Thesis Abstract

<p> Most school environments no longer provide the security required for effective teaching<br>and learning. Today, security issue has become a major challenge in our educational<br>institutions. Consequently, this study set out to explore ways of improving security<br>situations in the North Central Zone public secondary schools. The study was a<br>descriptive survey study, involving 1,188 respondents, made up of 176 principals and<br>1012 teachers from 352 public secondary schools in North Central Zone. Two<br>instruments were used to collect data for the study, namely Check list on available<br>devices for improving security situation in public secondary schools and a four point<br>scale Questionnaire on improving Security Situation in Public Secondary Schools.<br>(QSSMPSS). Five research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. A<br>descriptive analyses of frequencies and percentages was used to answer the six research<br>questions while t-test comprising Mean and Standard deviation to answer the research<br>questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Also to<br>draw conclusion on whether there is a significant difference between the response of<br>principals and teachers, ANOVA sum of square (which measure the variation around<br>mean) was used focusing on difference between. The result showed among others that<br>some security devices for the improvement of security situations as well as the emergency<br>response plans for managing security in public secondary schools were not available in<br>most schools. The findings of the study also indicated that it is acceptable to have staff<br>and student identity cards, staff code of conduct and conflict resolution management<br>programmes to help the staff as well as the students know how to resolve their disputes.<br>The respondents agreed too that there is need to have constant searches of student’s<br>lockers and boxes to seize weapons and dangerous objects from the students. Based on<br>the findings and implications, it was recommended that the schools should purchase<br>security devices such as closed circuit television, sprinkler system to control fire damage<br>and metal dictator, build burglary doors and iron bars. It was also recommended that<br>emergency response plans for managing security threats such as holding emergency PTA<br>meetings, taking occasional roll calls of the students, constant maintenance of school<br>facilities, employing trained security personnel and provision of up to date emergency<br>response equipment should be adopted. There should also be constant student drills on<br>safety and security matters, constant searching of student lockers and boxes to seize<br>weapons and contraband materials. It was also recommended that there should be<br>measures for managing the security of the school plant such as having crises response<br>team for emergencies, having constant school site survey, building safety expectation into<br>the school programme and having a model school security plan. Also, the management<br>need to have perimeter fencing of the school environment and employ trained security<br>personnel to keep the school secured.<br>xii <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> <strong></strong></p><p><strong>strong&gt;INTRODUCTION<br>strong&gt;Background of the Study</strong></p><p><strong>The management of security is paramount to the effective management of schools<br>and it is an issue that has attracted a great deal of attention and concern from learners,<br>educators, parents, and the public at large. Management is viewed as the coordination of<br>all the resources of an organization, through the process of planning, organizing, directing<br>and controlling in order to attain organizational goals (Ogunu, 2009). Management is a<br>vital function of school administration. The school principal has to plan, organize, direct,<br>control and evaluate staff and material resources to achieve the objectives of the school.<br>The Education Board with the school managers have multiplicity of functions to<br>perform such as arrangement of students and grouping of activities into units to make for<br>utilization of material resources in carrying out functions. Some of the functions are<br>planning curriculum, organizing procedures and resources, arranging the environment,<br>monitoring students’ progress, protecting the students and providing security for the<br>school facilities and stakeholders. They must be concerned not only with the quality of<br>instruction, but also with the maintenance of safety and security in the school. Michele,<br>Water, Susan, and Atartins (2007) stated that the school principal works to make school<br>experience humanized so that the students could feel connected, valued and motivated to<br>learn and achieve the school objectives. They further said that the principal has to<br>endeavour to improve the school environment so that the teachers could feel confident,<br>respected and safe. This proves a well-managed school with a good social climate. A<br>well-managed school begins with thorough advanced planning by the head of the school<br>and the teachers, to ensure that the teachers have adequate knowledge of their subjects<br>and those security needs of the students and staff are guaranteed.</strong></p> <br><p></p>