IMPACT OF SOCIAL COST OF EDUCATION ON THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SECONDARY EDUCATION IN IGABI LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KADUNA STATE
ABSTRACT
The study investigates the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state. The objectives of the study are to: determine the impact of school supplies cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State; assess the impact of instructional materials cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State; find out the impact of salary cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State; examine the impact of utilities cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State; and ascertain the impact of regular maintenance cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State. These objectives were transcribed into five research questions and five hypotheses respectively. Survey research design was used in the study. The target population of the study is made up of 360 participants. In all, there are 5 Ministry of Education officials, 14 principals, 341 teachers in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State. A sample size of 3 ministry of education officials, 7 principals and 186 teachers were sampled from Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, making the total of 196 respondents. The instrument titled “social cost of education and quality public secondary education questionnaire (SCEQPSEQ)” was used for data collection in the study. The validated instrument was pilot tested, the reliability co-efficient was determined using Cronbach Alpha statistic and a reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained. The data collected in the study was analysed using descriptive statistics; frequency counts, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. Kruskal-Wallis was used to test the five null hypotheses at 0.05 level of` significance. Findings of the study revealed among others that school supplies cost had no significant impact on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Instructional materials cost had significant impact on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State. More so, salary cost had significant impact on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State. Recommendations were made in the study to include that: The Kaduna state government should adhere strictly to the UNESCO benchmark, which calls for investing 26% of the annual budget and 6% of the gross domestic product in education. Kaduna state government in collaboration with stakeholders should give top priority to the finance of instructional materials that make learning more practical and accessible, especially at the secondary school level because it acts as a stepping stone for higher education.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Educational organisations have become throughout the world so complex that they require detailed investigations into their various dimensions. Social costs is one such important dimension. This cost may be in the form of infrastructure creation, salary of teaching staff and non-teaching employees, tuition waiver/scholarship to students and such other heads. From wherever the funds are obtained, it is one of the most important preconditions for making education available, and also augmenting the quality of education provided.
It is even more crucial now that education is widely seen as an investment activity. The cost of education therefore, refers to the cost incurred by the state government for providing education to the citizens (Kumar, 2014). However, the chance of acquiring quality education largely depends on the right funding of secondary education (Lugaz & Grauwe, 2016). Educational cost is also a measure of what a student, an institution of learning, or the public has to give up in order to educate an individual or a group of people. Cost of education may be incurred by producers (educational institutions) or consumers (students and their parents) (Babalola, 1995). In its broad usage, cost implies the resources (money, materials, and men) used up for the operation of a business enterprise (Aghenta, 1993). Cost in education represents the real resources in terms of money and sacrifices that are used up to produce an educated person.
Generally, costs in education are classified into social and private costs. Social costs represent social investment or government expenditures on education while private costs are incurred by the students and their households. Social and private costs are further divided into direct and indirect costs. Direct social cost refers to the actual direct expenditures by government and direct private cost refers to the actual direct expenditures by students or their parents in providing education. Direct social cost of education which is the focus of this study is further distinguished as recurrent social cost and capital social cost. The crucial distinction between recurrent and capital cost lies in the source of finance (Paudel, 2018).
Direct social cost is usually divided into two categories for accounting purposes: recurrent cost and capital cost (Paudel, 2018). Recurrent cost is the costs of educational inputs or services which is expended in a period of one year: it consists of personnel costs (salaries, employment benefits and supplementary benefits paid to teachers, school administrators, and other school staff) and non-personnel costs (costs of instructional materials, teaching aids, school supplies, minor repair and regular maintenance, utilities, and student welfare) (Tsang, 1995). They are financed from current income or revenue, while capital expenditures are financed by loans from international agencies as well as other sources of income (Akpotu, 2008). Direct social cost of education implies the actual financial expenditures on education by government, which includes teachers and non-teachers’ salaries and allowances, expenditures on books equipment, stationary and transport, imputed rent on educational buildings, maintenance cost and other expenditures on goods and services (Paudel, 2018).
According to Levin and McEwan (2003), personnel costs are the costs for human resources in education including those who serve full-time, part-time and voluntary. It involves the role, qualifications and time spent in the provision of education. Input time also covers the use of the time involved in education programmes. Meanwhile, input costs for facilities are expenses for building, facilities and the space used for education programmes. Costs of materials include expenses for computers, printed materials, books, stationaries and references. Cost of inputs varies according to the level of education. The cost at higher education may be higher than at the school level.
Furthermore, students must spend on new sets of equipment – the basic requirement in their studies such as uniforms, laboratory or workshop attires, as well as special equipment according to the course and type of study. Cost of transportation at schooling level refers to the daily journey to school. Funding determines to a large extent, the quality of education. In turn, the quality of education determines the knowledge acquisition and success of the students both in the internal and external examinations. So, in effect, funding avenues affect learners’ progress. Issues related to financing of education are crucial for understanding overall educational development.
There are ways in which the government finance teachers’ salaries, target support to vulnerable groups, laboratory equipment, building of new schools, especially in arid areas and provision of teaching/ learning materials in all public schools (Githinji, 2012). Yet, in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state, government are been criticised for not able to meet such cost, which results in high transfer/loss of qualify teachers, lack/obsolete instructional materials, dilapidated infrastructures etc. that diminishes the pool of qualified people from diverse backgrounds who will enter the professional and political ranks that make important public policy decisions. Whereas every school’s mission ought to be to educate students to become knowledgeable, socially skilled, healthy, caring, and responsible citizens.
The Kaduna state government remains an important player in providing education services, but making high-quality education accessible for all in the State requires innovative programmes and initiatives in addition to public resources and leadership. However, the government scheme for the provision of social cost of education was inefficient and therefore adversely affected the quality of teaching and learning. Thus this study explored the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state, Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It is obvious that education is largely financed by the government. However, the government finance of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state is increasing but grossly inadequate. For instance, the recurrent expenditure allocated to overheads increased appreciably from just 6% in 2001 to 14% in 2005. Nevertheless, the level of overhead funding remains seriously inadequate. In real terms, total expenditure on secondary education in Kaduna State fell by 21.6% during this period (Abubakar & Bennell, 2007). Governmental commitment on accessible education and equal opportunity in education from both government and private sectors enhances education opportunity for those who cannot afford to pay for education. Nonetheless, the rate and ratio of the investment on education from the government is a debatable issue. In this context, it is difficult to answer the questions about the overall finance size of the government in education easily because it is too vague, in general involves nature of the government in practical.
Recently, the focus has also being shifted not only on the importance of government social cost of education but on the determinants of quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state. Many people believe that the quality of education in public secondary schools is on the decline and, they blame the inefficient government finance of education. The inadequate funding has been criticised on the ground that it can never get the students quality education like their counterparts in private schools. In other words, no one should expect quality education in public schools if funding continue to be abysmally inadequate (Martim, 2008). It is arguable that this trend could have impacted negatively on the quality of public secondary education.
On the part of the government, the social cost of education, and especially at secondary school level, became necessary in order to maintain the quality of academic programmes, and improve access to secondary education (Orodho, 1995). Since searching relevant literatures in the study area, few studies, if any, have focused on trying to examine the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state and how school administrators are coping with the harsh economic realities that they find themselves rapt into.
More so, despite tuition fee waiver in public secondary schools, children from poor backgrounds have continued to be marginalized as some public schools charges are in excess. Therefore, financing education through social cost could be one of the major problems facing public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. This situation might be the root cause of shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate or lack of instructional materials, absence of relevant utilities, and lack of proper maintenance of school infrastructures in public secondary schools in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Hence the study sought to investigate the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study are to:
- determine the impact of school supplies cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria;
- assess the impact of instructional materials cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria;
- find out the impact of salary cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria;
- examine the impact of utilities cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria; and
- ascertain the impact of regular maintenance cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were answered in the study:
- What is the impact of school supplies cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria?
- What impact do instructional materials cost have on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria?
- What impact do salary cost have on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria?
- What impact do utilities cost have on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria?
- What is the impact of regular maintenance cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated for the study:
H01: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Ministry of Education Officials, Principals, and Teachers regarding the impact of school supplies cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
H02: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Ministry of Education Officials, Principals, and Teachers regarding the impact of instructional materials cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
H03: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Ministry of Education Officials, Principals, and Teachers regarding the impact of salary cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
H04: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Ministry of Education Officials, Principals, and Teachers regarding the impact of utilities cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
H05: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Ministry of Education Officials, Principals, and Teachers regarding the impact of regular maintenance cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
1.6 Basic Assumptions
The study is based on the assumptions that:
- school supplies cost incur by the government ensure the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
- instructional materials cost incur by the government enhance the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
- salary cost incur by the government boost the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
- utilities cost incur by the government guarantee the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
- regular maintenance cost incur by the government boost the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
1.7 Significance of the Study
Findings of this study would be beneficial to school administrators, ministry of education, NGOs, government, parents, students, and other researchers. Necessary information applicable to the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education would be revealed to the school administrators. The finding would also encourage further interest and inquiry into governmental commitment on accessible and quality education.
The outcome of the study provides useful guide to educational planners and managers as it provides information on the actual cost involved in financing secondary education. The finding also gives an insight into the pattern of educational expenditures. The finding would also be helpful to NGOs which may wish to assist in financing secondary education in terms of provision of necessities that are not included in the social cost.
The findings would help government to make choices and take varied decisions regarding social cost of education. It would help to shed light on the relationship between social cost and quality of public secondary education in terms of infrastructure creation, salary of teaching staff and non-teaching employees, tuition waiver/scholarship to students and the ongoing battle for funding. The finding would help the government to take into account the uneven distribution of resources, students, and other inputs across schools. Additionally, resource constraints are a fact of life in education, and the constraints have been particularly severe in the early part of the 21st century. Thus, the finding of this study would create an awareness to government how inadequate social cost affects the efficiency of public secondary schools.
Students in Igabi Local Government, Kaduna State will immensely benefit from this study because the resultant awareness of the value and state of social cost will bring about their improvement, which will consequently make the school environment more conducive for teaching, learning and habitation by students. The study will also add to the growth of knowledge impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education.
The finding of the study will be used as basis of research in other local government areas of Kaduna state. It will provide empirical information and data base that will enable parents, researchers and other stakeholders to gain better understanding of the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The study explore the impact of social cost of education on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state. The study is delimited to Igabi Local Government Area. It further delimits to only public secondary schools within the Local Government Area, for good representation. The participants of the study are the Principals, Teachers and ministry of education officials. Questionnaire would be used to gather the participants’ opinions on the interplay between the variables of the study such as school supplies cost, instructional materials cost, salary cost, utilities cost, and regular maintenance cost on the quality of public secondary education in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state.
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Tagged with: Education, Public Secondary Education, Quality of Public Secondary Education, Social Cost, Social Cost of Education