Introduction
Practicum in educational management is a practical course
which is designed for students who which to obtain the Master Degree in
Educational Administration and Planning.
It is a practical aspect of educational management course
designed to enable the future educational manager’s to have practical
experiences and skills of all theories acquired during the course of study in
the university.
Educational management has being defined in many ways by
different authors, but in all, it has been summarized as the control of human
and material resources directed to education in order to have effective
attainment of the stated educational goals and objectives for effective
teaching and learning in educational institution.
In order to display the theoretical aspect of educational
management studied in school there is need to have the practical before one
becomes a full education manager. Hence, the justification for practicum in
educational management which is an internship programme that involves the
attachment of educational administration and planning students to any
educational institution to acquire the practical aspect of educational
management.
The attachment is compulsory for every student of
educational management to stay in an attached institution or organization for
twelve (12) weeks after which a comprehensive report must be written by the
student and a letter of recommendation is collected by the student from the
organization or institution in which the programme is carried out by the
student to ascertain the participation of the student.
The
meaning and purpose of Practicum in Educational Management
Practicum is an
activity that has to do with the practice of acquiring the knowledge and skills
in a particular field or discipline. In the case of educational management, Practicum
is organized to assist the student to gain practical experience and also to
expose them to the actual practice of the numerous theories and concepts,
skills and principles that might have been studied during the course work in
the school.
Students should be acquainted with all aspect of
administration in educational institution; it is an enriching experience for
the student in the area of administration, leadership, decision-making,
planning, organizing, staffing, co-ordinating and budgeting. The practicum
exercise will also assist the students to exhibit some personal characteristics
and qualities expected of an educational manager, such qualities include
maturity, intelligence, kindness, sympathy, honesty, accommodating, impartial
and being considerate in decision-making and general administration.
However, the need for practicum in educational management
cannot be over emphasized due to its significance to prospective educational
managers for the following reasons:
1.
It enables the student to be more
intelligent and knowledgeable in handling managerial works.
2.
It helps the students of educational
management to be exposed to organizational management structure and
mobilization of human and material resources toward the achievement of set
goals and objectives.
3.
It gives the opportunity for every
education management students to know both theoretical and practical aspect of
education administration and planning.
4.
It gives students encouragement and
confidence to face problems process in carrying out their duties in any
educational establishment, workplace and take necessary actions in order to
solve arising problems.
5.
It gives opportunity of a team work
between the intern (student) doing practicum and the staff of the LGEA because
it create human relationship between the officer of the department and
practicum student asking various on how the department is been managed.
6.
It helps the students to know the
various problems facing the organization (i.e. LGEA) or the education sector
and how to solve them.
In
view of the above, it is the necessity of the attachment done by the writer at
Ilorin South Local Government Education Authority at Amilengbe annex office in
Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND OF ILORIN SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EDUCATION
AUTHORITY
On
8th August 1988, the Federal Military Government under the administration of
General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida promulgated Decree No. 31 of 1998(2004) which
established the Nigerian Primary Education Commission (NPEC) now known as
National Universal Basic Primary Education
for the smooth running of primary education in Nigeria. It was also
established to prescribe the minimum standard of primary education and junior
secondary school education throughout the country. The decree also fights for
the establishment of basic primary education as an intermediary to cater for
the disadvantage state in order to achieve uniform standard in education. By
the decree, Primary School Management Boards (PSMB) was established in all the
state of the federation and the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja. Local
Government Education Authority was also established in all the local government
areas of the federation.
However,
Ilorin South Local Government Education Authority came into existence as a
result of Decree No. 3 of 1991 titled Local Government Authority which repeated
Decree 31 of 1998. By these Decree (.i.e. Decree No 3 of 1991) the LGEA was set
up to participate in funding and management of primary education .i.e. LGEA was
established to support aims and objectives of the Federal Ministry of Education
in establishment of minimum standard of primary education. Ilorin South LGEA
was founded in 1997 during the late General Sanni Abacha regime. It was calve
out from the former Ilorin East Local Government. The first pioneer secretary
was Hajia Kike Abdulkadir followed by Alhaji Mohammed Alfa Nassam in August,
2005. Another substantive education secretary also came into office on
September, 2005 in person of Alhaji Gamba Ayinla Mustaphar, immediately after
his tenure he was succeeded by Mallam Ibrahim Ayinde Ishola who is still the
current education secretary since 2009. The Ilorin south local government
education authority has its headquarters at Fufu, while the annex office of the
education authority is at Amilengbe in Ilorin Kwara State. In Kwara State,
there are sixteen (16) LGEAs in which there are established for the smooth
running of basic primary education (.i.e. primary and junior secondary
schools).
However, the LGEA has three (3) tiers of
funding namely:
(a)
Federal government
(b)
State government
(c)
Local government
Presently,
Ilorin South LGEA has a total of seventy-nine (79) Universal basic education
schools (.i.e. fifty-five (55) primary schools and twenty-four (24) junior
secondary schools) under its control. It has a total of seventy-nine (79) Head
masters / Head mistress and Junior Secondary School principals; One thousand
one hundred and sixty (1160) teachers and Seven thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six (7,866) pupils and students.
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF ILORIN
SOUTH LGEA
Structure:
According to the National Primary Education
Commission (NPEC) Decree No. 96 of 1993, which stated the structure and
functions of LGEAs which is established in each Local Government (LG) of each
state of the federation shall be subjected to the control of the state primary
education board. The LGEA board shall include the following:
I.
A part time chairman who shall be a
seasoned educationist.
II.
A representative of the Nigerian union
of teachers in the Local Government Area.
III.
One representative of women in the Local
Government Area.
IV.
Two representative of religious
organization in the Local Government Area.
V.
A representative of Parent Teachers
Association in the Local Government Area.
VI.
The secretary who shall be a seasoned
educationist shall be appointed by the chairman of the Local Government.
Functions of Ilorin South LGEA:
The
functions of Ilorin South LGEA as stated in Decree No. 96 of 1993 include the
following:
1. It
is in charge of appointment (.i.e. Grade Level 1-6), transfer/posting,
promotions and discipline of staffs.
2. The
day-to-day administration of the primary schools in its area of jurisdiction.
3. It
makes recommendation to the board / education board on the discipline of staff
(i.e. teaching and non-teaching) staff.
4. Makes
submission of annual estimates in account and monthly returns of primary
schools.
5. It
makes acquisition and disburses of learning materials to the primary schools.
6. It
under take in general the maintenance of primary schools buildings and
infrastructures.
7. It makes reasonable steps by ensuring that
full enrolment and attendant of pupils in all primary schools are ensured.
8. It
provides regular feedback to the board on pupils’ reaction to the government on
education measures.
9. Makes
supervision of all education committee and perform other duties and functions
as mainly delegated to it by the board.
Responsibilities of an Education
Secretary
1. He
/ She is the accounting officer, overall boss of the LGEA who has the general
responsibility for the promotion of standard education in the Local Government
Education Authority (LGEA).
2. The
education secretary is the administrative head and he / she work hand-in-hand with
head of departments (HODs) of other department in the LGEA.
PROBLEMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EDUCATION AUTHORITY
The following are the
problems faced by the LGEA:
a. Inadequate
fund.
b. Inadequate
personnel.
c. Inadequate
office accommodation.
d. Inadequate
equipments.
e. Inadequate
transportation to convey staffs.
The Operational Structure and
Administrative Network of Ilorin South Education
Authority
The Ilorin South
Education Authority has five (5) departments for effective and efficient
administration of its day-to-day running. These departments include:
i.
Personnel Management and Administration
Department (PM).
ii.
School Services Department (SS).
iii.
Planning, Research and Statistics
Department (PRS).
iv.
Finance and Supply Department (FS)
v.
Social Mobilization Department (SM).
Each section is headed by Head of Section
(HOS). The Secretary is the overall boss of the establishment. He / She work
hand-in-hand with other HOS of the five (5) departments.
Therefore,
the attached organogram illustrates the interrelationship between the Education
Secretary
and the various department / units in the LGEA.
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