AVAILABILITY AND UTILISATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOL IN OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

Abstract

This study was carried out to ascertain availability and utilisation of educational materials and effective administration of private secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Three research questions were raised and answered to achieve the purpose of the study. The study employed descriptive survey research method. The population of the study was 2,728 students from 30 private secondary schools in Oredo Local Government of Edo State, while 22% total of 600 students, made up the sample for the study. This was done using the simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection were a validated checklist from the Ministry of Education and a self-constructed questionnaire. Data were analysed using frequency count, simple percentage, mean and standard deviation. Findings of the study revealed that the available educational materials in private secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State are radios, tape recorders, and accessories, bulletin board, flannel board, flash cards, flash cards, motion pictures, film strips, slides, biology laboratories computer instructors, chemistry laboratory technologist, physics laboratory technologist, biology laboratory technologists, agriculture laboratory technologists, workshop technician, music instructors and the major problems encountered during utilisation of educational materials in private secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State are lack of electricity, inadequate tools, poor condition of equipment, lack of pipe borne water, lack of storage facility and irregular maintenance. In view of the findings and conclusions from the study, it was recommended that school management should conduct regular checks to ensure that available educational resources are regularly and properly and that the State Ministry of Education should as much as possible, visit schools in order to have a first-hand information of challenges facing the schools so as to determine the best possible solutions to those problems.