Application of Security Measures for effective Secondary Schools Administration in Ebonyi State

Abstract

The study investigated the extent to which principals use Security Measures in the administration of public Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 alpha level. The population of the study was all the principals of 226 Public Senior Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State which was made up of 144 rural and 82 urban principals. There was no sampling rather it was a census survey. The instrument for data collection was researchers-structured questionnaire titled “Principals’ Security Measures Questionnaire (PSMQ). The instrument was validated by two experts from the Department of Educational Foundations (Educational Administration and Panning unit) and one from Science Education Department (Measurement and Evaluation Unit) all in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. The reliability of the instrument was determined through test-retest method.   Results were analyzed using Cronbach Alpha, which yielded coefficient index of 0.76. Data collected were analyzed using mean (x) and standard deviation (SD) for the research questions and t-test statistic for the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of data analysis indicated that principals of public secondary schools in Ebonyi State use human security measure to a high extent by stationing guards at the school gate to prevent suspicious people from entering the premises. Principals use physical security measure to a high extent, and that principals’ use technological security measure to a low extent. For instance, many schools do not have technological gadgets in various public secondary schools in Ebonyi State. Based on the findings it was recommended among other things that government should continue to help financially towards the payment of security guards employed in their various schools in order to ensure the safety of the school personnel and properties. The findings have some educational implications on Principals as inadequate and poor utilization of technological and school clinics’ measures may predispose their schools to high level of insecurity that may invariably affect lives and properties of lives and properties.