CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
In recent years, educational researchers have emphasized the critical role of the principal in creating an effective school environment which involves the development of a strong school culture that prescribes specific goals, roles and behaviours by educators in and out of class settings (Parkay & Hall, 2009). The effect of extracurricular activities such as the press club, drama club, civic society, debate clubs, sports etc on secondary school learners justifies their existence and proper management in secondary schools (Craig, 2000). These activities exist to complement the school’s academic curriculum, augment the learner’s educational experience and provide a setting for them to become involved and to interact with other learners. Such involvement extends to broader community life which implies that the primary goal of extracurricular activities encapsulate the individual learner, the institution and broader community (Helfgot, 2005).
In general the architecture of secondary schools emphasizes sameness including standard timetables, age-graded classes, extracurricular participation and teacher expectations. National policies and institutional practices expect principals and learners to conform to the ideal norm of best practices without considering different contexts. The effect is that the sameness in schools makes differences in surroundings, the latter which is responsible for making each school a distinctive place of its own (Christie, Butler & Potterton, 2007). Related to best practice is the notion of using the academic grid against which all school evaluations are measured. The demands for standardised academic output result in extreme prioritising of the academic curriculum (Dickeson, 2009). As is the case with school principals in general, principals of secondary schools are under constant pressure to improve academic programmes in order to strengthen and sustain their overall achievement reputation (Masteralexis et al., 2005).
For every human society the successful conduct of her internal/external affairs depends largely on the extent of the reliability of government apparatus and the government successfully communicating, understanding and accepting themselves in a mutual and symbiotic relationship”- Obaze .A et al (2004).The need for information through the establishment of a concrete press club in secondary schools is such that man can hardly function or determine his course of life without communication. On account of this, the influential role of the media is cited in her caprice to direct, redirect, and shoulder the course of altitude change and instilling/building public perception towards societal affair.There is no modern society that can dispense with the press especially newspapers and television. The newspapers especially to places where there are no radio stations rapidly spread important news. The newspapers give us reliable information about towns and countries. Many social tools are exposed in one newspaper to attract the attention of the government, police and the citizens as a whole so that such evils may be immediately combated. Many articles written by intelligent people and carried by newspapers contain good ideas with which we can experiment in our bid to reform the society. These articles have suggested ways and means by which we can combat tribalism, fraud, serious crimes, avarice, greed, and extravagance, which are disintegrating forces in the society.
By impacting meaningfully through the involvement of Nigeria press vis-à-vis as a social system in society positioning, it is her duty, responsibility and obligation to enhance the survival of the vital ingredient of society demand. Which are unity; structure; inter-dependence; compliance, commitment and conformity; and transmission of social norms, culture and value. The media is by this gear towards enhancing the continuity and survival of the total social “gadget.”