and Pupils’ social development in Uyo Local Government Area.
3. Examine the relationship between pupils’ social involvement in school’s social activities and their social development in Uyo Local Government area.

1.4       Significance of the Study

The study would be of immense benefits to teachers, pupils, educationists, government, and researchers in the following ways;

1. It will reveal if child friendly environment certainly affect the social development of pupils and the teaching – learning process in general. This will assist in future decision about school development.
2. If it is ascertained that a child friendly environment promotes pupils’ social development, then government will see the need to locate schools in an environment that is teaching learning friendly.
3. It will further enlighten teachers on strategies to adopt in teaching aimed at developing the social behaviors of pupils.
4. The study will also serve as a reference manual for future researches on related issues.

CHILD FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND PUPILS’ SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA