CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Children are frequently considered as a nation's riches as well as its pride. The future of every nation is thus dependent on the youth, who represent the potential human resources required for the society's survival. Thus, in order to accomplish long-term growth of a civilization, the youthful people must be both maintained and disciplined. School indiscipline, such as hooliganism and gangsterism, has long been a source of concern for educators, policymakers, and the general public, owing to the outbreak of aggressiveness among peers, violence within the teacher-student relationship, and vandalism, all of which contribute to the ongoing problem of drop out, deviant behavior, examination malpractice, lateness, and poor academic performance among secondary school students (Ali, Dada, Isiaka and Salmon, 2014).
Hooliganism and gangsterism are societal problems that have swiftly expanded and developed in our educational institutions, particularly among our college students. In Nigeria, this social maladaptation is seen as a severe worry since it has a negative impact on the lives and performance of the pupils concerned, as well as the smooth operation of the entire social system. Hooliganism/gangsterism and other related issues are detrimental to human society's existence and effective functioning. Hooliganism and gangsterism have been blamed for a considerable number of poor academic performance, school dropouts, and premature fatalities in accidents (Amosun, Ige and Ajala, 2010).
Hooliganism and gangsterism are on the rise in Nigerian secondary schools, causing concern among teachers, parents, school administrators, the government, and the general public. According to Eke (2002), gangsterism has become so prevalent that the resulting indiscipline has resulted in varying degrees of wrongdoing.
According to Udoh (quoted in Iheanacho and Ikpeme, 2013), moral decay, an act of deviance, has reached such a worrying level in the Nigerian school system that all stakeholders in the education sector are looking for a feasible remedy. He believes that gangsterism stems in part from a lack of athletic opportunities. A recollection of the colonial school years recalls an ideal school atmosphere in which children behaved according to established rules. Secondary schools were sites where teenagers' personalities were molded. Adolescents in school were taught self-control, character orderliness, and efficiency.
According to Ogunsanya (2000), gangsterism on campus originated as a result of socially inappropriate conduct such as media boom, importation of foreign culture, the internet, and junk magazines, which overwhelm the Youths and cause them to succumb to their influence. According to Mohammed (2004), the degree of hooliganism among students has significantly increased. It is not uncommon to witness our pupils (both male and female) acting in a way similar to that of tout. In the same line, Badejo (2004) believes that the gangsterism threat in our schools may be linked to drugs that certain kids take.
In Nigeria today, the consequences of gangsterism include disruption of interpersonal relationships, particularly within the family, marginalization, criminal behavior, school failure, vocational problems, and failure to achieve normal adolescent milestones, yet these youths are expected to be the country's leaders in the future when they do not even have a future focus..
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Hooliganism and gangsterism research has long piqued the interest of educational sociologists and psychologists. An study of Nigerian educational institutions today would uncover the usage of deadly weapons, sexual harassment, a decline in student standards, uncommitted and less dedicated lecturers and professors, to name a few issues. According to Raufu in Pemede (2000), the problem of cultism in our schools, together with its accompanying problems like as homicide, extortion, rape, maiming, theft, and other social vices, has permanently engraved the issue in the consciousness of the typical Nigerian.
Furthermore, children are seen as a nation's milestone and future. Without sufficient attention to children, it is difficult to achieve the desired and hoped-for development goals, as planned development can only be reached via skilled personnel and excellent education. Hooliganism/gansterism in schools can emerge as kids' aggressive behavior, bad disciplinary style, teacher ineffectiveness and inefficiency, poor time management, and an inefficient code of conduct, among other things. Schools' actions of indiscipline disrupt learning and have a direct influence on students' academic achievement.
Scholars have recently written more about hooliganism/gansterism among students and its effects on learning outcomes and academic achievement. Some academics argue that disciplinary rules have little effect (Chen, 2008; Schoonover, 2009). Others argue that if schools are adequately disciplined, student and teacher academic achievement will be highly rated (Ehiane, 2014; Pemede and Viavonu, 2010). Indeed, whether hooliganism/gangsterism has a harmful or good impact on students' academic performance is an open question for the current study. Against this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of hooliganism/gansterism on students' academic performance in senior secondary schools. Ojo Local Government Area.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study include the following; to:
a. examine the effect of gangsterism on students’ academic performance
b. examine the correlates of students act of indiscipline and academic performance.
1.4 Research Questions
The undertaking of this research project will be guided by the following research questions;
1. What is the effect of gangsterism on students’ academic performance?
2. Is there any relationship between students’ act of indiscipline and their academic performance?
1.5 Significance Of The Study
This study's findings will be equally significant to the government through the ministry of education, policymakers, education reformers, and school administrators in giving a long-term solution to the social scourge. This study will be valuable to educational administrators, instructors, and parents since it will provide various techniques for reducing hooliganism among students in schools. This research will also add to the current body of information and literature on how to reduce hooliganism in schools.
1.6 Delimitation Of The Study
This study is delimited to public secondary schools in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State. Also Principals and teachers in Kosofe Local Government area of Lagos state.