THE ROLE OF PTA IN ADMINISTRATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Efficient
and effective administration of schools should be entirely an internal thing or
be left for just the school administration. For a school to be able to do well
in every ramification, then useful inputs from ‘external’ sources have to be
thoroughly considered and implemented. One of those useful external sources is
the parents’ teachers association. Parents’ teachers association is an
association comprising of parents/guardians of students or pupils and the
administration of the school majorly teachers who meet annually or quarterly to
discuss matters on the educational, moral and spirited well-being of the students
or pupils of any learning organization, either at the nursery or primary level
or at the secondary level. This association is basically made up of two arms,
the executive and the general assembly. The general assembly meets at designed
times either quarterly or yearly while the executives meet as often as the need
arises. The executive arm of this association is made up of duly elected
parents or guardians and the school management such as the head teachers,
principals and school administrators (kalu 2009).
The
PTA has overtime been an organization that has monitored progress being made by
the school. For efficient administration of any organization schools inclusive,
all hands must be on deck enroute to its actualization.
Overtime,
a lot has been said about the operations and functions of the parents’ teachers
association. This association has majorly defined roles for every school
ranging from the nursery and primary school to the secondary schools. In some
schools they are seen majorly as a fund raising group while in some other
schools they are seen as one of the highest decision making body of the school.
Whichever way one has to look at it, this association one would say may be a
major stakeholder in the effective administration of the school.
Roles of the parents’
teachers association
Ø
To represent the
views of parents/guardians of the school
Ø
To promote a
positive view of parents via effective collaboration with the Parent
Representatives on the Board of Management
Ø
To inform parents
of current changes in the school system, if the need arises.
Ø
To network with
other Parent Associations through involvement with National Parents Council.
Ø
To establish a
forum through which parents and teachers can exchange information and research
in relation to education/welfare of children.
Ø
To proffer
solutions on better ways to administrate the school.
Ø
To support parents,
teachers and students to ensure that all children are treated in accordance
with the ethos of the school.
Ø
To support the
teaching staff, and to work with them in delivering the school curriculum
Ø
To help raise funds
for the school and the Parents Association, in consultation with the Principal
and Board of Management
Ø
To keep parents
informed about activities planned for the school
Ø
To influence policy
development at school level
Ø
To influence policy
development at national level once affiliated to the National Parents Council.
1.2.
STATEMENT OF THE
GENERAL PROBLEM
The educational performance of Nigerian
students and standard of education in Nigeria today is gradually falling thus
leading to this question as to the role of the parents’ teachers association in
the administration of schools in Nigeria in improving this malady in the
educational sector. There is also a growing concern over the poor performance
of students in the just released WASSCE examinations thus leading to this study
in examining the role of this association in improving this decline. Does the
parents’ teachers association help in improving the general administration of
schools in Nigeria? Are their inputs as stakeholders required to improve the
declining education sector? All these are the problems that led to this survey.
1.3.
AIMS
AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of
the study is to examine the impact of parents’ teachers association in the
administration of schools in Nigeria. Specific objectives of the study are:
1. To
know if the association influences the performance of the teaching staff of the
school.
2. To
ascertain if the association influences the performance of their wards or
children in school.
3. To
find out if the association influences policy development in schools.
4. To
find out if there is a relationship between the activities of the parents’
teachers association and the development of education in Nigeria.
1.4.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to examine
the influence of the parents’ teachers association in schools across Nigeria,
the following questions were asked.
1. To
what extent does the parents’ teachers association influence the overall
performance of the teaching staff of schools?
2. Does the parents’ teachers association
influence the academic performance of their wards or children? If the answer is
in the affirmative, to what extent has this association influenced the
performance of the students.
3. Is
there a relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers
association in schools and the general educational development in Nigeria?
4. Does
this association influence basic policy development in schools in Nigeria?
5. Are
the inputs of the parents’ teachers association required to improve the decline
in the education sector?
1.5
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
Hypothesis
1
H0:
Parents’ teachers association does not influence the overall performance of
teachers in schools.
H1:
Parents’ teachers association influences the overall performance of teachers in
schools.
Hypothesis
2
H0:
Parents’ teachers association does not influence the overall performance of
their wards in schools.
H1:
Parents’ teachers association does not influence the overall performance of
their wards in schools.
Hypothesis
3
H0: there
is no relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers association
and the general educational development in Nigeria.
H1: there
is a relationship between the activities of the parents’ teachers association
and the general educational development in Nigeria.
1.6
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
For students to be
able to perform optimally in school and for teachers to be able to give their
best in schools, then certain inputs from sources have to be thoroughly
considered and implemented. A very
viable source is the parents’ teachers association, for a better education
sector, one must be able to know the extent of the role of this association in
schools and by extension the education sector.
In other to resuscitate the declining education sector, teachers should
be encouraged and guided, students progress should be monitored and above all,
the administration of schools should well guided and advised on the right moves
to make. Thus a major significance of this study is to know the level of input
in the schools administration by the parents’ teachers association.
1.7
SCOPE
AND OF THE STUDY
This study is
restricted to parents, primary and secondary schools in Uyo local government of
Awa-Ibom State. In the realization of the role of the parents’ teachers
association in schools across the local government. The study will be focused
on parents and teachers of various primary schools in LAGOS state.
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS
·
PTA:
parents’ teachers association
·
ADMINISTRATION:
activities that are done in other to plan
organize and run a business, school or other institution.