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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The effective management of high school records depends on certain management procedures and functions such as effective supervision, creation of records, effective leadership, monitoring, provision and training of adequate personnel, records storage and retrieval, discipline and effective communication, delegation of duty, developing record keeping skills and motivation (Ajayi, 1997). Information and data generated from an effective and efficient records management programme aids the school to plan and make useful decisions, preserve facts and figures for future reference, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization and administration of the school. The adequate provision of quality manpower, funds and equipment would ensure optimum management of school records however, inadequate or non-availability of these resources would bring about problems and challenges in the efficient and effective management of records.
The school administrator has the responsibility of seeing to the smooth running of a school. The extent to which he succeeds in carrying out this responsibility depends on a number of factors and one of them has to do with the records that he is expected to keep. These records give a lot of information about the school that will enable him to take decisions and also assess the progress of the school. National policy on education requires that some of the records should be kept appropriately. FRN (2004) Different people such as the headmaster, the class teacher, and the local government education authority keep different records about the school.
School records are official documents, books and files containing essential and crucial information on actions and events which are kept and preserved in the school offices for utilization and retrieval of information when needed (Durosaro, 2002). Such records are kept by principals, teachers, counsellors are administrative staff. Some of the major school records include; students’ personal files, staff record book, the log book, visitors book and inventories book, among others. The purpose of record keeping and management is to ensure that accurate and proper records of students achievement and growth, information on school activities and matters that will promote efficiency and effectiveness of the school system are kept, among others.
According to Durosaro (2002), records are important tools for effective planning and administration of a school. School records occupy strategic position in the effective and efficient organization and administration of the school. It helps for effective planning and implementation of appropriate course of actions, thereby introducing proper monitoring of school activities tasks.
Records are important because they serve as major information tool that sustain the school and aid in achieving educational goals and objectives. Records engender teaching competence and maintain the trend in the history of teaching and learning processes. Egwunyenga (2009) observed that not all information can be considered as records until they satisfy such characteristics as genuinety and authenticity, that is, the information that records give must be true, correct and original; records must be comprehensive, accessible and secured.
School records are grouped into statutory and non-statutory. Statutory records are those prescribed by education law and so must be owned by every school and should be produced on demand by constituted authorities. Examples of statutory records include: admission/withdrawal register, attendance register, scheme of work, time-table, school diary, log book, finance record books, continuous assessments records, etc. Non-statutory records are of private use to schools that find them useful. These include: cash book, stock book, punishment book, school calanedar, inventory book, staff minutes book, school magazine, inspection/supervision report file, confidential report forms and requisition book. All the above records are commonly keep in schools presently. Records management is the application of systematic and scientific control of recorded information that is required for the operation of the school (Bosah, 1997). Such control is exercised over the distribution, utilization, retention, storage, retrieval, protection, preservation and final disposition of all types of records within the school. The aim of records management is to achieve the best storage, retrieval and exploitation of school records in the school system and also to improve the efficiency of record making and keeping processes.
A school head must have accurate information to help him/her assess meaningfully the progress of the school. All school records are very useful, school records must be complete and be made available when the need arises. Records, which are not regularly kept, will be incomplete and misleading, badly kept records can hinder the progress of the school. The school leader must see that school records are devoid of exaggerated reports or untrue statements. According to Idoko (2005), school records management can only be properly maintained if the school administrators employ desirable strategies for improving school records management. These strategies could be; to place priority on the supply of necessary school records, funds ear-marked for records management should be retired accordingly, opportunity for professional training by staff through in-service professional training course should given to school administrators, timely supply of school records, among others. Records management helps to control the quality and quantity of information that is created in a manner that effectively serves the need of the school (Akabue, 1991).
School record management according to Fasasi (2004), is meant to enhance the performance of secondary school administrators. Adequate records management programme co-ordinates and protects institutions’ records, sharpens the effectiveness of records as a management memory which controls the times, equipment and space allocated to records and helps to simplify intra-organizational and communication problems. The management of records in high schools, like in any other organization, is a cyclic process involving the principals, teachers, students, messengers, cleaners and other categories of staff. The bulk of records are handled by principals which are most often kept manually thus the processing, retrieval and utilization of records are not easy.
Iwhiwhu (2005) stresses the poor quality and quantity of manpower in records management in the school system. He emphasized that manpower is employed without prejudice to qualitative records management.
Iyede (2001) viewed human resources management as the harnessing of the totality of the peoples skills, energies, talents, latent capacities, social characteristics like beliefs to achieve educational objectives and simultaneously making people to be part and parcel of the school. This shows that manpower energies, skills and latent capabilities are harnessed to meet organizational goals. Also an enabling and conducive environment and enough motivation are needed for the workers in the school to put in their best.
The term management has been defined as the process of utilizing material and human resources to accomplish designated objectives which involve the organization, direction, supervision, coordination and evaluation to achieve organizational objectives. Aghenta (2001) defined management as a process involving organizing, planning, leading, measuring and controlling as well as undertaking of risk and handling of uncertainty, planning and innovation, coordination and routine supervision. It is also viewed as a process designed to ensure the co-operation, participation, intervention and involvement of personnel in the effective achievement of a given objective (Fabunmi, 2000).
The effective management of school records by principals depends on certain management procedures and functions such as effective supervision, creation of records, effective leadership, monitoring, provision and training of adequate personnel, records storage and retrieval, discipline and effective communication, delegation of duty, developing record keeping skills and motivation (Ajayi, 1997). Information and data generated from an effective and efficient records management programme aids the school to plan and make useful decisions, preserve facts and figures for future references, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization and administration of the school. The adequate provision of quality manpower, funds and equipment would ensure optimum management of school records; however, inadequate or non-availability of these resources would bring about problems and challenges in the efficient and effective management of records.
Asogwa (2004) asserts that records and data generated in the course of execution of legitimate function of an organization or school should be kept and managed properly. However, despite the overwhelming importance of school records, it has been observed that they are poorly kept.
Since all schools are expected to keep records for effective and efficient achievement of educational goals and objectives, it becomes pertinent to examine whether the records are managed properly or not in Educational Distric IV, Lagos State.
Statement of the Problem
Despite the importance of school records in the achievement of educational objectives, these records do not seem to be adequately managed by principals. From observation, reliable records are not properly managed. This suggests that records management practice in Nigeria has a number of problems which may include insufficient skilled and experienced record management personnel and possibly low priority attention to records management in the scheme of things. This low priority attention to records management often manifest on the area of missing files and records, falsification of records (change of declaration of age), missing school plan and destruction of records to cover up something. Despite the core value of effective record keeping in school system, many high schools in Lagos state still leave much to be desired in terms of effective records management. Many principals have complained of falsification of data among staff, and several time, supervisors from state ministry of education and local government education authority have also recorded high falsification of school data by school heads and teachers. It has been observed that principals most often do not provide accurate number of students on enrolment during P.T.A levy account, among others.
Based on the above facts, it is clear that problems exist rewards management and it is of much concern to this researcher hence, the problem of the study posed as a question is: how are school records managed in high schools in Educational Distric IV, Lagos State.
Purpose of Study
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of management of school records in high schools within Educational District Iv, Lagos. Specifically, the study:
- Found out what school records are presently kept in high schools.
- Determined the administrative practice factors that characterize record keeping in high schools.
- Found out the problems associated with keeping of school records.
- Determined the strategies for improvement of school records management.
Significance of the Study
Schools are established for the purposes of achieving set goals. In order to achieve these goals, teachers and principals are appointed to manage the affairs of the school. Their functions are not just limited to teaching alone, but ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that there is strict accountability.
The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical significance. The theoretical significance is hinged on effective management theory. Management theory try to explains the relationship between workers and the organization towards effective record keeping management. Thus, many management bottleneck/problems facing the Nigerian education system particularly, the secondary education level could be solved through effective management theory and sound record keeping. In Lagos State Secondary Education Board (SEB), the same theory could be used to solve the management problem and poor record keeping encountered by school administrators including schools principals for effective record keeping in school system. Practically, the findings of this study will be sound relevant to the following group of persons; principals, teachers, students, secondary school management Board and the entire society. The findings of this study will expose school principals with the best management school records. Consequently the findings will help them shun the falsification of school data.
The result of this study will help teachers appreciate their important position in school records management. This will therefore motivate them to cooperate with the principals in documentation of reliable data for professional growth and quality delivery in school. Similarly, the findings will serve as an eye-opener to teachers even principals on the necessary school information needed to record for office use.
The study will also present with students the importance of effective record keeping in the school management thereby, helping them provide necessary and reliable data/information for accurate school documentation. From the findings of the study, the secondary school management board will be presented with the views of the principals and teachers on school management necessary for progressive records keeping in secondary school system. In the strength of the above, the board will know the specific management theory and area of record keeping to be focused during staff seminars and workshop on school management and records keeping. In all, Nigerian society will also benefit from the results of this study, when principals and teachers adopt better management on records keeping, to be ascertained in this work, it is most likely that falsification of data will be minimized, issue of ghost workers and sometimes half-hazard retrieval of information among principals and staff will be drastically reduced, and teachers will be more committed to their work thus, yielding improved and productive personnel to the society.
Scope of the Study
The geographical scope of this study covered all the high schools in Educational District IV, Lagos State. Specifically, the study focuses on the records that are presently kept in high schools. It was also concerned with determining the administrative practices that characterize the keeping of records in high schools, find out the problems associated with keeping of school records and determine the strategies for improvement of the school records keeping in high schools.
Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study:
- What are the school records presently kept in high schools in Educational Distric IV, Lagos State?
- What are the administrative practices that characterize the keeping of records in high schools?
- What problems are associated with keeping the school records?
- What are the strategies for the improvement of school records management in high schools in Educational Distric IV, Lagos State.
Hypothesis
The following null hypothesis were formulated for this study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance:
Ho1: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of secondary school
principals and teachers with regard to school records that are kept in high schools in Educational Distric IV, Lagos State.
Ho2: There IS no significant difference between the mean ratings of secondary school principals and teachers with regard to the problems associated with record keeping in high schools.
Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and teachers with regard to the strategies for improving school records keeping in high schools.
Definition of Terms
Effectiveness: Effectiveness is the capability of producing a desired result or the ability to produce desired output. When something is deemed effective, it means it has an intended or expected outcome, or produces a deep, vivid impression.
School records include books, documents, diskettes and files that contain information on what goes on in school as well as other relevant information pertaining to the growth and development of the school.
Management: Management like business refers to the electronic management using technology to improve and facilitate the governing process besides maintaining records for the best performance and results of the work flow integration of information.
Record: This is an act or process of creating and maintaining information; archiving data etc
Data Processing: the carrying out of operations on data, especially by a computer, to retrieve, transform, or classify information.
Storage Device: This is a piece of computer equipment on which information can be stored.
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