SECURITY MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL ZONE OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

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