STUDENTS’ POPULATION EXPLOSION AND MANAGEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KATSINA-ALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated Students’ Population Explosion and Management of Secondary Schools in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated for the study. The research adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study is 329 secondary school teachers. The sample for this study is 200 respondents drawn through multi-stage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire developed by the researchers titled ‘Students’ Population Explosion and Secondary School Management Questionnaire, (SPES²MQ) was used for data collection. Mean Scores were used to answer the research questions while Chi-Square was used to test the hypotheses. This study found out that students’ population explosion has negatively influenced effective teaching and learning, students’ assessment and provision of school plant. The study recommends that secondary school teachers should be retrained on the management of overpopulated students; the government should employ more teachers in the secondary schools so as to reduce to workload of teachers. Finally, the government, public-spirited individuals, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders in education should assist secondary schools by providing enough school plant that will mitigate the influence of students’ population explosion.