International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Reviews Vol.11 No.2, July 2021; p. 126 – 135 (ISSN: 2276-8645) TREND OF STUDENTS’ ENROLMENT AND TEACHER ADEQUACY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA ONU, AGATHA NGOZI School of General Studies Department of Social Sciences Federal Polytechnics Oko. [email protected] +2347060999490 ABSTRACT The study investigated trend of students’ enrolment in secondary schools for 2013/14 to 2017/18 academic sessions in Enugu State South-East Nigeria. The design of the study was descriptive design. The population of the study was all the students and teachers in government owned secondary schools; numbering 129,317 and 7945 of students, and teachers respectively for the 17 LGAs in Enugu State. There was no sample; hence the entire population was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was checklist on Trend of Students’ Enrolment and Teacher Adequacy in Enugu State Secondary Schools (TOSETA). Face validation was effected by two experts in educational administration and in measurement and evaluation, all in the faculty of education, ABSU. No reliability test was conducted since the records for the study came from secondary school management board of the state of study. The researcher with the help of (1) assistant in the statistical division of the secondary school board administered the instrument. Data were analysed using mean and percentage. It was found that the trend in students’ enrolment in Enugu State Secondary Schools showed significant decrease during the period under study. It was also found that in absolute terms, the growth rate showed that girls enrolled more than boys. The result showed that the student/teacher ratio was more than satisfactory in the state of study. Based on the findings, the recommendations made were that Enugu state government should energize their enlightenment campaign on the need for parents to release their children to enroll in secondary schools, Parents should be made to understand that both male and female children should be given equal opportunity and government should stop students transfer to private schools which is assumed to encourage students’ external examination malpractice for better grades. Key Words: Trend, Students, Secondary Schools, Enrolment. Teacher and Adequacy INTRODUCTION Education is an instrument for national development; to this end, the formulation of ideas, acquisition of knowledge, the integration for national development and the interaction of persons and ideas are all aspects of education. The development of country’s national resources is dependent of the quality of its human resources and the quality of human resources also depends on Education (Federal Government of Nigeria 2013). That is why, the objective of any reasonable government, both developed and developing countries is to imbibe themselves to the goals of sound education of their citizens. Unfortunately, in many developing countries, children either do not have access to education or are enrolled in schools of questionable quality (Khandker, 2010). In the struggle to achieve educational goals, the Nigeria government launched Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1976 which was later replaced with universal Basic education in 1999 which is in practice now in Nigeria and in Enugu State in particular. The Nigerian Government stipulates in the National Policy on Education (2013: p7)” that every Nigerian child shall have right to equal educational opportunities irrespective of any real or imagined disabilities, each according to his or her ability”. Trend on students’ enrolment has to do with increase or decrease in enrolment. In the educational system gender is very important, as it influences the trend of school enrolment. Gender discrimination according to UNISEF (2013) remarked that the new vision for secondary 126 International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Reviews Vol.11 No.2, July 2021; p. 126 – 135 (ISSN: 2276-8645) education aims at eliminating all forms of inequalities in terms of inequalities in terms of gender, geographical, social and physical conditions. Thus, the Nigerian National Policy on Education provides that all primary school leavers should move on to the secondary education level. The Enugu state have been conscious of this policy provision and have been making serious efforts to provide opportunity for all primary school leavers to enroll for secondary education level. According to Ibe (2011) every other form of underdevelopment in South-East States of Nigeria could be traced to high illiteracy level and to make any meaningful progress in developing the states, massive education of the citizenry is a pre-requisite. The importance of teachers at all levels of education cannot be over emphasized because teachers are the pivot upon which the teaching and learning rotates. Goldhaber and Anthony (2014) did identify teacher quantity as important not only for teacher recruitment but also an assumed equitable distribution of enough teachers for effective teaching and learning. Teacher adequacy in quantity exists in Enugu State if the student/teacher ratio of (40.1) maximum standard conforms to the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Education (2013); while the quantity of teachers is influenced by the trend of students’ enrolment in schools (Maduewesi, 2012). Federal Ministry of Education (FME, 2010) confirmed that there are some developments in the school census since the launching of UBE in 1999. The ministry opined that trend in the students’ enrolment has resulted to expansion of existing teaching/learning, facilities to boast enrolment and enhances access to primary and secondary education. Ehiametalor (2015) asserted that any discussion of access to education can only make sense when reference is made to the trend on enrolment in all tiers of our educational system. Enrolment in secondary schools ensures the absorption of the graduates of primary schools to secondary schools and adequate supply of students for the tertiary level. This simply shows that access to education is generally viewed from the standpoint of the number of person enrolled in the educational system in comparison with those who should have been accommodated in the system and are not. Review of Related Literature Adeyemi (2010) studied students’ enrolment and teacher requirement in secondary schools in Kwara State Nigeria from 2017/2008 to 2018/2009. It was found that 369,107 enrolled in the secondary schools in the state. It found that the teachers required to match the students’ that enrolled will be 4244 teachers for the of the study. The study also revealed that the average enrolment growth rate in the secondary schools was 3.7% in 2017/2018 while in 2018/2019 students’ enrolment was 3.8%. From his findings, it was discovered that not much has been achieved for the current Universal Basic Education programe in the state. Onu, (2021) Studied Trend of Students’ Enrolment and Teacher Adequacy in South-East Nigeria. The study revealed that the trend in students’ enrolment in Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states secondary schools showed significantly decrease during the period under review. The study also found that girls enrolled more than boys in the three states of the study; but boys enrolled more than girls in the three states respectively. Alochere (2013) studied demand and supply of teachers in secondary schools in Cross- River state, Nigeria from 2006 - 2010. The study found that students’ enrolment was increasingly considerably throughout the years of the study and teachers’ quantity was short. The study discovered that the average student/teacher ratio in the state was 1.48%. Anuna (2006) studied correlate od educational inequalities and disparities in Nigeria. The work revealed that educational disparities and inequalities is not a North-South phenomenon as reported by educational policy makers. The study found that with the educational advantaged Eastern Nigeria, certain segments like Enugu and Ebonyi States were highly disadvantaged and shared the same characteristics with the far Northern states. League of Ex-Education Secretaries (2011) studied male/female secondary schools’ enrolment in Enugu North. The study revealed that there was a declining trend of - 22.24% growth for males in 2005/2006 as against -12.23 for males in 2006/2007 academic sessions. Statement of the Problem It has been observed that the South-East of Nigeria had experienced the problem of low enrolment across the country. It may be true to be true to say that 79 percent of children enroll in JS 1 and that six (6) out of every seven (7) students finish the secondary schools. There is an overall 2/3(two third) percent of all school children in Enugu state who are completing senior secondary school and 1/3 (one third) percent are not. 127 International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Reviews Vol.11 No.2, July 2021; p. 126 – 135 (ISSN: 2276-8645) (Ayeni, 2012) The quantity of teachers posted to schools may give rise to teachers being enough or not which fosters the ability to interact with the students and advance what the students know and are doing. It has been observed on the continual appearance of school age children hawking along the major streets of major towns in Enugu State. The children are also seen on farms. homes as house helps and apprentices (during the school hours) who do not go to school. There is also observation on failure rate of students in schools. Perhaps therefore, the students’ population has been on the increase, the economic recession in the country seems to have disallowed the teacher adequacy to take care of the students’ population increase. These are the thought provoking issues, hence the need for this work. Purpose of the Study The study aimed at investigating the Trend of Students’ Enrolment and Teacher Adequacy in Secondary Schools in Enugu State in Nigeria. 1. Ascertain the trend on students’ enrolment and teacher adequacy in secondary schools in Enugu State from 2013/14 – 2017/18 academic sessions.