STUDENTS' ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT AND PROSPECT OF THEIR PARTICIPATION IN MAINTENANCE OF DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

School discipline limits and restricts certain behaviours and attitudes that are seen as harmful or going against school policies, educational norms and traditions among others. Maintenance of school discipline is premised on the fact that it correlates positively on schools' tone, climate and more importantly, students' achievement. The increased school enrolment have accentuated students' disciplinary problems and burdens on school administrators so much that a systematic way of involving everybody including the students have become inevitable. This investigation therefore assesses the extent and prospect of students' participation in the maintenance of school discipline in the public secondary schools in Osun state, Nigeria. Data were obtained from 500 stratified randomly sampled male and female students from ten public secondary schools in the state. The instrument was a 3-point Likert-type questionnaire designed and validated for the study by the researcher. Data were analyzed by using means and the t-test. The analysis revealed high rating by the sampled students for their participation in the supervision of morning duties; the maintenance of law and order; and stewards at schools' social function with 2.60, 2.55 and 2.60 respectively on a the 3-point rating scale. It was also gathered that such participation trains students in civic responsibilities and good citizenship; increased their happiness of school life; and the development of right conduct, self-control, cooperative efficiency and fairness in them with mean ratings of 2.58, 2.53, and 2.30 respectively. Opinions of male and female students were not significantly different on such participatory areas as: formulation of school rules and regulation; maintenance of law and order; and organization and control of morning/afternoon assemblies. They however differed significantly in such items as the organization and supervision of morning duties, general supervision of junior students and stewards at school's social functions. Moreover, students' gender did not significantly influence their ratings on: students are educated in civil responsibilities and good citizenship; development of good friendliness between teachers and students; relieving teachers for more professional duties; and increased happiness of school life. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made for more effective participation of students in the maintenance of school discipline.