ABSTRACT
The study appraised the management of physical facilities in public and private
colleges of education in South East Nigeira. Seven research questions and six null
hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted
for the study. The sample for the study is 543, comprising 433 academic staff and 110
administrative staff selected from the 4 public and 2 private colleges of education used
for the study. A fifty-item questionnaire titled Appraisal of the management of physical
facilities in public and private Colleges of Education in South East Nigeria was used
for the study. The questionnaire was face-validated by four experts. The internal
consistency of the questionnaire items was determined using Cronbach alpha
procedure. The data collected were analyzed using real limit of numbers, while mean
and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, and independent ttest
to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that there is no significant difference
between the opinions of staff of public and private colleges of education on the extent
they adhere to the NCCE manual on planning, procurement and management of
physical facilities in their institutions. The study revealed that to a great extent,
management adhere to the NCCE manual on the planning, maintenance, safety and
supervision of physical facilities. Observation rating scale was another instrument used
to collect data for the study. It was used personally by the researcher to ascertain the
level of adequacy of physical facilities in the Colleges of Education. The result
revealed that the Public Colleges of Education studied generally have more adequate
facilities than the Private ones. The researcher also used Focus Group Discussions in
the colleges under study. Data were generated to probe how management staff ensures
the safety of physical facilities and equipment in their colleges. Findings show that
facilities generally are entrusted to the care of security staff. Discussants also reported
that physical facilities and equipment departments are usually in the custody of
technologists. Based on these findings, it was therefore recommended among others
that staff of both Public and Private Colleges of Education should adhere strictly to the
manual from National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in the
management of physical facilities and equipment in their colleges. Implications of the
study, suggestions and limitations were stated appropriately based on the findings.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The continual increase in school enrolment in Nigeria in recent years has led
to corresponding needs of more qualified teachers, non teaching staff, material
resources and physical facilities. This trend has in turn led to demand and
employment of personnel and provision of requisite facilities, thus, increasing the
cost of financing education. However, the rate of school enrolment still far
outweighs the rate of provision of teaching staff and facilities because of
insufficient financial backing. Akilaiya (2001) observed this trend, pointing out
that the non-corresponding expansion in facilities, has resulted in gradual but
general collapse of the system. The continual increase in school enrolment and the
need for more qualified teaching staff led to the establishment of colleges of
education.
Colleges of education are tertiary institutions of learning formally
established to produce highly dedicated and efficient teachers for the basic
education system. Colleges of education, whether public or private award the
Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE). As teacher education institutions, the
goals of Colleges of Education according to the Federal Republic of Nigeria
(2004) include: encouragement of the spirit of enquiry and creativity in teachers;
helping teachers to fit into the social life of the community and society at large
and to enhance their commitment to national objectives; providing teachers with
the intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment; and to
make them adaptable to any changing situation not only in the life of their country,
but in their wider world; enhancing teachers' commitment to the teaching
profession.
For colleges of education to achieve the above objectives, the physical
facilities made available to them must be efficiently and effectively managed.
Colleges of education are administered by Provosts and a host of other officers.