CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education plays a vital role in the development of a nation. Education is tools that facilitate the acceleration social, political and economic growth of a nation. Most advance country in the world like United Kingdom and united state of America have attained such level of development through adequate planning financing of education. The successes of any system of education depend on the proper planning, efficient administration and adequate financing. However, the financial aspect of education is one of the problem facing educational development today, This is because the greater percentage of Nigeria population are illiterates that is they are not inform it make them deform and lead to low performance in planning today. According to Salariu (1982) just about 25% of Nigeria is literate while 75% are illiterate. The various Government of Nigeria have seen education as a catalyst in nation building and have been making efforts at improving all aspect of our education system in primary secondary and tertiary institution.

For instance, the federal government have not provided the nations, education system with education policy but hug sums of money are not allocated to education sector but rather huge hug sums of money to other sector like construction of roads. To show the degree of involvement in education as assertion was made this government expenditure in primary education alone was sixty thousand, four hundred and sixty five naira (N60, 465). To cover infrastructures, personnel and equipment commitment (first progress report on third national development plan (1975-1980), this expenditure should not be seen a surprise but rather a justification of the claim in national policy on education, that education is no more a private venture but a huge government venture that has witnessed a progress venture that has witnessed a progressive evaluation of government complete on dynamic intervention and active participation. Historically, education in Nigeria has passed through many or development. The advent of formal education, Nigeria had an indigenous system of education of all members of the communities. The western was brought into our midst in the early ninetieth century. This education was embraced by the local communities because it gives room for their participation in the education.

The school of that time were missionary controlled with the participation of the local communities hence the member of the mission. Government assumed the full control of education responsible all alone with the financing it with oil becoming, the participation of local communities were not encouraged this brought about distortion to the whole educational system. Before the assumption of school by government, the Christian and Muslim voluntary agencies and organization were those responsible for education .They funded organized administered and controlled them. The communities too did not relent their effort in participation in the financing of education some event beyond building school and staff quarters for their teacher. A case in point is that of Holy Community School, Ozoro and Community Primary School, Oleu both in Igueben Local government area of Edo state, where communities did participated in the building of school and sta quarter for their teachers. All these eorts were geared towards the government of education in those days before the take over by the government. But now the area of government expenditure is widened and economic of the nation is in state of paralysis. In this regard, the strength of weak, she there looks for alternative way of financing primary education or at least sharing the responsibilities with other financing primary sources.

Frankly speaking, there is no denying the fact that Nigeria school are far beyond standard in view of scarcity of resources to fund their school facilities and teacher salaries are not paid when due. It is in this predicament that government in 1992 resorted to decree 3 of 1991 which transferred the funding and administration of primary education to local government. This pronouncement of the federal government as generated a lot of crisis to the education sector be cause of local government can not afford to shoulder the responsibility it is to manage this crucial level of education. This situation were worsens the already fallen standard of primary education in Nigeria. In this country now, the primary education is resorted to federal government. Yet thing are not in good order. This study is therefore set out to examine the community participation in the administration of primary school in Igueben Local Government Area.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

Historically, analysis has shown that primary education is in a great predicament in Nigeria because of the liability of the federal government to seek for alternative sources of financing education especially from the local communities, voluntary agencies, philanthropists and individual even though available evidence shows that government alone cannot provide the required materials. This has infact through the teaching and learning situation in primary school into a dismal position where unrest is the order of the day. Igueben Local Government as part of the large Nigeria society has own share of the problem and even present a complex and peculiar situation. For instance, the teachers salaries are not paid, the teaching and learning situation are jeopardized. Teaching aids are not provided, the school building are dilapidated and primary school management is in the great confusion due to non participation of the communities in the financing of primary education system. Informal education is to serve a useful purpose to the communities, it has therefore become necessary for the local communities to participate adequately in the financing of primary education especially at this level of education is the bed rock on which the success or failure of the whole national education depends.