THE RISING COST OF EDUCATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE YOUTH

1.1 Introduction

Rising cost of education refers to the expenditure on education which is not covered under FDSE yet parent have to pay for them, example expenditure on school uniform, school/meal, PTA levies for example infrastructure fund and opportunity costs. The cost of education is at its highest now more than ever even in first world countries where a lot of measures have been tactically put in place to aid and raise the standard of education and level of literacy per individual. Students take out loans to put themselves through college especially for the study of professional courses to be paid after graduation and working. Governments of these developed countries make it possible for people to study without the overly hindrance of the financial factor but the cost is there nonetheless.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

The cost of education is at its highest now more than ever even in first world countries where a lot of measures have been tactically put in place to aid and raise the standard of education and level of literacy per individual. Students take out loans to put themselves through college especially for the study of professional courses to be paid after graduation and working. Governments of these developed countries make it possible for people to study without the overly hindrance of the financial factor but the cost is there nonetheless. It doesn’t show still as the importance of education especially in these developed countries are still more significant and all the more and seems to be directly proportional to the rising cost so that it doesn’t pose so much of a social problem as it would seem.

However the issue is not so bad in these developed countries as it is in the developing and underdeveloped countries where the quality and importance of a tertiary education isn’t as profitable as in developed countries and no as proportional with the hard and stringent economic conditions so that the effect is visibly on the students and potential students. Seeing the importance of education the impact is of devastating proportions especially as it is pertaining more to the youth of the nation with their strategic significance to the overall survival of the country’s future.

Commission of Inquiry into Education System of Nigeria Report (2000) indicates that annual average expenditure on schooling in Nigeria by families shows that about 50% of total expenditure is spent in uniform and other indirect costs. This places heavy burden on poor families who cannot afford the required school fees as per the government fees guideline and the extra fees not covered.

According to GoK (2004 uniform makes all students to be equal. Therefore those who cannot afford feel inferior and discriminated from others. This affects their participation and some students opt to drop out. Parents, Teachers Association levies are charges that are assumed to have been agreed upon by parents in an Annual General Meeting for support provision of education in a given secondary school. It covers the cost of construction of classroom, Purchase of buses, salaries for Board of Management’ Teachers/Workers among other expenses.

According to Maryan (2008) PTA in United States of America seek to promote welfare of the child and youth at home, in school and in the community. P.T.A also sought to bridge the gap between home and school by connecting educators with public in securing child friendly school. P.T.A in role in Nigeria is to ensure that civil society supporting government to ensure that all Nigerians have access to good quality education by 2015.

Verspoor (2008) argues that PTA levies are instrumental in provision to physical facilities in schools. Mbugua (2008) concurs that one of the areas where P.T.A levies are utilized in Nigeria is in developing school physical facilities school management should therefore ensure that there is adequate facilities to enable teaching learning process to take place. Poor households who cannot afford to pay for P.T.A levies may end up having their children send home for the same affecting participation. Some may opt to drop out completely resulting to wastage.

Although there is FDSE, parents are expected to cater for children cost of education. Cheruiyot (2011), when studying effectiveness of subsidies in enhancing enrolment in public secondary schools found that though tuition waiver greatly reduces financial burden, parents still meet the rising costs of school uniforms, PTA levies for example infrastructure fund, lunch charges and opportunity costs among others.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Rising Cost of Education and its Implications on the Youth.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that education in the 21st century is no doubt a basic need as its need is fused into the entire existence and needs of society so that to even navigate through the world of a technologically advanced world and a global one at that, one needs not only basic education but a significant level of it. For this reason governments have put measures in place to subsidize it seeing the importance of it. However, even with the subsidization of education, its cost still borders along the level of preposterousness almost as much as health care.

The implications are significant especially on the youth. This is the problem that the present research work has elected itself to grapple with: to study the implications of the rising cost of education on the youth with the Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria as a case study.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Rising Cost of Education and its Implications on the Youth using Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To determine how school meals’ charges affect students’ participation in public secondary schools;
2. To assess how cost of school uniform influence students’ participation in public secondary schools;
3. To determine the influence of opportunity costs on students’ participation in public secondary schools; and
4. To establish the influence of departmental levies (infrastructure fund) on students’ participation in public secondary schools.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• How do school meals’ charges affect students’ participation in public secondary schools?
• How do Parents Teachers Association levies (infrastructure fund) affect students’ participation in public secondary schools?
• To what extent does the cost of school uniform influence students’ participation in public secondary schools?
• What is the influence of opportunity costs on student participation in public secondary schools?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant influence of opportunity costs on students’ participation in public secondary schools in the area under study
• H1: There is significant influence of opportunity costs on students’ participation in public secondary schools in the area under study

1.7 Significance of Study

The study may provide information on factors influencing students’ participation rate in public secondary schools. This information may be useful to educational planners, administrators, parents, learners, community and other stakeholders to device measures that could ensure that student joining secondary school complete the school cycle. The Ministry of Education will find the study useful when addressing factors that hinder transition even other parts of the country.

The study may also add to the growth of knowledge on influence of rising cost on students’ participation in secondary school education and it may be used as basis of research in other part of the country.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Rising Cost of Education and its Implications on the Youth in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

Access: Refers to making education available and affordable to targeted population.

Foregone Earnings: Income that could have been earned when not in school

Rising Costs: Expenditure on education which is not covered under FDSE yet parent have to pay for them, example expenditure on school uniform, school/meal, PTA levies for example infrastructure fund and opportunity costs.