Disorderliness or discipline problems in the public school are
evident by students refusing to allow school practice and, the process of
education carried out in an atmosphere of cordiality, and friendliness. Where
the authority of the school administration, and teachers are not recognized,
maintained and exercised, where students refuse to conform to the laid down school
rules and regulation, where laws of truancy and examination malpractices are
not obeyed, where the conventional practices is in anti-social activities,
where bribery and corruption are allowed to prevail in the open, and where
school emphasis is not strongly placed on development of characters and self
discipline as well as personal commitment to academic excellence.
From above conceptual nature of school discipline is significant
for its appreciation of many parts of the school life that are responsible for
creating discipline problems, and which maturely controlled, could create
harmony and jointly encourage good school practice. It is pathetic that none of
our public school operates like a military school, where the orderly procedure
of everything contributes to successful discipline in a military school, unlike
the civilian public school, officers meet strict regulations and more with
predetermined precision, sets a worthy example to the students. It is difficult
in the public school, for the practitioners to set up and maintain such
standard of discipline or patriotic behaviour. That is why in recognition of
the importance of disciplinary system in the public school. The National
University Commission (NUC) wisely to included school discipline in the educational
management course. School discipline is one of these subject areas of
educational administration management that unfolds the concept and nature of
discipline problems in the public school systems. The question of discipline
stretches across every direction of the school life and work.
There is no area of the school activities that does not have its
disciplinary system and problems. School discipline is vast in scope. It covers
procedures, standards, regulations in the school system, and reason for
establishing them. It is all about how to keep pupils or students actively
involved, and interested in their learning and assignment, as well as how they
can overcome or resist anything or any body to distract them from doing what is
right, and in keeping good moral standard. It is about hew school heads
teachers, and students can carry out
their expectations fairly, friendly, enthusiastically and with self control.
Student need standard for guidance in order to know what the
acceptable limits are in the school practice. They need understanding and
guidance which should be provide^ by their teachers. They seriously need love
and care of their teachers, which will be close to what most of them enjoy at
home.
School discipline is not a
situation where pupils or students work at side and teachers operating at
opposite direction. It is not a situation in which teachers work and the
student play or do contrary things.
It is not a situation in which everyone faces his own direction
and interest, and regard teaching and learning only as a fun.
It is a situation in which teaching and learning are viewed as the
common business of the school, and all that are involved in the business of the
school.
Aiken (1994), discipline in the school, can be said to be good,
when teachers find that they enjoy, and are stimulated by what they do, when
the children are growing strong and vigorous, when they are learning fast as
well as what they themselves need to learn, when they are reaching new levels
of sensitivity about themselves and others, when the parents see the school
staff as colleague, when they and other local people feel that the school is
theirs in a very full sense of sue and rear.
Discipline is bad when there is a clearage between the school and
community, when teachers dislike or feel uninterested in their work. When
pupils attend school only because they are forced to, when problems of
discipline are always to the fore front of the staff room discussion, when to
teachers, talk is peppered by the word, and by examples of misdemeanors, when
the teachers refers to parents as people of an inferior culture or having lower
standards than themselves, when they call parents into the school only in time
of double.
When
discipline a good, it is because both staff and children are deeply preoccupied
and happy in their work, and because the work has purpose for them. It does not
mean that instances.
Discipline problems do not occur, but they are seen as
distractions that irregular occasionally occur, and will be dealt with
accordingly. School discipline can therefore be said to be concerned, with the
question of the orderliness in the operations of the school business. This is
strictly limited to the area at management control of students and staff
behaviours in the school. It is also concerned with the ethos or morel
standard, which guarantee the achievement of school objectives. School
discipline therefore, give the idea of maintenance of general conditions of
order, without which nothing can be effectively taught or learnt.
Akumah (EBJE), 2005, observed that the authority of the school
administration, and teachers are not recognized, maintained and exercise where
student refused to conform to the laid down school rules and regulation, where
laws of truancy and examination malpractices are not obeyed, there the
conventional practices is compromised, with students known to be indulging in
anti-social activities, where bribery and corruption are allowed to provide in
the open, and where school emphasize is not strongly placed on development of
character, and self discipline, as well as personal commitment to academic
excellence.
From the above conceptual nature of school disorderliness, we can
see that school discipline. If not enforced, contribute to the cause of poor
performance of students in Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).