ABSTRACT

This study sought to examine the due process compliance by the federal and stateinspectorate of education in the North Central Zone of Nigeria. Five research questionsand five null hypothesis (tested at p<05) guided the study. The design of the study was adescriptive survey. The sample was made up of 306 respondents comprising 116inspectors of education and 190 school heads from the North Central Zone of Nigeria.Questionnaire titled due process compliance questionnaire (DPCQ) was the instrumentsused in the study to elicit opinions of the respondents on the due process compliance byfederal and state inspectorate. The items of the questionnaire were validated by expertsfrom Faculty of Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The internal consistencyreliability of the (DPCQ) was established using Cronbach Alpha procedure andreliability coefficient estimate of 0.62, 0.54, 0.51, and 0.80 respectively was obtained.The data obtained were analyzed using mean scores, standard deviation and t-teststatistics. Major findings, of the study include: the inspectors of education and schoolheads agreed that due process practices were complied with in the personneladministration of the federal and state inspectorate service in such areas like recruitmentof inspectors; posting and transfer of inspectorate staff not being punitive; promotionbased on year of experience; specialist posting to zones; planning; in-service trainingand supervision of the performance of the inspectors by stakeholders; and recognitionvisits; due process practices were complied with in financial management activities suchas payment of staff salaries and other allowances; involving subordinates in budgetpreparation; regular conduct of yearly auditing; effective monitoring of project fund;management of cash flow; proper recording of financial matters and preparation ofannual account; the major problems facing the North Central Zone of the inspectorate ofeducation in due process compliance were accommodation constraints; lack of runningcost; poor road network; inadequate inspectors in some specific subject areas;monitoring the distribution of stationeries and office equipment; poor communication ofinformation and management skills; and inability to act on complaints; the inspectorsand school heads differed significantly on due process practices complied with toimprove the functions and code of conduct for inspectors such as organizing seminars;workshops and conferences; training skills; making inspection materials available;giving allowances and incentives to inspectors; both inspectors and school headshowever agreed on reviewing the existing guidelines for school inspection in order toimprove the functions and code of conduct of the inspectors; both inspectors and schoolheads agreed on the perceived strategies to improve due process practices for inspectorssuch as punctuality to duty; prudent management of fund; publishing annual state ofeducation; accurate and reliable report; and confidentiality of information. Among theeducational implications of the findings of the study was that the recruitment ofinspectors could be based not just on showing of certificates alone, but this could becombined with recruitment examinations which would expose the applicants to realitiesof their jobs. It was thus recommended that the recruitment of inspectors should be basednot just on showing of certificates alone, but this should be combined with recruitmentexaminations which would expose the applicants to realities of their jobs.1313

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted education as an instrument“par excellence” for effecting national development. The Federal Republic ofNigeria in the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) states that any successfulsystem of education must be hinged on proper planning, efficient administration,good organization and adequate financing. This demand the due processcompliance of the inspectorate of education. The Public Procurement Act (2007)looked at Due Process as a mechanism for ensuring strict compliance in other toharmonize and update the rules and procedures that should guide theimplementation of educational policy and contract award with the federalgovernment of Nigeria.Nigerian since the early 80s has been confronted with magnitude ofeducational problems. This problem in brief include low priority accorded toinspection Un-wanted interference in the school administration by the politicalleaders, multiplication of school with few inspectors, refusal to implement the laiddown plan and poor financial management practices, Nigeria therefore has beenbattling with how to achieve its major educational objectives. These objectives11414include improving educational standard, quality assurance and reformation of thefederal and state inspectorate of education. It has not been easy for Nigeria torealize the above objectives some of the factors responsible for this are poorperformance because of the following reasons: Unwillingness of stake holders ineducation to enforce innovation due to political instability, misplacement ofpriorities, shortage of basic infrastructural amenities and utilities and problem ofqualified personnel government use due process policy and implementationmechanism to address a number of issues. Including budget implementationservice delivery, quality assurance, reformation of the inspectorate of educationand several developmental concerns.

Due process started by the budget monitoring and price intelligence unitunder madam Obiageli Ezekwesili 2007. Anumber of new rules and standards havebeen put in place by the inspectorate while there have been effort at sensitizing thestate branches of the federal inspectorate of the education. The prime objective ofthe Due process is to harmonize and update all the federal and state inspectorate ofeducation policies and practices on inspection. Also to strictly enforce the Dueprocess principles of transparency, in other to ensure efficient and integrity basedmonitoring of the implementation of FIS and SIE guide line with Due processprinciples.

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