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

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

ABSTRACT: The study examined child friendly environment and pupils’ social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. Three null hypotheses were formulated to give the study a sense of direction. Survey research design was adopted. The population of the study consisted of eight hundred and twenty three (823) pupils. Simple random sampling technique was used to select one hundred (100) respondents from the population. 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 school social environment such as availability of teachers, well-equipped library in the school and pupils’ social interaction contributed significantly to pupils’ 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 probability level. It was then concluded that school social environment such as availability of teachers, well-equipped library in the school and pupils’ social interaction contributed significantly to pupils’ social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. A number of recommendations were made, one of which is that schools should be located in a conducive and favourable environment that is teaching-learning friendly to enhance the social development of pupils.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Education all over the world is acknowledge to be the most powerful and indispensable instrument for not only economic and political advancement but also for social development. Hence, the Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted education as an instrument for nurturing productive citizenry and fostering national development (Ukpong, 2003). 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’ characteristics. Ukpong (2003) added that apart from the above mentioned factors, the environment in which the school is situated can equally affect the social development and academic performance of the learners.

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.

Inyang (2008) opined that school is an environment which constitutes all that surrounds the learners in the course of learning. The environment embraces such provisions as good roads, electricity, well-equipped laboratory, library and well ventilated classrooms with manageable class size. It has been noted that as future leaders of this treat 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.

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

Similarly, Ajayi (2001) noted that the current wave of violent crime and blatant disregard for moral values by most youths in our society is evidence of formal decay and inadequacies in teaching principle in these environments. According to the author, a child friendly environment 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’s environment tend to have shallow understanding of some concept and low academic performance. Miskel (2002) stated that the environment which the school is located consists of the internal characteristics that distinguishes one school from another and influences the behaviour of the pupils. The researcher further conceded that the school environment constitutes pupils, teachers, administrators and even the people within the school as they work to balance the organizational and individual aspects of the school system. Miskel (2002) believed that when the environment is child friendly, children will develop socially and most of these evils disrupting our society would be halted. The present research will examine the aforementioned areas of child friendly environment as it affects the social development of pupils in primary schools.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The issue of anti-social behaviour among various people in our society has attracted serious criticisms by citizens of our society (Ukpong, 2003). Such delinquent behaviours are known to begin from the 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 behaviours 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 in school.

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 primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.

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

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study was to examine the influence of child friendly environment on pupils’ social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. Ascertain the relationship between school social environment such as availability of teachers and pupils’ social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.
2. Assess the extent to which availability of adequate facilities like well-equipped library in schools could influence pupils’ social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.

iii.        Examine how pupils’ social interaction in the environment affects their social development in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.

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

1.4       Significance of the study:

The study will be of immense benefit to teachers, pupils, educationists, government and researchers in the following ways:

1. The study 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 environment.
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 behaviour of pupils.
4. The study will also serve as reference manual for future researches on related issues.