CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
A public school is government-owned institution in which school fees are subsidized to students in a very moderate rate. In public school there are clearly defined goals, it allocates functions, delegates responsibilities, establishes and maintains its own institutional hierarchy through which the activities are co-ordinated. Nkang (2002) observed that in school young boys and girls full of potentials are moulded and characters refined in order to help them grow steadily until they become mature and well adjusted adults, useful to themselves and to the society at large.
Furthermore, she stressed that public schools are made up of the young and old, the dull and intelligent, the normal and abnormal, the emotionally stable and the maladjusted students of varying personality traits and different socio-economic background.
Adeoyin (2009) affirmed that the population of the school be it public or private school is broadly categorized into three groups: the students, the teachers and the non-teaching staff. These groups continuously interact in a web of communication while performing their duties on a daily basis and it is through this network of relationship that learning occurs. Therefore, conducive atmosphere need to be created for effective learning.An indication of government interest in the public school is seen in government’s action on renovation of schools, employment of teachers, and other personnel as well as provision of facilities.1Granyanpfu (2013) discovered that government cannot guarantee all public schools even distribution of these infrastructural facilities, adequate employment of teachers, renovation of schools.
This according to Granyanpfu, affects schools negatively and leads to poor academic performance. In the same vein, Hussain, Ahmed, Suleman and Din (2012) opined that most of our public schools suffer unattractive and old school buildings, cracked classroom walls and floors, lack of toilets, transport facility, proper security, drinking water, power supply, playgrounds, teaching staff, sufficient classroom, educational technology, first aids facility and adequate classrooms. The authors submitted that these inadequacies also affect academic achievement.Financial Accounting is one of the subjects offered in secondary schools which are beneficial to every individual and business organization.
Consequently, the involvement by individuals and organizations explained the need to promote accounting education. Okolo (1980) maintained that the life blood of any business organization, however small is money. The Nigerian Education Research and Development Council – NERDC (2007) recognized accounting as the language and soul of business. It is the language of the business in the sense that it is the mode in which business information is identified, processed, transmitted and received by the relevant parties in the business. The subject deals with recording, classifying, summarizing and interpreting financial transactions. The subject has assumed various descriptions such as bookkeeping, principles of accounting, financial accounting, not until recently when it is known as accounting.
The aim of accounting in senior secondary schools is to assist students acquire the required skills and competences in the subject and to build on the aspect of bookkeeping covered in Business studies by students at the junior secondary school.According to the National Examination Council – NECO (2004) the study of Accounting at senior secondary school aim at enabling students appreciate the basic rules, functions and principles of accounting and help to lay proper foundation for further study of accountancy and allied courses at higher education level. Accounting also enables students to appreciate basic accounting principles, practice and their applications to modern business activities.The best legacy parents can give to their children is quality education and it is the desire of parents, that their children should get the best education possible. This desire for qualitative education has put a lot of pressure on students, teachers and schools to assume the role of training and producing students for tertiary institutions and manpower for national development and world of work.