The policy and practice of placement of pupils in Nigerian primary schools: a paradigm for educational success

Abstract

Nations continue to strive to improve their education systems through various strategies and plans. Some of these are outcomes of research on various aspects of education; hence the need for continuous research on all aspects of education. Based on this, the present study aims to assess how school administrators handle the issue of the placement of pupils in classes in Nigeria. The study, designed as a survey, used questionnaires and interviews to elicit responses from the sample. A total of 382 teachers, who participated in a workshop organised at the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, constituted the sample. A contingency analysis, as well as a t-test, was used to analyse data. Results showed that most schools adopted the random placement criterion, an observation that was not a chance phenomenon, but refl ected the actual practice in the schools sampled (X2 computed = 520.76 > X2 table = 21.69, @ .05 level, 12df). Results also showed that older schools used this practice more than the relatively newer ones. A t-test showed that between the educationally advanced states of the south and the educationally backward states of the north, the practice was the same (F computed 1.3 < F critical 1.3 @ .05 level). The implication is that a heterogeneous rather than a homogeneous class grouping is created that offers both low and high achievers the opportunity to interact and learn from one another, with the less academically bright pupils benefi ting from the brighter ones. The implication of this and other appropriate recommendations are discussed to aid overall education success in Nigeria.