OVERPOPULATION PROBLEMS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
This project work is aimed at determining what caused the overpopulation in the college of education, Ekiadolor, particularly in the computer/accounting department, which is located in Ekiadolor village, Benin City. It is currently the only college of its kind in the state. The college was founded in 1979 as an advantage teachers college to train N.C.E teachers and was temporarily located in Iyaro, Benin City. On May 15, 1980, the college was renamed College of Education Benin City and formally opened.
An enabling law known as “the college of education, Benin City law 1981” was enacted on October 2, 1979, and went into effect on October 2, 1979. In 1984, the law was revised. In April 1986, the college relocated to its permanent site (132 hectares) at Ekiadolor, about 25 kilometers from Benin.
It uses the semester system, and the courses offered are in accordance with the national commissioner for colleges of education’s guidelines (NCE). To oversee the college’s operations, the government appoints a governing council. Rev. Fr. Theophilus Ewaen Uwaifo was the college’s first provost. From 1879 to 1989, he served as provost. Dr. J.O. Afe succeeded him in 1990 and left in 1997.
Prof Raymond Osemwegie Elaho took over as sole administrator in 1998 and later became acting provost. He was appointed as the college’s abstractive provost in 1999 and re-appointed for a second term in 2005. The provost is in charge of the college’s administration; other principal officers, deans of schools, and the dean of students assist him. Deans lead the schools, while heads of departments lead the programs. Aside from direct admission into pre-NCE programs and part-time NCE programs (primary weekend programmes).
Today, the school has grown significantly, and the student population has risen to around 7,000 or more under the administration of Provost R.O Elaho. When compared to other colleges, the college has excelled in producing students with high intellectual ability, and these students have even gained admission to the university. They deliver excellent results.
Despite the college’s good condition, it is unfortunate that students’ academic performance is not encouraging. Many reasons have been advanced to explain this, one of which is overpopulation. It is well known that overpopulation distorts effective learning and good school management.
Between the 1999 and 2002 academic years, the population of the college of education Ekiadolor of some selected departments in Benin City increased.
Department
1999/2000
2000/2001
2001/2002
Computer/accounting
323
510
520
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Seeing the growth rate of computer/accounting departments in comparison to its facilities, one is tempted to wonder what caused the overcrowding in computer/accounting departments in comparison to other departments within the college.
Based on this growth rate, the population has risen to such a level that, when compared to the level of its growth in previous years, one would be surprised to find problems such as poor academic performance, lack of accommodation, indiscipline, poor classroom management, and so on. That is especially noticeable in today’s college.
STUDY OBJECTIVE
The investigation is thus aimed at determining the cause and effect of overpopulation in computer/accounting departments at Ekiadolor College of Education.
a. What could be the cause of an overcrowded computer/accounting department?
b. Students easily pass the West African Secondary Certificate level of government in order to gain admission to the college.
c. The course offerings in the computer/accounting department appear straightforward in the early stages of the academic year.
d. Students who want to offer a simple course in order to receive a high grade.
e. Because the lecturers’ methods of teaching students are simple.
f. Because of the departments’ well-known names.
g. What are the consequences of overpopulation?
h. There is a communication breakdown in the classroom.
i. Facilities are being used excessively.
j. Communicable disease is contagious.
1.4 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this research work is that when the effect of overpopulation is examined within the college, recommendations will be made to the appropriate authorities, which will aid in improving the management of the overpopulation problem in the college.
1.5 QUESTION FOR RESEARCH
The following research questions have been developed for the purposes of this study.
v Can communicable diseases be transmitted in densely populated areas?
v Can effective learning occur in a large class?
v Does overcrowding improve communication in the classroom?
v Does it result in a lack of facilities?
v Will it result in an overuse of available facilities and manpower?
v Is poor academic performance a result of overpopulation?
v Can an unstandardized admissions process be blamed for overpopulation?
1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES
This research topic was chosen to investigate the concept of overpopulation through a case study of a computer/accounting department and the problem caused by overpopulation. This research will focus on the concept of overpopulation, its causes, and the effects of overpopulation on the Nigerian economy.
Despite the fact that there are numerous factors contributing to overpopulation. This study’s analysis will be limited to the causes of overpopulation.
DESCRIPTION OF TERMS
Population: – Is simply defined as the total number of male and female residents in a given area, region, or state over a given time period.
Overpopulation: This refers to a population that has outgrown its optimal size. This could also imply that the population is too large in relation to available land resources, and that a lack of resources will cause people’s living standards to fall.
– birth rate This is defined as the number of children born in a country per thousand people in a given year. An increase in the birth rate increases a country’s population size/growth.
Immigration: – The movement of people from other countries into a given country, for example, people from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and so on. Proceed to Nigeria.
The concept of optimum population states that there is a population that, when combined with existing land and capital, produces the highest level of income per head (i.e.) standard of living for the people.
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OVERPOPULATION PROBLEMS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION