SOURCE:

Faculty: Education
Department: Educational Management And Policy

CONTRIBUTORS:

Onuoha, H.C;
Ikediugwu. N.P;

ABSTRACT:

Growing cases of cult and criminal activities among students in secondary schools necessitated this study to determine the extent of principals’ application of security management practices for effective administration of public secondary schools in Anambra State. Four research questions guided the study and eight hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of 258 principals were studied without sampling as the size was manageable. A 5-point rating scale questionnaire developed by the researcher and containing 53 items in four clusters which was validated by three experts from the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University was used to collect data for the study. Reliability of the instrument was determined through pilot test and data collected were analyzed using Cronbach alpha which yielded reliability coefficients of 0.75, 0.70, 0.73 and 0.72 with an overall co-efficient value of 0.70. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions and to determine the homogeneity of the respondents’ ratings. t-test statistics was used in testing the null hypotheses. Findings revealed that principals of public secondary schools in Anambra State apply school security management procedures, physical, human and technological security management practices to a low extent. It was also revealed that the respondents do not significantly differ in their mean ratings on application of security management practices in their schools. It was therefore concluded that principals in secondary schools do not adequately apply security management practices for effective administration of public secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that principals of the secondary schools should be encouraged to maintain the application of security management procedures in their schools so as to curb cult and criminal activities. It was also recommeded that government should provide funds for the installation of physical and technological security tools in secondary schools.